Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu effected a major cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, October 23, ‘discharging’ six ministers, while nominating seven new ones, including Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the widow of the former Biafran leader.
This decision was unveiled at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by the President.
The discharged ministers include Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye of Women Affairs, Lola Ade-John, Tourism, Prof. Tahir Mamman, Education, Abdullahi Gwarzo, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Jamila Ibrahim, Youth Development.
Sources within the government disclosed to Microsecondnews that Tinubu’s action was aimed at realigning his cabinet to achieve his goals.
“He had warned many times before now that he would let go anyone not contributing to the achievement of the goals set by his administration in eight key areas’, said a source who spoke under condition of anonymity.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Usman was reportedly saddled with the task of monitoring the activities of the ministers and preparing a comprehensive report for the review of the minister.
Ministers were reportedly scored on how effectively they were handling their portfolios, achievements they recorded since assumption of duty, management of crises and feedback from members of the public, among other things.
It is believed that feedback from members of the public might have been a major consideration for the removal of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
He championed a number of policies that generated massive controversies across the country, which betrayed his lack of stakeholder consultation.
His policy of pegging the minimum age of students writing their school certificate examinations at 18 years was frontally attacked by many stakeholders in the education sector who complained that they were not consulted.
Our source said the President believe he can shake off some public criticism of his cabinet by injecting some new blood.
Among the new nominees proposed by Tinubu is Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, who replaced the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Chimaobim Edu.
Maigari Dingyadi is proposed to serve as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, and Idi Maiha as Minister for the newly established Livestock Development Ministry.
Additionally, Yusuf Ata will serve as the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, with Suwaiba Ahmad stepping in as Minister of State for Education.
Bianca Ojukwu will assume the role of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, pending Senate confirmation.
In further restructuring, the FEC approved the renaming of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development to the Ministry of Regional Development.
This newly titled ministry will oversee regional development commissions across the Niger Delta, South East, North East, and North West.
Additionally, the Ministry of Sports Development has been dissolved, with its functions transferred to the National Sports Commission to foster a vibrant sports economy.
The Ministry of Tourism has also merged with the Ministry of Arts and Culture, now rebranded as the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy.
