May 29: President Tinubu to Receive Ministers’ Performance Report Amid Pressure on Low-Performing Ministries
By Stephen Angbulu, Abdulrahman Zakariyau & Nathaniel Shuaibu | May 21, 2025
As President Bola Tinubu marks his second year in office on May 29, 2025, the Central Results Delivery and Coordination Unit (CDCU) is finalizing a fresh performance scorecard for his ministers, covering the first quarter of the year.
Multiple sources within the presidency confirmed to The PUNCH that the confidential assessment—now in its final stages—will soon be delivered to the President. Underperforming ministries are reportedly feeling pressure as the administration intensifies its focus on results.
The CDCU, led by Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman, has been reviewing project reports and deliverables uploaded last month by various ministries to a secure portal. Each ministry’s performance is being evaluated against the performance bonds signed during the October 2023 Cabinet Retreat.
An insider revealed that while some ministers showed fair or above-average performance, “many others scored poorly across critical metrics.” The Ministry of Works was specifically mentioned as having performed relatively well.
While immediate sackings are not expected, the scorecards will serve as a critical tool for one-on-one reviews between the President and his ministers, shaping future decisions—including potential cabinet changes after May 29.
Background and Purpose of the Assessment
The CDCU, modeled after similar agencies in the UK and Rwanda, was established in June 2023 to track ministerial performance through quarterly dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs).
At the November 2023 Cabinet Retreat, President Tinubu made it clear that ministers would be retained strictly based on merit:
“If you are performing, nothing to fear. If no performance, you leave us,” he warned.
The CDCU’s last performance report, submitted in late 2024, reportedly led to the removal of two ministers and the reshuffling of several portfolios.
Hadiza Bala-Usman earlier announced that the quarterly reports would begin in January 2024, once all ministries had received their 2024 budgets. Over 140 officials from 35 ministries were trained to support the monitoring and reporting process.
Mixed Reactions from Political Stakeholders
Opposition parties have criticized the administration’s governance record ahead of the anniversary.
- PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, called the administration a “monumental failure,” citing worsening insecurity and economic hardship.
- NNPP’s spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, urged a full cabinet reshuffle, stressing that the nation cannot continue “at the current pace.”
- Labour Party’s Obiora Ifoh urged the President to remove ministers not meeting expectations and focus on national security and economic reforms.
Civil society groups echoed these concerns. Debo Adeniran of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership flagged underperformance in education, health, and security, saying many social sectors are “not doing well.”
Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), said some ministers are more focused on political survival than governance, urging the public release of the CDCU reports for transparency.
What’s Next?
Although the President is not expected to make dramatic moves before his second anniversary, the Q1 2025 report will be instrumental in shaping subsequent decisions. Aides say Tinubu will use the report for private feedback sessions with ministers before a likely cabinet shake-up in the coming months.
When contacted, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the report as “a routine to keep ministers and agency heads on their toes.”
