| By Adejumo Adekunle –
On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu forwarded the names of seven new ministerial nominees to the National Assembly, following the removal of six ministers from his cabinet.
These nominees are poised to fill the vacant positions, with Tinubu also reshuffling his government by assigning 10 ministers to different roles.
Among the new appointees, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has been nominated as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Additionally, Nentawe Yilwatda has been tapped to lead the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, taking over from the suspended Betta Edu.
Other nominees include Maigari Dingyadi for the Ministry of Labour and Employment and Jumoke Oduwole for the Ministry of Industry. Idi Maiha is set to head the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development, while Yusuf Ata will serve as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development. Suwaiba Ahmad has been chosen as the Minister of State for Education.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is a seasoned diplomat, lawyer, entrepreneur, and former beauty queen. In 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed her Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs. She later served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ghana and then as Ambassador to Spain. Currently, she represents Nigeria at the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Bianca, the widow of Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has also earned numerous international pageant titles.
Maigari Dingyadi
Maigari Dingyadi, from Sokoto, served as Minister of Police Affairs from August 2019 to May 2023. A graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Dingyadi has a solid political background, having represented Bodinga Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He also held the roles of Secretary to the Sokoto State Government and Chairman of the National Commission for Colleges of Education.
Jumoke Oduwole
Jumoke Oduwole is an academic, advisor, and public speaker. From 2019 to 2023, she served as Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business. Before that, she was the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment. She is currently on leave from her position as Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, where she specializes in Jurisprudence and International Law.
Nentawe Yilwatda
Nentawe Yilwatda, an engineer and community advocate from Plateau State, is registered with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). He has lectured at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. In 2017, former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as a Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, where he served as Resident Electoral Commissioner for Benue State.
Idi Maiha
Idi Maiha is the Chairman and CEO of Zaidi Farms Limited in Kaduna. He previously held the role of Managing Director at the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, where he played a key role in Nigeria’s energy sector.
Yusuf Ata
Yusuf Ata is an experienced educator and former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly. He previously served as Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor on Assembly Matters and Inter-Governmental Affairs.
Suwaiba Ahmad
Suwaiba Ahmad is an educator and gender advocate. She lectures at Bayero University, Kano, and directs the Centre for Gender Studies. Ahmad has held various academic positions, including level coordinator, examination officer, postgraduate coordinator, and Head of the Department of Science Education.
