Abuja — Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has submitted 28 nominees to cabinet positions to the Senate for approval, nearly two months after he was sworn into office and under pressure to quickly revive Africa’s largest economy.
The list of nominees features political veterans but also includes Olawale Edun, a banker who advises Tinubu on monetary policy and Dele Alake, his communication adviser.
It did not say which portfolios would be assigned to the nominees. Edun, one of Tinubu’s most trusted advisers and a member of his economic team that helped prepare his election manifesto, has long been tipped to become finance minister.
Tinubu won a disputed February election on promises to reboot the country’s flagging economy, deal with a high debt burden, double-digit inflation and address widespread insecurity.
In his few days in office, Tinubu scrapped a decades-old petrol subsidy, suspended the central bank governor and freed up the exchange rate, to the delight of investors.
But the reforms have created pain for Nigerians grappling with a high cost of living and double-digit inflation in a country which is Africa’s top oil producer.
Tinubu and his ministers have their work cut out for them, which includes dealing with the fall-out of the reforms.
Nigerian frontline doctors in public hospitals began an indefinite strike on Wednesday over grievances including demands for a pay rise. The main workers union has threatened to follow from next Wednesday.
Out of 28 nominated ministers, four are former state governors while others are veterans from Tinubu’s party or political associates. A dozen could be classified as ‘technocrats’.
With Tinubu’s party majority in Senate, his cabinet picks are expected to be confirmed.
Tinubu said in a letter to the Senate that more names would be forwarded in due course.
Ali Pate, a former junior minister of health and ex-World Bank director also made the list.
*Camillus Eboh & Chijioke Ohuocha; editing: Alexander Winning & Jonathan Oatis – Reuters
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