Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, submitted his long-awaited ministerial list to the Senate on Thursday, aiming to meet the constitutional deadline of 60 days set in March earlier this year.
There were speculations about the list’s contents, with many political and economic analysts expecting individuals who played vital roles in President Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election. However, sources close to the presidency clarified that the focus was on appointing technocrats and proven-performing politicians to his cabinet.
See the full list below:
Abubakar Momoh
Yusuf Tukur
Ahmad Dangiwa
Hannatu Musawa
Uche Nnaji
Betta Edu
Diris Anite Uzoka
David Umahi
Ezenwo Nyesom Wike
Abubakar Badaru
Nasir El Rufai
Ekerikpe Ekpo
Nkiru Nyejeocha
Olubunmi Ojo
Stella Okotete
Uju Kennedy Ohaneye
Bello Muhammad Goronyo
Dele Alake
Lateef Fagbemi
Mohammad Idris
Olawale Edun
Waheed Adebanwo
Suleman Ibrahim
Ali Pate
Joseph Usev
Abubakar Kyari
John Enoh
Sani Abubakar Danladi
Nasir El-Rufai
Nasir El-Rufai, 63, is the immediate past governor of Kaduna State and a founding member of the ruling APC. He served as minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 2003 to 2007 and played a significant role in restructuring the capital city.
Before his appointment as minister of the FCT, he was the director of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, a role he played successfully. He was part of the team appointed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to restructure the public service. He was instrumental in selling some underperforming public enterprises, such as NITEL.
El-Rufai, a first-class graduate of quantity surveying from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, championed reforms that led to the establishment of a mortgage system in Nigeria, a National ID card system for Nigeria, Electric Power Supply improvement, and the sale of Federal Government real estate in Abuja.
As governor of Kaduna State, Rufai introduced a school feeding programme designed to encourage thousands of Children to go to school.
To this day, his school redesign programme remains the most controversial policy of any governor. His education policy forced many teachers out of work and placed him at loggerheads with the teacher’s unions and the Nigeria Labour Congress.
Nyesom Wike
Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor of oil-rich Rivers State, nicknamed Mr Project by his peers and the media, is also one of the governors with a track record of performance on the list.
Wike isn’t new to power at the federal level, as he was once the Minister of State for Education during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and only resigned to contest the PDP governorship primaries in Rivers State in 2015.
Born December 13, 1967, the Ikwerre-born lawyer turned politician was a two-time Executive Chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area from 1999 to 2007.
He obtained his Bachelor of Law from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology before proceeding to Law School in 1997.
In line with his plans for educational reform, Nyesom Wike declared public primary and secondary education free.
In 2019, Wike, through the State Ministry of Education, announced free registration for participating state locals in the annual JAMB examination.
In 2022, he signed a measure into law that strengthens a women’s right to inherit property. Upon signing the bill, he encouraged women to claim what is theirs and said they should not be afraid to do so because it is their legal right.
During his second term as governor, he kicked off the construction of three major flyovers simultaneously in Port Harcourt. The locations of the flyovers are at Garrison, Rumoukoro, and Artillery.
Henry Dele Alake
Henry Dele Alake, 66, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, is a journalist turned politician.
The Ekiti State-born politician was commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State under the government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu between 1999 and 2007.
His journey into the murky waters of Nigerian politics started when he was the communication advisor and close confidant to Chief Moshood Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Alake, a skilled journalist and handler of public information, played a crucial role in the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 through his office as the Director of Media and Communication of the Buhari Campaign Organisation.
He held a similar position for the now-president of Africa’s most populous nation when he was the APC presidential flag bearer.
The University of Lagos Political Science graduate contributed in no small measure to the establishment of Lagos Television (LTV 8) as broadcast editor. He also worked at MKO Concord Press as Editor of the National Concord from 1995 to June 1999.
Alake is a former vice president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. He belongs to several national, regional, and international professional bodies, such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the West African Union of Journalists.
He has also received several honours and awards for his meritorious service in journalism.
Ben Ayade
Benedict Ayade, 55, is a Nigerian politician who served as the governor of Cross River State from 2015 to 2023. Before becoming governor of Cross River State, Ayade served as Senator for Cross River North from 2011 to 2015.
Ayade, who earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Microbiology from the University of Ibadan during his time as governor, brought President Muhammadu Buhari to Calabar to commission the state’s first seed and seedling factory.
He also constructed a cocoa processing plant in Ikom and a rice mill in Ogoja. A project he believes has created thousands of job opportunities for people living in Cross River. He is credited with introducing the Cotton farm in Yala LGA and the banana plantation farm in Odukpani.
(Business Day)
