President Bola Tinubu’s long-anticipated cabinet reshuffle commenced on Wednesday, marking the dismissal of five ministers and the nomination of seven new ones for Senate confirmation.
Additionally, the President reassigned ten ministers to different portfolios, signaling a significant reshaping of his cabinet.
Notably, Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu has been nominated as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, while Nentawe Yilwatda will take on the role of Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, succeeding the suspended Betta Edu.
Read Also: Full List Of Tinubu’s Ministers Who Survived Sacking And Redeployment
Other new nominations include Maigari Dingyadi as Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole as Minister of Industry, Idi Maiha as the Minister for the newly established Livestock Development Ministry, Yusuf Ata as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State for Education.
The dismissed ministers are Uju-Ken Ohanenye (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).
In his address, President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing ministers for their service and encouraged the newly appointed and reassigned officials to view their roles as a commitment to the nation’s progress.
He emphasized the administration’s determination to guide Nigeria toward sustainable growth, urging all appointees to dedicate their skills to the government’s priorities.
Read Also: Full List Of Tinubu’s Ministers Who Got New Ministries
Tinubu initially appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, shortly after his inauguration, and their confirmation by the Senate followed immediately.
Among the cabinet changes, Betta Edu was suspended in January, and Simon Lalong transitioned to the Senate.
Calls for a cabinet reshuffle have increased amid public dissatisfaction with the performance of some ministers, especially given rising inflation, economic challenges, and growing insecurity.
In September, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the impending reshuffle but did not specify a timeline.
Profile Of Bianca Ojukwu, Six Other Ministerial Nominees
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is a distinguished diplomat, lawyer, businesswoman, and beauty pageant titleholder.
In 2011, she was appointed by then-President Goodluck Jonathan as Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs.
Bianca has served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ghana and later to the Kingdom of Spain, and she is currently Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
As the widow of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a notable Biafran leader, she is also recognized for her multiple international pageant titles.
Maigari Dingyadi
Maigari Dingyadi, born in Sokoto, previously held the position of Minister of Police Affairs from August 2019 to May 2023.
He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria in 1978. Politically, Dingyadi represented the Bodinga Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and has served as Secretary to the Sokoto State Government and as Chairman of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) in Abuja.
Jumoke Oduwole
Jumoke Oduwole is an academic, advisor, and speaker who served as Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Ease of Doing Business from August 2019 to May 2023.
Before this role, she was the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade & Investment in the Office of the Vice President.
Currently, she is on leave from her position as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law at the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Nentawe Yilwatda
Nentawe Yilwatda, hailing from Plateau State, is a registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
He is a community developer and lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, in Benue State.
In 2017, he was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari as a Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and served as the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State.
Idi Maiha
Idi Maiha is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zaidi Farms Limited, based in Kaduna.
He also previously served as the Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
Yusuf Ata
Yusuf Ata is an accomplished educator and former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly.
From 2003 to 2007, he served as Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor on Assembly Matters, followed by a role as Special Adviser on Inter-Governmental Affairs.
Suwaiba Ahmad
Suwaiba Ahmad is a trained educationist and gender advocate.
She is a lecturer at Bayero University Kano, Nigeria, and currently directs the Centre for Gender Studies there.
Suwaiba has held various positions at the university, including level coordinator, examination officer, PG coordinator, Sub Dean of Academics, and Head of the Department of Science Education.
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