Tinubu Scraps Niger Delta, Sports Ministries In Major Cabinet Reshuffling

President Bola Tinubu has announced the dissolution of both the Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of Sports Development. The decision was made during Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.

In place of the Niger Delta Ministry, a new Ministry of Regional Development has been established to manage the activities of all Regional Development Commissions across the country. This new ministry will oversee the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), as well as the South East Development Commission, North East Development Commission, and North West Development Commission.

The responsibilities of the Ministry of Sports Development have been transferred to the National Sports Commission, with the aim of promoting a more robust sports economy. Shehu Dikko has been appointed Chairman of the National Sports Commission.

In other changes, the Federal Ministry of Tourism and the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture have been merged into a single entity known as the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy. This is seen as a strategic move to unify and strengthen Nigeria’s cultural and tourism sectors.

Abubakar Momoh, the former Minister of Niger Delta, will now lead the new Ministry of Regional Development, while John Enoh, previously Minister of Sports, has been redeployed as Minister of State for Trade and Investment.

These reforms come in response to growing calls to streamline the federal government’s structure and reduce the cost of governance by cutting down on the number of ministries and political appointments.