During the swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Villa on Monday, President Bola Tinubu remarked that appointing Taiwo Oyedele as the new Minister of State for Finance was an easy decision.
Addressing the new minister directly, the President said: “You are just a very dedicated and highly determined individual. It didn’t take much for me to decide where you fit and where you need to be to further help the country.”
President Tinubu acknowledged the weight of the new role, noting: “It is a very challenging job to look at the fiscal policy and responsibility that comes with it at a time when economic stability is being experienced, but without exponential growth. It is always very difficult. But you fit the bill.”
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He specifically praised Oyedele for his prior efforts in modernizing Nigeria’s tax policies, which the President described as having been obsolete.
Oyedele was nominated on March 3, 2026, taking over the position from Doris Uzoka-Anite, who transitioned to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.
During his Senate screening, Oyedele highlighted that his extensive background in “global reforms regarding the ease of doing business and taxation across 180 countries” made him well-suited for the cabinet.
He noted: “I feel my background has prepared me to help my country by understanding what works globally and how to apply those lessons to our unique context.”
A seasoned expert in public policy and economics, the 50-year-old formerly served as a partner at PwC and led the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.
His leadership in that role was instrumental in the passage of four major legislative acts—including the Nigeria Tax Bill and the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill—which were signed into law on June 26, 2025.
Oyedele, who holds degrees from Yaba College of Technology and Oxford Brookes University, also serves as a professor at Babcock University and a visiting scholar at Lagos Business School.
