President Bola Tinubu has sworn in seven newly-appointed ministers at the Council Chambers, Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Those sworn in included Ambassador Bianca Odinaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (Minister of State for Foreign Affairs), Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda (Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction), Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi (Minister of Labour and Employment).
Others were Dr. Jumoke Oduwole (Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Idi Mukhtar Maiha (Minister of Livestock Development), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata (Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development), and Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmad (Minister of State for Education).
In his address to the ministers, President Tinubu asked them not to shy away from responsibilities.
He said: “Nigeria’s head is above the waters. This ship will not sink. We will not run away from our responsibilities.
“I am proud to lead you and we will lead you to success and prosperity… We have taken the bull by the horns. We have stopped the scavengers and profiteers…
“… Nigeria’s head is above the waters. This ship will not sink. We will not run away from our responsibilities. I am proud to lead you and we will lead you to success and prosperity… We have taken the bull by the horns. We have stopped the scavengers and profiteers”.
Monday’s swearing-in came days after their appointments by President Tinubu and subsequent confirmation last week by the Senate.
Last month, President Tinubu dropped five ministers and nominated seven others. Those relieved of their appointments were Hon. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye (Women Affairs); Ms. Lola Ade-John (Tourism); Prof. Tahir Mamman (Education); Abdullahi Gwarzo (State, Housing and Urban Development), and Dr. Jamila Ibrahim (Youth Development).
This was in addition to the reassignment of new portfolios to 10 other ministers.
President Tinubu appointed a 48-member cabinet in August 2023, three months after his inauguration.
While the Senate swiftly screened them and confirmed their nominations, one of them Simon Lalong moved the upper lawmaking body after winning at the election appeal petition, while Dr. Betta Edu (in charge of the Humanitarian Ministry) was suspended owing to allegations of corruption.
In his latest reshuffling of the cabinet, the President also scrapped two ministries – the Niger Delta Development and the Sports Development.
He instead announced the Ministry of Regional Development in place of the scrapped Niger Delta Development Ministry, which now oversees the activities of all development commissions.
Some of the development commissions under the new Ministry of Regional Development include the Niger Delta Development Commission, the South East Development Commission, the North East Development and the North West Development Commission.
For the Ministry of Sports Development, President Tinubu pushed its functions to the National Sports Commission, which he charged to “develop a vibrant sports economy”.
He also approved the merger of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Arts and Culture to become the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy.
