Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has sacked his Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, in a major cabinet shake-up aimed at reviving the country’s struggling economy.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the presidency announced that Taiwo Oyedele, a prominent tax expert who was only appointed as Minister of State for Finance last month, will now take over the senior finance portfolio.

The reshuffle also saw the removal of the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, who will be replaced by Muttaqha Darma. The outgoing ministers have been given until the close of business on Thursday to complete their handover processes.

A Pivot to ‘Synergy’

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, stated that the move was necessary to strengthen “cohesion and synergy” within the cabinet. The reshuffle comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with double-digit inflation and a cost-of-living crisis that has become the defining challenge of the Tinubu administration.

The New Economic Guard:

• Taiwo Oyedele: The new Finance Minister is a well-known figure in Nigerian policy circles, having previously chaired the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.
• Dr. Muttaqha Darma: Tasked with leading the Housing Ministry, he enters at a time when urban development is being touted as a key driver for job creation.

Analysis: Out with the Old, In with the Expert

Wale Edun was widely seen as the “architect” of the President’s early economic reforms, including the controversial removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira. However, with inflation stubbornly high and the currency under persistent pressure, his exit suggests that the President is losing patience with the slow pace of recovery.

By elevating Taiwo Oyedele—a man respected by the private sector for his technical expertise—President Tinubu is signaling a shift toward more aggressive fiscal reform. This is not just a “minor reshuffle”; it is a tactical pivot. The President is betting that Oyedele’s reputation for efficiency can provide the “impactful delivery” that has so far eluded the “Renewed Hope” agenda. For the outgoing ministers, the swift 48-hour handover window underscores a sense of urgency in Abuja that has been missing for months.

Constitutional Mandate

The presidency emphasized that the changes were made in line with the 1999 Constitution, which grants the head of state the power to appoint and dismiss cabinet members.

While thanking the outgoing ministers for their service, the SGF noted that the process of “cabinet reinvigoration” would remain continuous. In the political hallways of Abuja, this is being read as a warning to other ministers that their seats are only as secure as their latest performance metrics.