By Remilekun Awokoya
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday dismissed five ministers from his cabinet.
This was contained in a statement by the special adviser to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, on Wednesday.
The affected ministers are the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju-Ken Ohanenye; Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John; Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman; Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo; and Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim.
The statement read, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has approved the immediate implementation of eight far-reaching actions to reinvigorate the Administration’s capacity for optimal efficiency pursuant of his commitment to deliver on his promises to Nigerians.”
The eight actions approved by the President include the renaming of the Ministry of Nigeria Delta Development to the Ministry of Regional Development to oversee the activities of all the Regional Development Commissions; the transfer of the functions of the Ministry of Sports Development to the National Sports Commission; the merger of the Federal Ministry of Tourism and the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture to become the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy.
The statement also announced the re-assignment of 10 ministers to new ministerial portfolios; the nomination of seven new ministers for onward transmission to the Senate for confirmation; the appointment of Shehu Dikko as Chairman of the National Sports Commission; the appointment of Sunday Akin Dare as Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication and Orientation working from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu was appointed as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, while Jumoke Oduwole was named Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment.
Dr Nentawe Yilwatda was appointed as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction while Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi was appointed as the Minister of Labour & Employment.
Idi Mukhtar Maiha was appointed as the Minister of Livestock Development. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata was appointed as Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Said Ahmad was appointed as Minister of State Education.
Meanwhile, in a significant reorganisation, President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) have approved the dissolution of the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Ministry of Sports Development.
Tinubu made the announcement during the FEC meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday, according to Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga on his X handle.
The Ministry of Niger Delta will now be replaced by a new Ministry of Regional Development, tasked with overseeing regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), North West Development Commission, South West Development Commission, and North East Development Commission.
In the sports sector, the National Sports Commission will assume the responsibilities of the Ministry of Sports Development, a move aimed at streamlining operations and improving efficiency in sports administration.
Additionally, the Ministry of Tourism has been merged with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy, as part of a broader effort to enhance synergy between the two sectors.
The merger is expected to boost Nigeria’s cultural and tourism sectors by creating a unified body to promote these industries.