After 4 months of wait, President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated 44 ministers and assigned them to their respective cabinet positions, coming as a surprise after the president had promised to run a “lean government”.
The membership of his cabinet increased by 22.22 percent from 36 members in his first term in office, as new ministries such as Ministry of Police Affairs, and Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, amongst others were created and as other multi-functional ministries such as Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and Ministry of Transportation and Aviation were split in order to enhance effectiveness of the current administration.
Against consensus, the President retained his ministerial position, doubling as Minister of Petroleum Resources. Same with Lai Mohammed, who is the minister of information and culture.
Former governor of Anambra state, Chris Ngige also retains his ministerial position. He is the minister of Labour and Employment. Meanwhile, ex-governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Fashola who was the minister of power, works and housing was stripped off ‘Power’ from his portfolio and handed it over to Sale Mamman. Recall that Nigeria Labour Congress, NCL, had asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to give Ngige the minister of Labour and Employment, noting that he has no knowledge of the position.
New entrants, Festus Keyamo, Sunday Dare, Gbemisola Saraki Minister of State for Niger Delta, Minister of Youth and Sport and Minister of Transportation respectively.
The full list is below:
1. Ikechukwu Ogah (Abia State) -Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development
2. Mohammed Musa Bello (Adamawa State) -Minister of the Federal Capital Territory
3. Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom State)- Minister of Niger Delta
4. Chris Ngige (Anambra State) – Minister of Labour and Employment
5. Sharon Ikeazor (Anambra State)-Minister of State Environment
6. Adamu Adamu (Bauchi State) -Minister of Education
7. Ambassador Maryam Katagun (Bauchi State) -Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment
8. Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa State) Minister of State, Petroleum under the President
9. George Akume (Benue State) -Minister of Special Duties
10. Mustapha Baba Shehuri (Borno State) -Minister of State, Agric and Rural Development
11. Goddy Jedy Agba (Cross River State) -Minister of State, Power
12. Festus Keyamo (Delta State) -Minister of State, Niger Delta
13. Ogbonnaya Onu (Ebonyi State) -Minister of Science and Technology
14. Osagie Ehanire (Edo State) -Minister of Health
15. Clement Ike (Edo State) -Minister of Budget and National Planning
16. Richard Adeniyi Adebayo (Ekiti State) -Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment
17. Geoffrey Onyeama (Enugu State) -Minister of Foreign Affairs
18. Ali Isa Pantami (Gombe State) -Minister of Communications
19. Emeka Nwajiuba (Imo State) -Minister of State, Education
20. Suleiman Adamu (Jigawa State) -Minister of Water Resources
21. Zainab Ahmed (Kaduna State) -Minister of Finance
22. Muhammad Mahmood (Kaduna State) -Minister of Environment
23. Sabo Nanono (Kano State) -Minister of Agriculture and Development
24. Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (Kano State) -Minister of Defence
25. Hadi Sirika (Katsina State) -Minister of Aviation
26. Abubakar Malami (Kebbi State) -Minister of Justice
27. Ramatu Tijjani (Kogi State) -Minister of State, FCT
28. Lai Mohammed (Kwara State) – Minister of Information and Culture
29. Gbemisola Saraki (Kwara State) -Minister of State, Transportation
30. Babatunde Fashola (Lagos State) -Minister of Works and Housing
31. Adeleke Mamora (Lagos State) -Minister of State, Health
32. Mohammed H. Abdullahi (Nasarawa State) -Minister of State, Science and Technology
33. Zubair Dada (Niger State) -Minister of State, Foreign Affairs
34. Olamilekan Adegbite (Ogun State) -Minister of Mines and Steel development
35. Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo State) -Minister of State, Labour
36. Rauf Aregbesola (Osun State) -Minister of Interior
37. Sunday Dare (Oyo State) -Minister of Youths and Sports
38. Paulen Talen (Plateau State) -Minister of Women Affairs
39. Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers State) -Minister of Transportation
40. Maigarai Dingyadi (Sokoto State) Minister of Police Affairs
41. Sale Mamman (Taraba State) -Minister of Power
42. Abubakar D. Aliyu (Yobe State) -Minister of State for Works and Housing
43. Sadiya Umar Faruk (Zamfara State) -Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development
44. Muhammadu Buhari (Katsina State) –Minister of Petroleum Resources