By Ayomide Otitoju
In response to mounting calls for a cabinet shake-up, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday dismissed five ministers, reassigned ten others, and nominated seven new ministers for Senate confirmation. This move comes months after many Nigerians expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the government in the face of rising inflation, economic hardship, and insecurity.
Tinubu, a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), initially appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, three months after his inauguration. The Senate promptly confirmed the appointees, but with ongoing public pressure, a cabinet reshuffle seemed imminent.
On Wednesday, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Tinubu relieved Uju-Ken Ohanenye (Women’s Affairs), Lola Ade-John (Tourism), Tahir Mamman (Education), Abdullahi Gwarzo (State, Housing and Urban Development), and Jamila Ibrahim (Youth Development) of their ministerial roles.
To fill the vacancies, the President nominated Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Nentawe Yilwatda as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, effectively ending the tenure of suspended Betta Edu. Other key appointments include Maigari Dingyadi as Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole as Minister of Industry, and Idi Maiha as the new Minister for Livestock Development. Yusuf Ata was appointed as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, while Suwaiba Ahmad was named Minister of State for Education.
In a significant structural change, Tinubu scrapped the Ministry of Niger Delta Development, replacing it with the Ministry of Regional Development. This new ministry will oversee all regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), South East Development Commission, North East Development Commission, and North West Development Commission.
The Ministry of Sports Development was also dissolved, with its responsibilities transferred to the National Sports Commission to create a “vibrant sports economy.” Additionally, the Federal Ministry of Tourism was merged with the Ministry of Arts and Culture to form the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy.
In the reshuffle, former Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, from the Muhammadu Buhari administration, received a new role as Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication and Orientation, operating under the Ministry of Information and National Orientation. Shehu Dikko was appointed as the Chairman of the National Sports Commission.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing ministers for their service and urged the newly appointed and reassigned officials to dedicate themselves fully to the administration’s goal of steering Nigeria toward sustained growth. He emphasized that their roles are crucial in delivering on the government’s priorities.
