By Charles Igwe
President Bola Tinubu has appointed seven new ministers to his cabinet as part of a major reshuffle aimed at enhancing the efficiency of his administration. The appointments were announced following the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, along with other significant changes in ministerial portfolios.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, widow of the late Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, has been appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Ojukwu previously served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain and as Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs under President Goodluck Jonathan.
Jumoke Oduwole, formerly Tinubu’s Special Adviser on PEBEC & Investment, has been appointed Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, replacing Doris Uzoka-Anite, who now takes on the role of Minister of State for Finance.
The reshuffle also sees the appointment of Maigari Dingyadi as Minister of Labour and Employment, Idi Maiha as Minister for the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development, and Yusuf Ata as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development. Suwaiba Ahmad has been named Minister of State for Education, while Dr. Nentawe Yilwada replaces Betta Edu as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
These changes come as part of President Tinubu’s efforts to revitalize his cabinet, which has been in office for over a year. In a statement, the presidency emphasized that the appointments were in line with Tinubu’s commitment to deliver on his promises to Nigerians.
In addition to the new appointments, the President has dismissed five ministers from his cabinet. Uju-Ken Ohanenye (Women’s Affairs), Lola Ade-John (Tourism), Tahir Mamman (Education), Abdullahi Gwarzo (State for Housing and Urban Development), and Jamila Ibrahim (Youth Development) have all been relieved of their duties.
The reshuffle also includes the reassignment of ten ministers to new portfolios, further underscoring the President’s determination to optimize the administration’s capacity for governance.
