Youngest ministers in Tinubu’s cupboard

For the reason that inauguration of the ministers in President Bola Tinubu’s cupboard, all eyes have been on them to see what distinctive improvements they’ll carry to the polity. Although a whole lot of consideration has been on their sheer quantity, contemplating that it’s highest for any President because the inception of this present democratic dispensation; FAITH AJAYI takes a take a look at the youngest ministers within the cupboard, who’re beneath the age of 45

Betta Edu

A medical physician and politician, Betta Edu, is presently serving because the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. She can also be stated to be the primary feminine minister from Cross River State, and the youngest minister within the nation.

In accordance with her Wikipedia web page, she will likely be 37 on October 27, 2023.

She started her political profession in 2015, when she was stated to be the youngest Particular Adviser to the then Governor of Cross River State, Benedict Ayade. She was assigned the portfolio of Neighborhood and Main Healthcare. In 2019, she went on to grow to be the Commissioner for Well being within the state.

A lady of many firsts, in March 2022, she additionally turned the youngest Nationwide Girls Chief of the All Progressives Congress, In 2020, Edu was appointed because the Chairman, Cross River State COVID-19 Taskforce; and in August of that very same 12 months, she was appointed because the Nationwide Chairman of the Nigeria Well being Commissioners Discussion board.

On account of her ardour for girls and youngsters well being, she constructed, renovated and geared up many main well being services in Cross River.

Edu holds a Bachelor’s diploma in Medication and Surgical procedure from the College of Calabar, Cross River; a Put up Graduate Diploma in Public Well being for Creating Nations from the London College of Hygiene and Tropical Medication, United Kingdom; a Grasp’s diploma in Public Well being in Creating Nations from the London College of Hygiene and Tropical Medication; and a Doctorate of Public Well being from Texila American College in Georgetown, Guyana.

Edu is a Fellow of the Royal College of Public Well being, and the African Institute of Public Well being Professionals. She was additionally the recipient of the Award of Excellence in Management for Gender Inclusion and Girls Empowerment given by the Federal Authorities by way of the Maryam Babangida Nationwide Centre for Girls Growth, in collaboration with the Ministry of Girls Affairs and Social Growth, in July 2023.

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo

Forty one-year-old Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo is the Minister of Inside. An engineer, entrepreneur and politician, she represented Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency of Ondo State within the Home of Representatives between 2019 and 2023.

In accordance with his Wikipedia web page, he was born on Might 1, 1982.

BTO, as he’s fondly referred to as, was the Chairman of the Home Committee on the Niger Delta Growth Fee. Apparently liked by members of her constituency, he was re-elected for a second time period into Nationwide Meeting, however he resign after his appointment by President Bola Tinubu on August 16, 2023.

Throughout his time in workplace on the Home of Representatives, Tunji-Ojo was stated to have introduced a whole lot of infrastructural improvement and empowerment programmes to his constituency. Tunji-Ojo led the Home of Representatives’ probe into the alleged mismanagement of over N80bn within the NDDC, making it the primary time a probe of that nature can be launched into the monetary actions of the fee in its over 20 years of existence.

A goal-getter from a younger age, he turned the Chief Govt Officer of an ICT firm in Nigeria, Matrix IT Options Restricted, at 24, and has consulted for the World Financial institution and several other authorities companies, together with numerous committees of the Senate and Home of Representatives. He has additionally labored in several capacities with the Nigeria Gasoline Firm, Nationwide Fee for Mass Literacy, Grownup and Non-Formal Schooling, amongst others.

Tunji-Ojo has a Bachelor’s diploma in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the College of North London, England, United Kingdom (now referred to as London Metropolitan College) and graduated in 2005. He additionally holds a Grasp’s diploma in Digital Communication and Networking from the identical establishment. That is along with 18 skilled certifications in ICT, together with being one of many first set of licensed moral hackers from Royal Britannia IT Coaching Academy, United Kingdom, earlier than the age of 24.

Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim

The primary feminine Minister of State, Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, is a businesswoman and a politician, who has held few political appointments, which she was stated to have dealt with creditably nicely.

Her Wikipedia web page states that she was born on April 19, 1980.

In September 2019, she was appointed as a particular adviser on strategic communication to the Minister of State for Schooling, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba. She was additionally appointed as a member of the Nasarawa State Financial Advisory Council by the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule.

Not a stranger to public workplace, she was appointed the Director-Normal of the Nationwide Company for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Individuals for six months between December 1, 2020 and Might 2021, by former President Muhammadu Buhari. She was later named the Federal Commissioner, Nationwide Fee for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Individuals, on June 4, 2021.

Throughout her time because the DG of NAPTIP, she expanded the company’s protection from three to 6 regional directorates, with every headed by a regional director and an assistant regional director. Additionally, throughout her transient stint with the company, she investigated 383 instances, arrested 264 suspects, rescued 429 victims, and convicted 21, amongst different achievements.

At NCFRMI, Sulaiman-Ibrahim spearheaded insurance policies, programmes and initiatives that strengthened nationwide response in areas of her mandate. One among her initiatives was the ‘Undertaking Educate All’, which was conceived in step with the fee’s goal to deal with the rising problem and studying wants of displaced individuals, in addition to to make sure accelerated studying in emergency settings, in step with international practices. The launch of the undertaking enhances the transitional studying centres that might additional improve studying and fast-track studying for pupils in IDP camps and host communities.

Talking on the launch of the undertaking, she stated, “This engagement has not solely supplied the much-needed employment in these communities, but additionally allowed us to prioritise the localisation of our interventions, and promote the sustainability of the programme.”

One other of her initiatives is the ‘Undertaking Ability Up’, which entails the supply of sturdy options for all individuals of concern. It permits a concerted, coordinated and collaborative effort in the direction of capacity-building programmes for internally displaced individuals, Refugees, and migrants in all sectors.

Different initiatives embrace Undertaking Whole Well being, Undertaking Zero Starvation, Undertaking Mild Up and Undertaking Resettlement Cities, amongst others. These programmes guarantee the full reintegration, rehabilitation and resettlement of individuals of concern into society, whereas making certain sturdy and sustainable options, and breeding self-reliance.

Imaan studied Sociology on the College of Abuja. She additionally has a Grasp of Enterprise Administration, and a Grasp of Artwork in Administration levels, each from Webster College, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America.

She was additionally a participant on the Govt Administration Intelligence Course 14, which earned her the standing of Fellow of Safety Institute. That is at the same time as she is finishing her Doctoral Safety and Strategic Research programme on the Nigeria Defence Academy, Kaduna State.

Imaan can also be the Co-Founder and President of The Beehive Initiative (now referred to as the BumbleeBee Civic Initiative), a platform targeted on nurturing and mentoring politically inclined girls, and creating grassroots civic consciousness.

She additionally labored as a Senior Gross sales Director on the cosmetics and skincare firm, Mary Kay.

She is married with three kids.

Hannatu Musawa

The Minister of Artwork, Tradition and Artistic Economic system, Hannatu Musawa, was the secretary of the screening committee for presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress within the run-up to the 2023 presidential election. She was subsequently the deputy spokesperson, and deputy director of public affairs of the APC Presidential Marketing campaign Council. That was along with being the Secretary Normal of the Katsina Marketing campaign Council.

Shortly after the brand new administration was sworn in, President Tinubu appointed Musawa as his Particular Adviser on Tradition and Leisure Economic system, in June 2023.

Musawa holds a level in Regulation from the College of Buckingham, UK, and a Grasp’s diploma in Authorized Features of Marine Affairs from the College of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. She has one other Grasp’s diploma in Oil and Gasoline Regulation from the College of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.

She has a diversified and wealthy working expertise, each in Nigeria and the UK.

Musawa is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and has labored as a litigation lawyer and authorized advisor to a number of non-public corporations. As a junior lawyer, she labored with the regulation agency of a former Lawyer Normal of the Federation, the late Clement Akpamgbo. She additionally labored briefly with Barrister Bala Na Allah in the course of the Human Rights Violation Investigation Fee of Nigeria, popularly referred to as Oputa Panel.

She went on set up the agency, Hanney Musawa and Associates, the place she is presently the principal accomplice.

She was totally concerned in political actions in the course of the 2003 and 2007 basic elections. She was additionally one of many legal professionals on the group that labored on the 2003 Presidential Election Petition between Muhammadu Buhari and Olusegun Obasanjo.

In 2011, she contested a seat within the Home of Representatives.

Musawa, who’s from Katsina State, is the daughter of the late politician, Musa Musawa.

Shuaibu Audu

An funding banker and politician, Shuaibu Audu, who’s the Minister of Metal Growth, is the son of the primary civilian governor of Kogi State, the late Abubakar Audu, who first ruled the state between 1992 and 1993. Earlier than his appointment, Shuaibu was a gubernatorial aspirant within the state, however misplaced the ticket to Ahmed Ododo on the main elections in April 2023.

In accordance with his Wikipedia web page, he was born on November 6, 1980.

Earlier than going into politics, he was the CEO of Stanbic IBTC Funding, and labored within the banking trade for 20 years.

He attended the College of Leicester, United Kingdom, the place he earned a Bachelor’s diploma in Enterprise Economics in 2001. He additionally bagged a Grasp’s diploma in Worldwide Securities, Funding and Banking from Henley Enterprise College, College of Studying, and obtained one other Grasp’s in Enterprise Administration from the College of Oxford, UK, in 2013.

He’s married with kids.

Joseph Utsev

Forty-three-year-old Joseph Utsev is the Minister of Water Assets and Sanitation.

A tutorial, politician, philanthropist, entrepreneur and administrator, he was appointed Deputy Director and later, a Director within the Centre for Entrepreneurship Growth, Federal College of Agriculture Makurdi. Whereas there, he supported the establishing of seven workshops which might be presently used to coach college students in entrepreneurship, and can also be a supply of internally generated income for the establishment.

In 2017, Utsev was appointed because the Benue State Commissioner for Water Assets and Atmosphere, the place he contributed to the design of the Idye Basin Part II (Police Zone 4 – Cellular Barracks) drainage and likewise contributed to its development by way of the Federal Authorities.

In 2020, former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him because the Govt Director of Engineering, Decrease Benue River Basin Growth Authority Makurdi. He oversaw the development of quite a few dams, bridges, roads, boreholes, drainages, and different engineering initiatives throughout his transient tenure.

Utsev graduated from the Federal College of Agriculture, Makurdi, the place he earned his Bachelor of Engineering diploma in Civil Engineering in 2004. He additionally earned a Grasp’s diploma in Environmental Engineering; and a Doctorate in Water Assets from the College of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State.

Doris Uzoka-Anite

Born on October 16, 1981, in keeping with Wikipedia, Doris Uzoka-Anite, who’s a medical physician, monetary knowledgeable and politician, is the Minister for Business, Commerce and Funding.  Earlier than this appointment, she labored because the Commissioner for Finance and Co-ordinating Economic system in Imo State, making her the youngest commissioner within the cupboard of the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

She transitioned from medication into the banking sector by working with Zenith Financial institution as an assistant banking officer (company banking), and went on to grow to be the financial institution’s Group Head/Treasurer.

Because the Group Treasurer at Zenith Financial institution, she managed overseas alternate trades value over $4bn, and supervised N10tn value of transactions. Her performances earned her a number of novel awards for her effectivity and dedication to the financial institution’s imaginative and prescient and mission, as she performed vital roles in efficiently making certain a rise within the firm’s earnings by over 200 per cent inside two years, and that in the end contributed to the financial institution’s development within the monetary market.

Throughout her time as Commissioner of Finance in Imo State, she performed a pivotal function in enhancing the state’s income era by implementing complete tax administration techniques, and leveraging expertise to drive effectivity and transparency. In the meantime, her contributions prolonged to numerous areas, together with training, expertise administration, and expertise sector, the place she has championed the usage of instructional expertise in main, secondary and tertiary establishments. That is along with spearheading profitable World Financial institution-funded initiatives.

Uzoka-Anite studied Medication and Surgical procedure on the College of Benin. She went on to bag a double MBA from the London College of Economics and the New York College Stern College of Enterprise. She additionally acquired certifications in Fintech, Algorithmic Buying and selling and Superior Threat, and Portfolio Administration from the College of Oxford, United Kingdom.

She additionally underwent high-level coaching programmes in finance at Goldman Sachs, Citibank and the London Academy of Buying and selling, constructing her capability in Superior Monetary Engineering and Information Science for Finance. It additionally bears nothing that she is a licensed monetary analyst.

She is a member of CFA Society International, the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, and can also be a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Banking. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Credit score Administration; Fellow, Company Administration of Nigeria; Member, Federal Accountability and Allocation; and Member, Monetary Market Sellers Affiliation of Nigerian Banks.