President Bola Tinubu took decisive action on Wednesday, much like a surgeon wielding a scalpel, as he dismissed five ministers, redeployed 10, and nominated seven new individuals to replace those dismissed, as well as two others — Betta Edu, who had been previously suspended, and Simon Lalong, who left his cabinet to join the Senate.
Tinubu, the former Lagos governor, had initially appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, three months after his inauguration. The Senate promptly screened and confirmed the ministers. Betta Edu, one of the ministers, was suspended in January, while Simon Lalong, the former governor of Plateau State, resigned and moved to the Senate.
There have been growing calls for the President to reshuffle his cabinet, as many Nigerians have been dissatisfied with the performance of some ministers, particularly in light of rising inflation, the severe economic situation, and increasing insecurity.
Despite the changes made on Wednesday, 31 ministers were not affected by the reshuffle; they were neither dismissed nor reassigned. The unaffected ministers include:
- Minister of Power – Adebayo Adelabu
- Minister of Defence – Mohammed Badaru
- Minister of State, Defence – Bello Matawalle
- Minister of Housing & Urban Development – Ahmed M. Dangiwa
- Minister of Budget & Economic Planning – Atiku Bagudu
- Minister of Water Resources & Sanitation – Joseph Utsev
- Minister of Police Affairs – Ibrahim Geidam
- Minister of Steel Development – Shuaibu A. Audu
- Minister of State, Environment – Iziak Adekunle Salako
- Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – Nyesom Wike
- Minister of Transportation – Sa’idu Alkali
- Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources – Ekperipe Ekpo
- Minister of Environment – Balarabe Abbas Lawal
- Minister of Agriculture and Food Security – Abubakar Kyari
- Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security – Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi
- Minister of Interior – Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
- Minister of Foreign Affairs – Yusuf M. Tuggar
- Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare – Ali Pate
- Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development – Festus Keyamo
- Minister of Works – David Umahi
- Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources – Heineken Lokpobiri
- Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology – Uche Nnaji
- Minister of Solid Minerals Development – Dele Alake
- Minister of Information and National Orientation – Muhammed Idris
- Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice – Lateef Fagbemi
- Minister of Niger Delta Affairs – Abubakar Momoh
- Minister of State, Labour and Employment – Nkiruka Onyejeocha
- Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs – Zephaniah Jisalo
- Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy – Bosun Tijani
- Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy – Wale Edun
- Minister of Marine and Blue Economy – Adegboyega Oyetola