President Bola Tinubu on Monday rejected criticisms regarding the size of his 48-member cabinet, asserting that he has no plans to reduce it.
“I am not prepared to bring down the size of my cabinet,” Tinubu said during a media chat at his Bourdillon residence in Ikoyi, Lagos. He emphasized that “efficiency” was the guiding principle behind his selection of ministers.
The President also reaffirmed his stance on the removal of the petrol subsidy, a decision he implemented in May 2023. He described the move as a necessary reform, saying, “I don’t have any regrets whatsoever about removing the petrol subsidy. We were spending our future, deceiving ourselves. That reform was necessary.”
Despite reshuffling his cabinet in October 2024—reassigning 10 ministers, appointing seven new ones, and dismissing five—critics argue that the cabinet remains too large. The creation of a Livestock Ministry, amid widespread inflation, economic struggles, and persistent insecurity, has drawn particular scrutiny.
Tinubu appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, three months after his inauguration, with all nominees screened and confirmed by the Senate. Since then, one minister, Betta Edu, was suspended in January 2024, and Simon Lalong transitioned to the Senate.
