PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu initiated a long-anticipated cabinet reshuffle today removing five ministers and nominating seven new ones for Senate confirmation. Additionally, 10 ministers were reassigned to new portfolios.
Among the new nominations, Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu was announced as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, while Nentawe Yilwatda was named Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, replacing the suspended Betta Edu.
Other nominees include Maigari Dingyadi for Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole for Minister of Industry, Idi Maiha for the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development, Yusuf Ata as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State for Education.
The ministers who were relieved of their duties include Uju-Ken Ohanenye, former Minister of Women Affairs; Lola Ade-John, Minister of Tourism; Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education; Abdullahi Gwarzo, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development; and Jamila Ibrahim, Minister of Youth Development.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing cabinet members for their service and wished them well in future endeavors.
He urged the newly appointed and reassigned ministers to approach their roles with a sense of duty, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to setting Nigeria on a path of irreversible growth and achieving the government’s priorities.
Tinubu, who initially appointed 48 ministers in August 2023 following his inauguration, suspended Betta Edu in January, and Simon Lalong moved to the Senate.
Growing public dissatisfaction with some ministers, fueled by rising inflation, economic challenges, and insecurity, had led to increasing calls for a cabinet reshuffle.
In September, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga indicated a reshuffle was forthcoming, although no timeline was provided.
Ministerial Nominees:
Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu is a renowned diplomat, lawyer, businesswoman, and former beauty queen.
She served as Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs under President Goodluck Jonathan and as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ghana and Spain.
She is also Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
Maigari Dingyadi, a former Minister of Police Affairs (2019-2023), has held several political positions, including representing Bodinga Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and serving as Secretary to the Sokoto State Government.
Jumoke Oduwole is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos and was previously Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business. She has also served as Senior Special Assistant on Industry, Trade, and Investment.
Nentawe Yilwatda, a registered engineer from Plateau State, has served as Resident Electoral Commissioner for INEC in Benue State and is a lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.
Idi Maiha is the CEO of Zaidi Farms Limited and a former Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
Yusuf Ata, a former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, has served as Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor on Assembly Matters and Inter-Governmental Affairs.
Suwaiba Ahmad is an educationist and gender advocate, currently lecturing at Bayero University Kano, where she serves as Director of the Centre for Gender Studies.
