President Bola Tinubu has scrapped the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Ministry of Sports Development. This major decision was announced as part of his long-awaited cabinet reshuffle.
The President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, revealed the news on Wednesday, following a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. According to Onanuga, this reshuffle marks a significant shift in how regional development and sports will be managed going forward.
The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, which was established to address the unique development needs of the Niger Delta region, has been dissolved. Its responsibilities will now be handled by a newly created Ministry of Regional Development.
This new ministry will oversee all regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the North East Development Commission, and others. Onanuga explained that consolidating these efforts into one ministry is meant to streamline development across the country.
“There will now be a Ministry of Regional Development to handle all the regional development commissions, such as the Niger Delta Development Commission, North West Development Commission, and others,” Onanuga said.
The fate of the former Niger Delta Minister, Abubakar Momoh, remains unclear at this time. Whether he will be reassigned or removed from the cabinet has not yet been disclosed.
The Ministry of Sports Development has also been scrapped. Its duties will now be taken over by the National Sports Commission, which will oversee the country’s sporting activities.
This move comes as a surprise to many, given the importance of sports in Nigerian society. The now-former Minister of Sports, John Enoh, has not yet commented on the decision, and his future role within the government is uncertain.
In another significant change, President Tinubu has merged the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy. This merger is expected to boost efforts to promote Nigeria’s cultural heritage while also tapping into the potential of the country’s tourism sector.
However, it remains unclear who will lead this new combined ministry. Currently, the Minister of Culture is Hannatu Musawa, and the Minister of Tourism is Lola Ade-John. Both are yet to comment on who will head the merged ministry.
Political analysts are eager to see how the new ministry will function and whether it can effectively manage both sectors.
President Tinubu’s decision to reshuffle his cabinet comes after months of mounting pressure. Many Nigerians had criticized the performance of several ministries, calling for new leadership to take charge.
Onanuga addressed these concerns during a press conference at the State House in Abuja, admitting that the President has been eager to make changes. “The President has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet and he will do it,” Onanuga stated.
This reshuffle is seen as part of Tinubu’s efforts to reset his administration and tackle the nation’s pressing challenges. According to Onanuga, the President wants to ensure that all his ministers are actively promoting the government’s achievements and working to improve public perception.
A major theme of this reshuffle is communication. Onanuga stressed that some ministers had been “media shy” and failed to properly communicate the administration’s achievements to the public. He said the President is determined to change that.
“The President has given an order to all his ministers to go out there and speak about the activities of his administration,” Onanuga said. “Some of them have been television shy, radio shy, and he wants them to overcome all that. The feeling out there is that the government is not doing enough, but the government has been doing a lot.”
This directive comes at a time when many Nigerians are voicing frustrations over the lack of visible progress in several areas, particularly in terms of development and economic growth. Tinubu’s administration has been tasked with addressing these issues, and this reshuffle is being seen as a response to those concerns.
The scrapping of two ministries and the merging of others sends a clear message: President Tinubu is serious about reforming his government to ensure better results. But with these changes come new challenges.
The newly established Ministry of Regional Development, for instance, will be responsible for overseeing multiple regional commissions, including the NDDC, which has been plagued with corruption scandals in the past. Many Nigerians will be watching closely to see whether this new ministry can effectively manage the country’s regional development issues.
Similarly, the decision to dissolve the Sports Ministry has raised eyebrows. Nigeria has a rich sports culture, and the National Sports Commission will now be expected to carry the heavy burden of maintaining the country’s sporting excellence.
