President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointments of Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim and Ayodele Olawande as ministers in the Ministry of Youth, pending confirmation by the National Assembly.
Tinubu equally designated Ibrahim as the Minister of Youth, while Olawande will serve as the Minister of State for Youth.
This was made known in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Sunday, September 17, 2023.
“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,” the statement partly
According to Ajuri, the minister-designate 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).
While 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,” the statement concluded.
Recall Tinubu had earlier designated Abubakar Momoh as the minister of Youth and Development but later redeployed the 64-year-old politician to man the Ministry of Niger Delta Development following outcries from Nigerians regarding his age.
This development left the position of minister of Youth vacant as the President swore in 45 other ministers on August 21.