The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, has appealed to ministerial aides to support their principals in enhancing public policy formulation and implementation.

The minister, at the opening of a capacity-building workshop for special advisers and technical assistants to ministers, in Abuja, on Monday, organised by the Ministerial Aides Network, MANET, in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, KAS, Bagudu highlighted the vital role of special advisers and technical assistants in improving governance, national planning, and efficient public service delivery, praising MANET and KAS for sustaining initiatives that enhance the skills, professionalism, and effectiveness of political appointees and technical aides across government.

According to him, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning started as the National Planning Commission, reflecting Nigeria’s constitutional federal system with federal, state, and local levels of government.

He added that the role remains to regularly evaluate the skills needed for national development, suggest training and organisational reforms, and work together with development partners.

Bagudu stated that no nation could reach its development goals without strong institutional capacity, pointing out that advisers, consultants, and technical experts play a key role in shaping policy, strengthening institutions, and supporting ministers in fulfilling their mandates.

He encouraged participants to seize the learning opportunities offered by the workshop to strengthen Nigeria’s policy advisory ecosystem and enhance evidence-based decision-making across government.