***Urges Finance Leaders to Deliver on National Mandate
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, has issued a wake-up call to the top echelon of the Ministry of Finance, challenging them to become performance-driven agents of change in the country’s fiscal journey.
Speaking at the opening session of the 2025 Ministerial Performance Management Retreat in Yola, Adamawa State, Mr. Edun declared that the time for passive leadership was over, and that directors must deliver results that reflect the urgency of the nation’s economic realities.
“The economy has stabilised, but that’s not enough. Our target is 7% annual GDP growth. That won’t happen unless this Ministry functions at peak performance,” the Minister charged.
The retreat, themed “Strengthening Performance Management for Fiscal Stability,” signals a shift from rhetoric to results as the Ministry positions itself to be the engine of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Edun’s remarks framed the directors not merely as bureaucrats, but as frontline reformers expected to restore public confidence in government through measurable outcomes.
In a gesture of intergovernmental collaboration, the Adamawa State Government, led by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, hosted the retreat. Represented by Deputy Governor Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, the Governor reaffirmed the state’s commitment to national fiscal reforms.
“This retreat is proof that the states and the federal government must work in tandem to deliver results for the Nigerian people,” Farauta said.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, set the tone for accountability in her welcome address, calling for a shift from activity-based governance to impact-based leadership.
“Performance management is no longer optional. It’s the bedrock of credibility in this era of limited resources and heightened public scrutiny,” she noted.
The retreat brings together directors, permanent secretaries, and key finance personnel in a bid to overhaul internal systems, improve execution capacity, and transform Nigeria’s economic outlook.
As the retreat unfolds, it may well mark a turning point in how the Ministry of Finance leads from within—and whether it can anchor the nation’s push for inclusive growth, stability, and prosperity.
