Bianca Ojukwu, Six Other Ministerial Nominees Of President Tinubu And Their Portfolios

President Bola Tinubu kicked off his highly anticipated cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, removing five ministers and nominating seven new ones for Senate approval.

Tinubu also re-assigned 10 ministers to new ministerial portfolios.

Among the new nominees is Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who has been put forward as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Nentawe Yilwatda, nominated as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, effectively replacing the suspended Betta Edu.

Other nominees include Maigari Dingyadi for Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole for Minister of Industry, Idi Maiha for the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development, Yusuf Ata for Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Ahmad for Minister of State, Education.

The reshuffle saw the dismissal of Uju-Ken Ohanenye as Minister of Women Affairs, Lola Ade-John as Minister of Tourism, Tahir Mamman as Minister of Education, Abdullahi Gwarzo as Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, and Jamila Ibrahim as Minister of Youth Development.

President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing ministers for their service and wished them success in their future endeavors.

He urged the new and reassigned ministers to view their roles as opportunities to serve the nation, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to setting Nigeria on a path of irreversible growth.

Tinubu, who had appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, made the reshuffle after growing public dissatisfaction with the performance of some ministers, particularly in light of the country’s economic struggles, inflation, and insecurity.

The reshuffle had been anticipated after presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga hinted at it in September, though no timeline was given.

Ministerial Nominee Profiles:

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu

A diplomat, lawyer, and former beauty queen, Bianca previously served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain and was also the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs under former President Goodluck Jonathan. She is the widow of Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Maigari Dingyadi

A former Minister of Police Affairs, Dingyadi is a seasoned politician from Sokoto State, who previously served as Secretary to the Sokoto State Government and chaired the National Commission for Colleges of Education.

Jumoke Oduwole

An academic and former Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Oduwole has also served as Senior Special Assistant on Industry, Trade & Investment. She is currently on leave from her position as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos.

Nentawe Yilwatda

An engineer from Plateau State, Yilwatda has a background in teaching and community development. He was appointed as a Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017.

Idi Maiha

A businessman and former head of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Maiha also runs Zaidi Farms Limited, a Kaduna-based agricultural business.

Yusuf Ata

Ata is a former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly and has held various advisory roles, including Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor on Assembly and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

Suwaiba Ahmad

Ahmad is an educationist and gender advocate. She lectures at Bayero University Kano, where she also heads the Centre for Gender Studies. She has held various academic and administrative positions within the university.

KanyiDaily recalls that President Bola Tinubu also dissolved the Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of Sports Development.