Cabinet Reshuffling: FG Sets October 30 Deadline for Handover, Ministry Mergers

The Federal Government has directed all outgoing ministers to finalize their handover processes by October 30, 2024, following a major reshuffle of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This reshuffling has led to the dismissal of five ministers, the nomination of seven new ones, the reassignment of ten, and the restructuring of key ministries.

In a memorandum released on Wednesday, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, provided details of the transition process. Outgoing ministers with no direct successors are required to hand over to Permanent Secretaries. The SGF’s office, in collaboration with the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, is overseeing the merger of the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, as well as the closure of the now-defunct Ministry of Sports Development.

The memo also confirmed the renaming and expanded mandate of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development, which is to take immediate effect. Relevant supervisory authorities and commissions under the newly structured ministry have been notified of these changes.

The government emphasized that all handover and takeover procedures must be completed by October 30, and that Permanent Secretaries are responsible for ensuring a smooth transition. They are also required to forward copies of the handover documents to the SGF’s office for record-keeping purposes.