President Bola Tinubu has nominated Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim and Mr. Ayodele Olawande, as the ministers of Youths and Minister of state in the same ministry respectively. The President announced their nomination yesterday and forwarded their names to the Senate for confirmation, according to a statement by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale.
Dr. Ibrahim, 37, is a medical doctor and a former aide to Kwara State Governor AbdulRaman Abdulrazaq on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She is also the daughter of Bio Ibrahim, a former speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and a former minister of transportation. She leads the Progressive Young Women Forum (PYWF), a platform for empowering young women in politics and development.
Mr. Olawande is a seasoned administrator and a close associate of President Tinubu. He has served in various capacities in the Lagos State Government, including as the Head of Service. He is currently the Principal Secretary to the President.
In addition, President Tinubu appointed Stanley Nkwocha, a veteran journalist, as his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity in the Office of Vice President. Nine other aides were also named to work with the Vice President on various portfolios.
According to Ngelale, “President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim to serve as the Minister of Youth, pending her confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The President has further approved the nomination of Mr. Ayodele Olawande to serve as the Minister of State for Youth, pending his confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim is a young medical doctor and most recently served as the President of the Progressive Young Women Forum (PYWF). She has also served as the Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Mr. Ayodele Olawande is a community development expert and youth leader in the governing All Progressives’ Congress (APC). He most recently served in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Innovation from 2019 to 2023.
“President Tinubu charges the above-mentioned nominees to ensure that they consistently reflect the dynamism, innovative zeal, and unyielding productivity that are synonymous with the young people of Nigeria as they discharge their duties.”
Reacting to Jamila’s nomination, Governor AbdulRazaq applauded the President for appointing another minister from Kwara State.
The governor said that the president’s move “suggests a commendable direction to rightly accord the state its deserved place for the loyalty of Kwarans to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).”
He said Ibrahim’s nomination satisfied two major developmental milestones of youth empowerment and gender inclusion in the decision-making process in Nigeria.
“We consider this additional nomination a great honour to our state, especially the rank and file of our party and its youth and women wings. Given her energy and impressive network among the youth constituency, we believe she is a good fit for the role,” the governor said in a statement.
AbdulRasaq added: “The governor wishes the ministerial nominee all the best in her new assignment, urging her to be a great ambassador of the state, Kwara APC, and of the youth constituency that she now leads nationwide and requesting all stakeholders to support her in the new role as another representative of Kwara at the Federal Executive Council (FEC).”
Meanwhile, the president is yet to announce the replacement for Nasir El-rufai and Sani Danladi, the ministerial nominees from Kaduna and Taraba States respectively. Recall that the duo were not among the ministerial nominees cleared by the Nigerian Senate.
The President has announced the appointment of Hakeem Muri-Okunola as his Principal Secretary. Muri-Okunola, who is 51 years old and the eldest son of the late Justice Muritala Okunola, has a background in law and public administration. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from Lagos State University (LASU) and his Master of Laws degree in International Business Law from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. He has also served in various capacities in the Lagos State Government, such as Associate Solicitor, Adepetun, Caxton-Martins and Agbor, Company Secretary/Legal Adviser at Ibile Holdings Limited, Personal Assistant to Governor of Lagos State, Executive Secretary, Land Use and Allocation Committee and Permanent Secretary.
Other appointments in Vice President’s office include those of Tope Fasua (Special Adviser on Economy), Dr. Muhammad Bulama (Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties);
Sadiq S Jambo (Special Assistant, Economy); Mahmud Muhammad, (Personal Assistant Domestic Northeast); Ahmed Ningi (Senior Special Assistant, Digital Media and Emergency Management); Musa Amshi Muhammad Al-Amin (Senior Special Assistant, Special Duties), and Emmanuella Eduozor ,(Specil Assistant, Multimedia Content Production).
