Nigeria's president told to reduce ministries

President Goodluck Jonathan thanked the panel for the report

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has been told by a key advisory panel to cut government's running costs.

The chair of the Presidential Advisory Council, Theophilus Danjuma, said ministries should be cut or merged to free money for development schemes. The budget proposed for 2011 shows Nigeria would spend far more on the government than on infrastructure.

Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer, but the majority of its 150 million people still live in poverty. Parliamentarians' salaries are not made public in Nigeria, but diplomats say the country's politicians are among the best paid in the world.

BBC