Following criticisms about his cabinet being “bloated”, President Bola Tinubu has reiterated that he is unprepared to reduce the size of the 48-man cabinet.
During a media chat at his Bourdillon residence on Monday, Tinubu said, “I am not ready to shrink the size of my cabinet.” He argued that “efficiency” has been at the core of his selection of ministers.
He also noted that he has no regret over his decision to remove the petrol subsidy in May 2023, noting that Nigeria cannot continue to be Father Christmas to neighbouring countries.
He justified: “I don’t have any regrets whatsoever in removing petrol subsidy. We are spending our future, we were just deceiving ourselves, that reform was necessary.”
The 48 ministers were appointed by the president in August 2023, three months after his inauguration. The Senate had immediately screened and confirmed the ministers. One of the ministers, Betta Edu, was suspended in January while another, Simon Lalong, moved to the Senate, Channels.
There were calls for the President to reshuffle his cabinet as many Nigerians have not been impressed by the performance of some of the ministers, especially in the face of unprecedented inflation, excruciating economic situation and rising insecurity.
In October 2024, Tinubu re-assigned 10 ministers to new ministerial portfolios and appointed seven new ministers for Senate confirmation. He also sacked five of his ministers but critics insist that the President’s cabinet remains large, especially with the creation of a Livestock Ministry with a minister.
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