Minister to be sworn in Monday
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has appointed banker Olawale Edun as minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, while he put human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Festus Keyamo in charge of aviation ministry as he assigned portfolio to his cabinet nominees.
The names and portfolios of the cabinet members to be inaugurated on Monday, August 21, 2023, were listed in a statement released on Wednesday from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Edun, 62, one of Tinubu’s closest advisers and a member of his economic team that helped prepare his election manifesto, had long been tipped to become finance minister in Africa’s biggest economy.
Before Wednesday’s appointment, Edun was a special adviser to Tinubu on monetary policy.
Also, the president, with 45 cabinet members, chose Mohammed Badaru as defence minister and Yusuf Tuggar as foreign affairs minister. Both will take on the task of working with the regional bloc ECOWAS to find a solution to the crisis in Niger where a military junta has seized power.
Tinubu won a disputed February presidential election, which is being challenged by his main opponents in court.
He has embarked on some of the boldest reforms that Nigeria has seen in years, including scrapping a popular but costly petrol subsidy and removing exchange rate restrictions. The naira has weakened to record lows.
The reforms are a gamble to try to kick-start growth but inflation has soared, worsening a cost of living crisis for Africa’s most populous nation, a big headache for Tinubu and his new ministers.
Nigeria’s inflation rose to an 18-year high in July. The country also faces widespread insecurity, mounting debt burden, high unemployment and slow growth which has stoked tension among the population already struggling with a high cost of living.
ALSO READ: Nigeria inflation rises to 18-year high amid cost-of-living crisis
Nigeria’s Senate cleared the nominees last week, paving the way for their swearing-in next Monday, the government said in a statement.
FULL LIST OF MINISTERS AND PORTFOLIOS
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani
Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management, Ishak Salako
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Bunmi Tunji
Minister of Power, Adedayo Adelabu
Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake
Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John
Minister of Transportation, Adegboyega Oyetola
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite
Minister of Innovation Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji
Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha
Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy
Minister of Works, David Umahi
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo
Minister of Youth, Abubakar Momoh
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu
Minister of State, Gas Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo
Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri
Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh
Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike
Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa
Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru
Minister of State Defence, Bello Matawalle
Minister of State Education, Yusuf T. Sunumu
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed M. Dangiwa
Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Abdullah T. Gwarzo
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu
Minister of Environment and Ecological Management, (Kaduna)
Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Mairiga Mahmud
Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello M. Goronyo
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari
Minister of Education, Tahir Maman
Minister of Interior, Sa’Idu A. Alkali
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf M. Tuggar
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate
Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam
Minister of State, Steel Development, U. Maigari Ahmadu
Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu A. Audu
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi
Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon B. Lalong
Minister of State, Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim
Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Govermental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev
Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.
