Nigerian President Bola Tinubu dismissed five ministers, reassigned 10 ministers to new posts, and appointed seven others to his cabinet at the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday as part of his eight far-reaching actions to reinvigorate the administration's capacity for optimal efficiency, the president's special adviser for information and strategy Bayo Onanuga reported in a statement.
Ministers of women's affairs, tourism, education, housing, and urban development, as well as a minister of youth development, were discharged, Onanuga said.
"The reassignment of ten ministers to new ministerial portfolios; the nomination of seven new ministers for onward transmission to Senate for confirmation," the statement continued, citing the president's far-reaching actions.
Some ministries restructuring also took place, as the Ministry of Niger Delta Development was replaced by the Ministry of Regional Development for overseeing all the country's regional development commissions, which provide sustainable development and solutions to the socio-economic difficulties, namely the Niger delta, the south-east, the north-east, and the north-west development commissions, according to the statement.
Moreover, the Ministry of Sports Development was abolished, and its functions transferred to the National Sports Commission, while the merger of the Ministries of Tourism and Arts and Culture formed the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy.
The president thanked the outgoing members of the Federal Executive Council for their service to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavors. He then charged the newly appointed ministers as well as their reassigned colleagues to see their appointment as a call to serve the nation, according to the statement.
"He [Tinubu] added that all appointees must understand the administration’s eagerness and determination to set Nigeria on the path to irreversible growth and invest the best of their abilities into the actualization of the government’s priorities," the statement concluded.
This potential reshuffle is seen as an opportunity for Tinubu to revitalize his administration, address concerns about ineffective governance, and better align his cabinet with his promises of economic growth, transparency, and accountability, according to local media.