President Bola Tinubu has announced a major reshuffle of his cabinet, redeploying three ministers to new portfolios and renaming one ministry.
According to a statement by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, the President approved the following changes with immediate effect:
- Engr. Abubakar Momoh moves from the Federal Ministry of Youth to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Development. A new minister will be assigned to the youth ministry soon.
- H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola becomes the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, a new ministry created by the President to harness the potential of Nigeria’s maritime resources.
- Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo takes over as the Honourable Minister of Interior, overseeing the security and welfare of Nigerians at home and abroad.
- Hon. Sa’idu Alkali is now the Honourable Minister of Transportation, responsible for the development and regulation of the transport sector.
- Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri and Hon. Ekperipe Ekpo are both appointed as Ministers of State in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, with Lokpobiri in charge of oil and Ekpo in charge of gas.
- The Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management is renamed as the Federal Ministry of Environment, to reflect its focus on environmental protection and sustainability.
The President expressed confidence in the abilities and capacities of the redeployed ministers and urged them to work hard to deliver on their mandates.
He also thanked the outgoing ministers for their service and wished them well in their future endeavours.
The reshuffle is seen as an attempt by Tinubu to rejig his cabinet and improve the performance of his government. It is also likely to be seen as a way of rewarding loyalists and giving new opportunities to others.
The reshuffle has been met with mixed reactions. Some have welcomed it as a positive step, while others have criticized it as a power play by Tinubu.
Only time will tell whether the reshuffle will be successful in achieving its goals. However, it is clear that Tinubu is determined to make changes to his cabinet in order to improve the performance of his government.
