I will not downsize my cabinet — Tinubu vows

President Bola Tinubu has insisted he will not cut down his 48-member cabinet.

Tinubu stated this during his Monday’s media chat with journalists.

“I am not prepared to bring down the size of my cabinet,” the president said.

He said “efficiency” has been at the core of his selection of ministers.

The President also reiterated his stance on the removal of the petrol subsidy, a decision he made in May 2023, describing it as a necessary reform.

“I don’t have any regrets whatsoever in removing petrol subsidy. We are spending our future, we were just deceiving ourselves, that reform was necessary,” he said.

Despite reshuffling his cabinet in October 2024—reassigning 10 ministers, appointing seven new ones, and dismissing five—critics argue the cabinet remains overly large.

They have particularly questioned the creation of a Livestock Ministry amid widespread inflation, a struggling economy, and persistent insecurity.

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, while Simon Lalong transitioned to the Senate.