In a significant cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu appointed seven new ministers, pending Senate confirmation, while relieving five of their duties.
The reshuffle comes amid growing public dissatisfaction over economic challenges and calls for improved ministerial performance.
Among the changes, Yusuf Sununu, formerly the Minister of State for Education, was reassigned as Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction. Olatunji Alausa, previously Minister of State for Health, was appointed the new Minister of Education.
Other notable reassignments include Bello Goronyo, who moved from Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation to Minister of State for Works, and Abubakar Momoh, reassigned from Minister of Niger Delta Development to Minister of Regional Development.
In a bid to strengthen the finance sector, Doris Uzoka-Anite was moved from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment to serve as Minister of State Finance, deputizing Wale Edun, the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Additionally, the Sports Minister, John Enoh, was reassigned as the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, while Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim now leads the Ministry of Women Affairs after her removal as Minister of State for Police Affairs.
Ayodele Olawande was elevated to the role of Minister of Youth Development, and Iziak Salako was reassigned as Minister of State for Health.
The reshuffle follows Tinubu’s initial appointment of 48 ministers in August 2023, three months after his inauguration. While two ministers, Betta Edu and Simon Lalong, had already exited the cabinet, recent criticism of ministerial performance, particularly regarding inflation and insecurity, has led to calls for reform.
The reshuffle reflects the President’s effort to realign his administration with the pressing needs of the country as the government continues to navigate tough economic and security challenges.
