FG orders MDAs to scrap overlapping regulatory fees

The Federal Government has ordered Ministries, Departments and Agencies to eliminate overlapping responsibilities, multiple regulatory fees and unnecessary administrative procedures. These demands often make businesses repeat steps, pay more than once and wait longer for approvals. Removing them is intended to reduce the cost of doing business and attract investment.

The proposed rule is simple: where mandates overlap, there should be one lead agency, one process and one fee. Agencies must also operate within their legal mandates and coordinate under the “One Government” framework. Before creating new regulations, they must consult stakeholders and assess possible economic effects.

The reform is still being organised. The Ministry of Finance will review agency submissions and provide feedback within four to six weeks. It will then circulate a draft performance framework, leading to measurable commitments and periodic reviews of compliance, service delivery and regulatory-cost reductions.

MDA stands for Ministry, Department or Agency. These public institutions carry out government responsibilities, including regulation, approvals, service delivery and revenue collection. The article focuses on making their contact with businesses more coordinated, predictable and accountable.

For example, an agency may impose a regulatory requirement, charge a fee or process an application connected to business operations. The government says agencies must stay within their statutory mandates, remove duplicate requirements and promptly remit government revenues. They must also transfer operating surpluses to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and submit audited financial statements under existing laws.

MDAs are therefore both service providers and public financial managers in this reform. Their performance will be judged by processing times, compliance with published timelines and reductions in regulatory costs. The initiative also requires agencies to coordinate with one another instead of presenting businesses with conflicting demands.

Under the proposed system, overlapping responsibilities should produce one lead agency, one process and one fee. This is the government’s clearest operating rule for reducing regulatory confusion and cost. It means businesses should not have to satisfy several institutions separately when they are dealing with the same mandate.

The mechanism depends on coordination. Agencies must work under a “One Government” framework, identify duplicate requirements and agree which institution leads. They must also coordinate major policy changes and give businesses adequate notice before implementation. This should reduce conflicting demands and unexpected disruptions.

The system is proposed, not yet presented as fully implemented. The Ministry of Finance will review agency submissions, issue feedback within four to six weeks and circulate a draft performance framework. Agencies will then agree on measurable commitments, which will face periodic compliance and service-delivery reviews.

Implementation will rest mainly with Ministries, Departments and Agencies. They must remove duplicate requirements, coordinate their mandates, consult stakeholders before new regulations and accept measurable performance commitments. Agencies must also remit revenues, transfer operating surpluses and submit audited financial statements.

The Ministry of Finance will review submissions from participating agencies and send specific feedback within four to six weeks. It will then circulate a draft performance framework for consultation. Individual agencies will agree to measurable commitments, while the ministry will use periodic reviews to assess compliance and improvements in service delivery.

Taiwo Oyedele, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, directed the changes during a strategic engagement with agency heads. Relevant stakeholders will help assess proposed regulations and their economic effects. The ministry also acknowledged that it must fix internal delays, slow fund releases and outdated regulations.

The government plans to judge agencies using measurable indicators instead of broad assurances. These indicators include service delivery timelines, compliance with published processing periods and reductions in regulatory costs. Together, they show whether an agency is becoming faster, more predictable and less expensive for businesses.

The key mechanism is a performance framework. Agencies will agree on specific commitments after the Ministry of Finance reviews their submissions and circulates a draft framework for consultation. The ministry will then subject those commitments to periodic reviews. This creates a basis for checking whether promised improvements actually occur.

The article does not give starting measurements or final targets. It says the ministry will communicate specific feedback within four to six weeks. It also says the Ministry of Finance must address its own delayed approvals, slow fund releases and outdated operational regulations, so its performance will matter too.

Reducing overlapping fees, delays and conflicting requirements could lower the resources businesses spend dealing with government. That would make operations more predictable and leave businesses with more capacity for productive investment. The reform is also intended to attract investment by reducing administrative obstacles.

The article identifies a direct mechanism: one lead agency, one process and one fee where mandates overlap. Faster service timelines, fewer duplicate requirements and advance notice of policy changes could reduce disruption. Businesses could then devote more resources to expansion rather than repeated compliance steps or unexpected charges.

The expected effects are investment, business expansion and job creation, but the article presents them as intended outcomes rather than completed results. The reforms still require agency commitments, consultation and periodic reviews. Their impact will depend on whether agencies actually reduce costs and improve service delivery.

Multiple regulators and administrative procedures raise business costs because each extra requirement can demand another application, payment, approval or wait. When responsibilities overlap, businesses may face uncertainty about which institution leads and whether they must satisfy several similar demands. Conflicting requirements can also disrupt normal operations.

The government’s proposed remedy is coordination under a “One Government” framework. Where mandates overlap, one agency should lead, one process should apply and one fee should be charged. Regulators should consult before creating rules, assess economic effects and give adequate notice before major changes. These steps target both duplication and unpredictability.

The article connects lower bureaucratic costs with more resources for investment, expansion and job creation. It also recognises that government must improve its own operations, including delayed approvals and slow fund releases. Without those internal improvements, businesses could continue facing avoidable delays even if external fees are reduced.