Now that they have been sworn in, leaving their replacements to lick their wounds over the loss of their juicy appointments, Nigeria’s new ministers must recognize the opportunity they have to salvage something in the time left for the current administration.
It has been a desperate eighteen months for Nigerians under the government of President Bola Tinubu for whom the journey has been anything but smooth.
There have been caustic criticism, protests and continuous loss of confidence in the ability of the government to make Nigeria better. While government defenders have argued for more time, even neutrals agree that the administration has not shown enough promise.
While it isn’t clear that it was the poor performance of the ministers some of whom were very passionate about their jobs that cost their recent disengagement and replacement, what is clear is that this government must do more.
Doing more means that what hasn’t worked in eighteen months must be discarded with new means, men, and methods tried. Who are these new men?
For Nentawe Yilwatda, the task is enormous in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs where it appears that some people are bent on enriching themselves from the humanitarian war zone that Nigeria has become. He must remember how the time and reputation of his predecessor in the post went up in a smoke of corruption while she was still trying to settle down in office.
What do Nigerian women need from Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the new minister of women affairs? Action on the national gender policy, gender justice and gender equality. Beyond empty words woven into bogus government commitment, Nigerian women should be made to see that for once they are on equal footing with the rest of the country in charting Nigeria’s future.
Bianca Ojukwu comes from Anambra State, which is facing increasing scrutiny due to insecurity. She is to serve as minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is tasked with handling Nigeria’s mammoth engagement with the international community. She brings plenty of qualifications and qualities to the post, but it is doubtful that the solid front she will present to the international community will hold amid the turmoil at home.
Muhammadu Dingyadi, who is the new minister of Labour and Employment does not need a soothsayer to tell him that he will have his hands full at a time when rising costs of living are making Nigerian workers restless.
Teething problems are bent to challenge the new ministry and minister of livestock development, Idi Muktar Mahia, but he can have no excuse. He must work day and night to convince Nigerians that the new ministry is not a sop from the presidency to the North, which has been unjustifiably loud in complaining about marginalization in the current government.
As for Suwaiba Said Ahmad, who is coming in as the new education minister of state in the Ministry of Education, reviving the education sector in Nigeria is likely to prove a step too far. The policies which the immediate past minister, Tahir Mamman, sought to introduce may have been unpopular, but they were by no means unfavourable. As a seasoned educator, Mamman was prepared to shake up the education sector in order to revive the dying culture of quality education. His removal was ominous and remains a warning sign to the two new ministers assigned to the ministry of the fate that awaits them if they try to buck the trend in a country where a dominant few prefer the current state of affairs to remain because it benefits them.
Despite some very green shoots, President Tinubu’s presidency has been a masterclass in pain for Nigerians. Policies have been unclear, the messaging from government has been muddled, decisions have been hasty and ineffective. Nigerians have borne the brunt of a government severely lacking in direction. The hope is that the new ministers may be able to inject some fresh blood into the government.
The fear Is that a government that has done little to justify the trust of Nigerians is already positioning itself for the 2027 general election. It will not come as a surprise in a country where political officeholders feel entitled to continuity in office when they have done so little to justify such continuity.
It is not about bringing in new people, who will likely get infected with the ineptitude consuming many public office holders in Nigeria. The new people must show the right attitude and aptitude for the work at hand.
Each of the new ministers has an opportunity to help a struggling government leave a legacy and to support Nigerians as they navigate these tough times. Time is short, and the task is tough.
Kene Obiezu,
