Tinubu inaugurates cabinet after nearly three months in office

President Bola Tinubu on Monday inaugurated his 45-member cabinet, nearly three months after he took office.

Among all presidents since 1999, Mr Tinubu has taken the second-longest time to assemble a cabinet. President Muhammadu Buhari took the longest duration of six months.

Mr Tinubu announced his ministers a day shy of the two-month deadline allowed by law. The nominees were screened thereafter by the Senate before the president assigned them portfolios last week.

On Sunday, Mr Tinubu reassigned Abubakar Momoh to Niger Delta ministry, Adegboyega Oyetola from transportation to marine & blue economy; and Sa’idu Alkali to transportation. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo is the interior minister.

“We must hold each other responsible. We have to do the job to meet the expectations of all Nigerians,” Mr Tinubu told the ministers.

“As I said earlier on, you are not the minister of a particular state, colony, region or ethnic nationality. You are the minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Sworn in batches

Monday’s inauguration held at the State House Banquet, attended by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker Tajudeen Abass.

The ministers were sworn-in nine batches, with the first batch comprising of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State Gas in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy, and Minister of Education, Tahir Maman.

The second batch comprised of Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of State (Oil), Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, and Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari.

The third batch included Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh.

The fourth batch comprised of Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, Minister of Innovation Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, Minister of Transportation, Alkali Sa’id, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite, and Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru.

The fifth included Minister of State Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Gwarzo, Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mariya Mahmud, Minister of Housing and Urban development, Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu.

While the sixth batch was made up of Minister of State Education, Yusuf Sunumu, Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, and Minister of State Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman- Ibrahim.

The seventh batch included Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, Minister of State Environment, Ishak Salako, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.

The eighth batch comprised of Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Power, Adedayo Adelabu, Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesome Wike.

The ninth batch included Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello Goronyo, Minister of State for Steel Development, Maigari Ahmadu, Minister of Police affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, Minister of State for Defense, Bello Matawalle, and Minster of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs Zephaniah Jisalo.