NIGERIAN President Bola Tinubu has overhauled his cabinet in a major reshuffle, with seven new ministers appointed and five others dismissed as the nation confronts escalating economic challenges, Reuters reports.
According to Reuters, the reorganization of Tinubu’s 45-member cabinet includes reassigning 10 ministers to different portfolios, while maintaining stability in key positions such as finance and defence ministers, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga told Reuters.
Reuters reports that the restructuring includes significant organizational changes, with the Ministry of Niger Delta Development being rebranded as the Ministry of Regional Development. The Ministry of Sports has been eliminated entirely, while the tourism and arts and culture ministries have been consolidated.
The reshuffle comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s economy. Reuters notes that while Tinubu’s initial economic reforms were welcomed as potentially transformative when he took office last year, the resulting policies – including currency devaluation and the elimination of fuel and electricity subsidies – have pushed inflation to 32.70%, triggering widespread economic hardship.
According to the Reuters report, the new appointments span several crucial areas, including humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, trade and investment, labour, and livestock development. Junior ministerial positions were also filled in foreign affairs, education, and housing. The dismissed ministers previously oversaw education, tourism, women’s affairs, and youth development portfolios, Onanuga told Reuters.
Despite mounting pressure to reduce government spending, Reuters points out that Tinubu’s cabinet remains larger than former President Muhammadu Buhari’s 43-member administration. This size is partly dictated by Nigerian law, which requires cabinet representation from all 36 states.
The news agency reports that the reshuffle maintains continuity in vital economic positions, with finance, defence, and national planning ministers, along with two junior energy ministers, keeping their current roles.
