President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly concluded plans for a shake-up of his cabinet soon. This will include the appointment of new ministers and the creation of a new ministry, according to Daily Trust.
The new ministry will be for livestock development, a department hitherto under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. A source said the new ministry was expected to take the lead in addressing the perennial farmer-herder clashes that had continued to have a debilitating impact on the country’s food security, as well as led to the loss of thousands of lives and property.
Sources told Daily Trust that aside from the creation of the new ministry, the cabinet reshuffle would see to the appointment of state ministers for most or all the ministries that currently only had one minister.
The development will also see to the appointment of ministers for ministries that only have a minister of state, like Labour and Employment, as well as a minister for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation which Minister, Betta Edu, has been on suspension since January 8.
Ministries without ministers of state are arts, culture and creative economy; foreign affairs; special duties and inter-governmental affairs; communications, innovation and digital economy; finance; marine and blue economy; solid minerals development; tourism; transportation; industry, trade and investment; innovation, science and technology; works; sports development; and Women affairs.
Others are aviation and aerospace development; power; budget and economic planning; information and national orientation; justice; and Niger delta affairs. One of the sources also disclosed that some ministers of state had been penned down for upgrade and that it was certain that some ministers would be sacked.
He said, “I can confirm to you that a former governor is among the ministers that will be dropped in the cabinet shake-up. There is also a minister of state that has been pencilled for upgrade.”
