>
By Emman Adeleke
President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, swore in three additional ministers into his 48-person cabinet.
Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Ayodele Olawande and Balarabe Lawal took the oath of office at 12:15pm at the Council Chamber of the State House before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by Tinubu.
This is coming nearly two weeks after the Senate cleared the trio following their screening on October 4, 2023.
On September 17, 2023, President Tinubu nominated Ibrahim and Olawande as Minister of Youth and Minister of State for Youth, respectively.
He also requested the Senate to screen Balarabe as minister from Kaduna State.
Lawal, who served as Secretary to the Kaduna State Government under former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, replaces his principal in Tinubu’s cabinet as Minister of Wnvironment.
Ibrahim, 37, hails from Kwara State. She is a medical doctor, politician and development expert and advocate of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Before her recent appointment, she served as the National President of the APC Young Women Forum.
Olawande, 34, is a community development expert and youth leader within the All Progressives Congress.
Before his nomination, Olawande served as the Special Adviser on Innovation to former President Muhammadu Buhari in the Office of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. He occupied the role from 2019 to 2023.
Before the meeting began, the Council observed a minute’s silence in honour of Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun, who passed on July 1, 2023.
Ajose-Adeogun who died at the age of 96 was appointed the Minister of Federal Capital in 1976 by the Murtala Mohammed military regime and served in the position till 1979.
Monday’s meeting is the second council gathering since President Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.