>
With the 36 ministers-designate set to be inaugurated today, there were indications on Tuesday that President Muhammadu Buhari, had reduced the number of federal ministries to 25 from about 29.
Under the new dispensation, the ministries of police affairs, aviation and special duties appear to have been scrapped while ministries of Lands, Housing, Urban Development and Works have been merged to become Ministry of Works and Housing.
According to Punch, it was also gathered that the information, culture, national orientation and tourism ministries have been collapsed into one Ministry of Information and Culture.
Also, the Ministries of Sports as well as Youth Development have also been merged to form Ministry of Sports and Youth Development.
The Ministry of Aviation is now under the Ministry of Transportation, among other mergers.
This development necessitated the Tuesday retirement of the 17 permanent secretaries and announcement of the appointment of 18 new ones by President Buhari.