Governance in a nation as dynamic and complex as Nigeria requires vision, efficiency, and structural agility. At the national level, President Tinubu has consistently signaled a commitment to decentralization. From pressing on with state policing and decentralizing the power sector to recalibrating items between the Exclusive and Concurrent Legislative Lists, the broader policy direction favours pushing authority outward to where it is needed most. Yet, a troubling disconnect persists beneath the presidency, one that threatens to negate the momentum of the Renewed Hope agenda before it reaches ordinary citizens.

Across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, power remains holed up at the top. Rather than keying into the President’s decentralized vision, many political appointees whether Ministers or Managing Directors have hyper-centralized operations within their respective domains. No file moves, no procurement process clears, and no critical payments are disbursed without the explicit signature or personal go-ahead of the agency head.

The consequences of this operational chokehold are felt everywhere and the result too awful to contemplate. When a Minister or MD travels abroad for weeks, essential government business grinds to a complete halt. Procurement processes sit in limbo, approved projects remain unexecuted, and contractors go unpaid not always due to a lack of released funds, but because the sole individual with the authority to sign off is absent, having left no formal handover or delegated power behind. When senior officials travel without transmitting power to a Minister of State, a Permanent Secretary, or a next-in-command, they systematically cripple the functionality of their own institutions.

Equally alarming is the growing culture of inaccessibility among many political appointees. Moving around government corridors, one encounters an environment where doors are locked, courtesy letters sit unanswered for months sometimes over a year and access to key decision-makers is fiercely guarded.

What many appointees fail to realize is that the citizens, professionals, and policy advocates seeking an audience are often not coming to ask for favours; most are coming to offer solutions. They bring actionable ideas, operational insights, and fresh perspectives designed to help the agency fulfill its mandate and ensure the President succeeds. Blocking access does not just frustrate well-meaning Nigerians; it starves the government of the very intellectual capital required to solve urgent national issues.

When patriotic citizens with aligned visions are routinely shut out, one must ask: what happens to the average Nigerian in desperate need of responsive governance?

To fix this, the administration must act decisively on two fronts: first, President Tinubu should issue a firm administrative directive mandating structured delegation across all MDAs. Every political appointee must be required to establish clear, decentralized operational workflows. If an agency head travels, authority to approve routine operational, procurement, and financial decisions must automatically transmit to a designated second-in-command. Governance cannot be treated as a one-man show, nor can public service be tied to an individual’s physical presence.

Second, the President should establish a direct, unfiltered channel to hear directly from everyday citizens. A dedicated presidential feedback box or digital portal personally overseen by the President, completely bypassing administrative gatekeepers would transform how the presidency gauges real-world impact.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama famously maintained a practice of reading ten letters from ordinary citizens every day to stay anchored to the realities outside the White House bubble. Leaders are often at risk of becoming insulated by those around them, receiving filtered reports that conceal operational friction.

By reading 10 to 20 direct communications daily from ordinary Nigerians, President Tinubu would gain raw, unvarnished insights into the performance of his appointees, the pain points of the public, and practical ideas from the ground level.

The President should also appoint an SSA on Policy Coordination. This official will play a crucial role in monitoring the practical, day-to-day operations across various MDAs. Their primary responsibility will be to conduct direct assessments to determine which ministers and political appointees are present in their offices, active on the ground, and consistently delivering results.

The SSA on Policy Coordination will monitor administrative continuity, ensuring that whenever key officials travel or leave their duty posts, authority is properly delegated and leadership responsibilities are seamlessly handed over to the next in line. This initiative will provide the presidency with essential oversight to maintain accountability and momentum across all government sectors.

President Tinubu’s leadership style has long been recognized for accessibility, listening, and political skill. His appointees must reflect these same values rather than build walls around public institutions.

By enforcing delegation across MDAs and opening a direct line to the Nigerian public, the administration can eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks, restore momentum to public service, and ensure that the promise of governance truly reaches the people.

Bamidele Atoyebi is the Convener of BAT Ideological Group, National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy Monitoring and a publisher at Unfiltered and Mining Reporting and political social worker