Two public commentators have urged President Bola Tinubu to relinquish his role as substantive Minister of Petroleum, entrusting it to a capable Nigerian instead.
Baba Yusuf and Femi Odeere argue that since Tinubu retained the petroleum minister role after assembling his cabinet in August 2023, it has not improved Nigeria’s daily oil production. They highlighted that major oil-producing nations, such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates, do not have their presidents doubling as petroleum ministers.
Yusuf and Odeere made these comments on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme broadcast on Channels Television on Friday.
Yusuf, a former Managing Director of NAHCO Free Trade Zone, remarked, “I believe that the President of Nigeria should not divert his attention with the petroleum portfolio. In top oil-producing countries, the presidents do not engage in being ministers of petroleum. The United Kingdom and the United States, with their advanced systems, have separate leadership for this sector. Countries like China, Russia, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia follow a similar approach.”
Yusuf further urged Tinubu to “step out from the shadow of oil and gas, delegating the petroleum portfolio to a dedicated minister who can be held accountable.” He also called on the president to streamline his cabinet, noting that having multiple ministers for a single ministry has not necessarily yielded higher productivity or performance.
Odeere, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, agreed with Yusuf, asserting that Tinubu should break the longstanding practice of Nigerian presidents serving as petroleum ministers. He criticised this setup, saying, “This highlights the inefficiency within our system. Why is it that we appoint ministers for all other portfolios, yet insist oil cannot be managed by someone other than the president? It shows a lack of confidence in our system’s structure to ensure accountability and effectiveness.”
Odeere added that this tradition began with former President Obasanjo and was subsequently followed by his successors, though he acknowledged that there might be underlying reasons unknown to him for this retention of the portfolio.
Tinubu appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, about three months after his inauguration as Nigeria’s president, including Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State, Oil, and Ekperipe Ekpo as Minister of State, Gas, while retaining the senior petroleum minister role, as his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari had done. Since then, one minister, Betta Edu, was suspended in January 2024, and another, Simon Lalong, resigned to join the Senate.
Amid Nigeria’s economic challenges, escalating inflation, and worsening security, Tinubu has faced criticism regarding his cabinet’s performance. In response, on Wednesday, he reshuffled his cabinet, dismissing five ministers, reassigning 10 others, and appointing seven new ministers.