President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday formally requested the Senate to screen and confirm Mr Taiwo Oyedele as Minister of State for Finance, a move that sees him replacing Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite.
This nomination was presented as part of the President’s ongoing adjustments within the Federal Executive Council, according to a letter read during plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Prior to this appointment, the 50-year-old economist and public policy expert served as the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms. Oyedele, an Ondo State indigene, is well-regarded for his 22-year career at PwC, where he eventually became the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader. His professional background as an accountant has been central to his recent work spearheading efforts to overhaul the national tax system.
In a separate communication, the President sought the confirmation of former Senator Magnus Abe to serve as the chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. This follows the resignation of Gbenga Komolafe from the role. The request also included the nominations of Paul Yaro Jezhi, a former union leader, and Sunday Adebayo Babalola, a former petroleum director, to serve as non-executive commissioners within the agency.
Following the reading of these letters, Senate President Akpabio referred the petroleum-related appointments to the Senate Committee on Petroleum Upstream for further legislative action. These movements signal a continued effort by the administration to reshuffle key positions within the nation’s financial and energy regulatory sectors.
