President Bola Tinubu is reportedly planning to eliminate the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation as part of a significant cabinet overhaul. According to sources within the Presidency, the restructuring will also involve merging some portfolios and splitting others, with several ministers likely to be dismissed.
Tinubu has been under pressure from within his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and external stakeholders to sack underperforming ministers. Despite warning his cabinet about underperformance nearly 10 months ago, only the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, has occurred so far.
Following a three-day cabinet retreat last November, Tinubu announced that a Central Delivery Coordination Unit, headed by Mrs. Hadiza Bala-Usman, would evaluate the performance of ministers and top officials. The results of these evaluations would determine who remains in office.
“If you are performing, nothing to fear. If no performance, you leave us,” the President had said at the time.
In recent weeks, speculation about a cabinet reshuffle has intensified, with reports suggesting that it will go beyond simple portfolio swaps. A source close to the Presidency revealed that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is likely to be scrapped entirely, as several agencies already perform the functions of the ministry, making it redundant.
“There are existing agencies that handle humanitarian and social welfare programs, so the President sees no need for a separate ministry,” the source disclosed.
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was created in 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari to coordinate humanitarian interventions and social programs, such as the N-Power scheme and the Homegrown School Feeding Programme. However, the ministry has been plagued by allegations of corruption and inefficiency, especially under its first minister, Sadiya Farouq. Edu, her successor, was suspended earlier this year following allegations of financial misconduct.
President Tinubu is expected to finalize the reshuffle, including the elimination of the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry, before his departure for the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week. Sources confirmed that the restructuring would involve the splitting of at least one major portfolio and the merging of others, all aimed at enhancing government efficiency.
Amid the impending reshuffle, some cabinet members are reportedly lobbying influential figures to retain their positions. However, a source noted that despite the lobbying efforts, the President is determined to proceed with the changes based on his vision for the country.
