Nigeria: Tinubu Swears in Three New Ministers

16 October 2023

The Senate confirmed the nomination of the three new ministers on 4 October.

President Bola Tinubu on Monday swore in three new ministers during the second Federal Executive Council (FEC) holding at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The new cabinet members are Balarabe Lawal from Kaduna State as Minister of Environment, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim from Kwara, Minister of Youths and Ayodele Olawande from Ondo, Minister of State for Youths.

The ministers were nominated by Mr Tinubu to take charge of the newly created Ministry of Youths and a replacement for former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai.

The Senate confirmed their nomination on 4 October.

The Ministry of Youth was formerly with the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development.

Mr El-Rufai was rejected during the Senate ministerial screening process when a member brought up a petition against him.

Consequently, the upper chamber deferred his confirmation and that of two others - Stella Okotete from Delta State and Sani Danladi from Taraba State.

The president had on 21 August inaugurated 45 out of the 48 ministers cleared by the Senate.

Mr Tinubu, who is chairing the FEC meeting, took their oath of office and allegiance and took photographs with the new cabinet members.

The council also observed a minute of silence for a former member of cabinet, Late Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun, former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Ajose-Adeogun, who died on 1 July at the age of 96, was appointed the FCT Minister in 1976 by the Murtala Mohammed military administration and served until 1979.

The inaugural meeting of FEC was held in August, where new ministers attended to take their first brief from the executive arm on their roles and responsibilities in the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The FEC is a constitutional institution where ministers discuss and endorse government policies, with the president serving as the Chairman and the vice president as the vice chairman.

At the 29 August FEC meeting, Mr Tinubu unveiled an eight-point agenda to revive the country's ailing economy.

He said that the eight-point agenda was based on eight priority areas, with identified targets to be delivered in the next three years.

These are food security, ending poverty, economic growth and job creation, access to capital, particularly consumer credit, inclusivity in all its dimensions, particularly as regards youth and women, improving security, improving the playing field on which people and particularly companies operate, rule of law, and fighting corruption.

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