In a much-anticipated cabinet reshuffling, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the appointment of new ministers on Wednesday.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued by the presidency after the federal executive council meeting.
The President also re-assigned 10 ministers to new ministerial portfolios.
Recall that the President appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, three months after his inauguration. The Senate immediately screened and confirmed the ministers. One of the ministers, Betta Edu, was suspended in January while another, Simon Lalong, moved to the Senate.
However, the President comes under pressure to reshuffle his cabinet as many Nigerians have not been impressed by the performance of some of the ministers, especially in the face of unprecedented inflation, excruciating economic situation and rising insecurity.
In September, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the President would reshuffle his cabinet but didn’t give a time to the reorganisation.
Addressing a press conference at the State House in Abuja, Onanuga expressed concern that despite significant efforts, Nigerians remained unaware of the administration’s achievements.
He said, “The President has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet, and he will do it. I don’t know whether it will happen before October 1, but he will surely do it. That is all I can say for now, as no timeline has been provided.”
Commenting on the current administration’s performance, Onanuga added, “At the last Federal Executive Council meeting, the President instructed all ministers to actively promote the administration’s activities.
“Some ministers have been hesitant, avoiding television, radio, and other media platforms. The President wants them to overcome this and communicate their work to the public. Because the feeling out there is that the government is not doing enough and the government has been doing a lot. And it is up to them to go out there and blow their own trumpet. They should go out there and talk about what their ministries have been doing.”
As the president bowed to pressure and nominated seven individuals to join his cabinet, Intel Region brings you profiles of each of the newly appointed ministers below:
1. Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi – Minister of Labour & Employment
Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi was born in 1953 in Dingyadi, Sokoto State. He had his Secondary Education at Government College, Sokoto. After his secondary education, he went to the School of Basic Studies for a 2-year course.
He later gained admission to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and graduated in 1978. He represented Bodinga Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives.
He was one time, the Secretary to the Sokoto State Government and Chairman National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) Abuja He is married with 7 children. His hobbies including reading and engaging in associations.
2. Bianca Odinaka Odumegu-Ojukwu – Minister of State Foreign Affairs
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, born on August 5, 1968, is a prominent Nigerian politician, diplomat, lawyer, businesswoman, and former beauty queen.
She is the widow of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the former Biafran president, and has held various prestigious titles, including Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Miss Africa, and Miss Intercontinental. Bianca has had a distinguished career in public service, serving as Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain and holding other key diplomatic positions.
Bianca, the daughter of Christian Onoh, a former Anambra State governor, and Carol Onoh, studied law after initially pursuing a combined degree in politics and economics. She later became involved in business, founding a cosmetics brand and an NGO. Her personal life has drawn public attention, especially her marriage to the much older Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, which sparked national interest. After his death in 2012, Bianca successfully defended his will in a legal battle over the Ojukwu estate.
Throughout her career, Bianca has received several honors, including the Certificate of Merit from El Mundo Diplomatico for her efforts to strengthen Nigeria-Spain relations.
She was named Africa’s Outstanding Ambassador by The Voice magazine in 2014 and awarded the “Ambassador of Excellence” by the Government of Anambra State in 2016. She serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the political party founded by her late husband, and was a candidate for the senatorial elections in 2018. Currently, she is the secretary of the Truth, Justice, and Peace Commission, established in 2022 to investigate violence and insecurity in southeastern Nigeria.
3. Dr Nentawe Yilwatda – Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction
Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, the Designated Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, has an extensive background in academia, technology, and public service. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering and advanced degrees, including a Master’s and Ph.D. in Digital Systems Engineering and Artificial Intelligence. With over 25 years of teaching and research experience, he has expertise in software engineering, sustainable development, and renewable energy.
Prof. Yilwatda served as Director of ICT at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, and has been a consultant for various international development projects, including ICT reforms, UNICEF’s alternative energy initiatives, and the PAWA 774 Project. In 2017, he was appointed an INEC Commissioner, where he advocated for voting rights for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
A registered engineer and member of several professional bodies, Prof. Yilwatda also entered politics, becoming the 2023 gubernatorial candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State. His diverse experience in education, technology, and governance has made him a key figure in national development.
4. Dr Jumoke Oduwole – Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (Trade and Investment)
Dr. Jumoke Oduwole is a distinguished policy entrepreneur and legal academic with an impressive educational background. She earned her L.L.B. from the University of Lagos in 1998, followed by an LL.M. in Commercial Law from Cambridge University in 2000 as a DFID-Cambridge Commonwealth Trust scholar.
In 2007, she received a master’s in International Legal Studies from Stanford University and later completed her Ph.D. in International Trade and Development at Stanford Law School, focusing on WTO Negotiation Strategy.
Throughout her career, Dr. Oduwole has held various leadership roles, including co-president of the Stanford Alumni Club of Nigeria and a member of the executive committee of the Oxbridge Club of Nigeria. Before serving as Special Adviser to the Nigerian President on Ease of Doing Business, she was Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade & Investment, where she helped establish the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations.
As Executive Secretary of the Presidential Enabling Business Council, she leads efforts to improve Nigeria’s business environment through strategic policy reforms. Dr. Oduwole has also contributed significantly to international economic law, serving on the Executive Council of the Society of International Economic Law and as the only African member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade & Investment.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, she has been involved in various NGOs, including Positive Action for Treatment Access, and was recognized by the African Leadership Network for her contributions to African development. She is also an avid street photographer, showcasing her work in exhibitions in the Netherlands and Lagos.
5. Idi Mukhtar Maiha – Ministry of Livestock Development
Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha is a former Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company and the CEO of Zaidi Farms, Kaduna.
The farm is a well-integrated enterprise and applies world-class best practices in animal husbandry located in Kaduna State.
6. Rt. Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata – Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development
Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, born on June 22, 1962, in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State, is a Nigerian politician, economist, and educator. He served as the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly from 2017 to 2018.
Ata’s education includes attending Fagge Primary School and Aminu Kano Community Commercial College, followed by earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1984 and a Master’s in Development Studies in 2001 from Bayero University, Kano.
His career began as a classroom teacher, after which he joined the Kano State Ministry of Education in 1992 as a business education inspector. He later worked as a Principal Planning Officer at the Kano State Housing Corporation before resigning to enter politics in 1998.
Ata was first elected to the Kano State House of Assembly in 1999 as a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but lost his seat in 2003. He returned to the assembly in 2011 and was re-elected in 2015, during which time he was appointed Majority Leader.
Ata became Speaker following the resignation of Kabiru Alhassan Rurum but faced impeachment attempts from the Rurum faction, which succeeded in removing him on July 30, 2018, with 27 out of 40 members voting against him. He later contested in the 2019 elections but was defeated by Tukur Muhammad of the PDP.
7. Suwaiba Said Ahmad PhD – Minister of State Education
Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad is a trained educationist, gender advocate, and consultant. She has been working in the field of education for 17 years. She is a lecturer at Bayero University Kano, Nigeria, and is currently the Director of its Centre for Gender Studies.
She has served the University in different positions including level coordinator, examination officer, PG coordinator, Sub Dean Academics, and Head of Department Science Education.
Her consultancy portfolio centres on governance work and development worked in the areas of political economy and institutional analysis, policy planning, development and strategy, capacity building and training.
Suwaiba has participated in funded research as a consultant including for the British Council (won a research grant in 2015 as team lead), Education Data, Research and Evaluation in Nigeria (EDOREN), Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) and Aafaaq Educational Foundation. She has most recently been working with The Policy Practice on the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria Education as an advisor.
