President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finally sacked the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun.
Also shown the way out of the cabinet was the Minister of Housing, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa.
The duo, according to the Presidency, were relieved of their appointments to, among others, strengthen cohesion and synergy in governance.
According to a memo signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, their replacements have already been named.
Edun was directed to hand over to the newly appointed Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, in a substantive capacity as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Before his sack, President Tinubu had relieved Edun of supervision of key revenue-generating agencies, assigning them to former minister of state for finance now Minister of State in the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Doris Uzoka-Anite.
The assigning of key revenue-generating agencies to the former minister of state by the SGF, on the directive of President Tinubu, was designed to overhaul the ministry’s internal structure, enhance efficiency, and tighten control over funds.
Also in the memo, Mr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma (PhD) was named as the ministerial nominee and minister designate for the Housing and Urban Development Ministry.
The memo also directed Dangiwa to hand over to the minister of state in the ministry.
The memo stated that “all handing over and taking over processes should be completed on or before close of business on Thursday 23rd April, 2026.”
…Akume explains sack
Explaining the president’s decision, Akume said: “These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
He said President Tinubu, in approving the cabinet reshuffle, has fully exercised his powers as conferred on him by Sections 147 and 148 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended).
The president thanked the outgoing ministers for their services to the nation while wishing them the best in all their future endeavours
The president, Akume noted, equally assured all cabinet members that “the process of reinvigoration shall be continuous.”
… Edun’s trajectory
Economic watchers knew it was only a matter of time before Edun would be relieved of his ministerial duties.
While appearing before the House of Representatives Committees on Finance and National Planning December 2025, Edun disclosed that the federal government was able to realise N30 trillion revenue as against the N40.8 trillion target, thus leading to N14.1 trillion in borrowing to bridge the gaps.
This disclosure, it was gathered, “caused a bit of embarrassment to the government, particularly the manner and timing of the disclosure.”
Also, Blueprint’s findings revealed that the former minister was stripped of his supervisory role in key revenue generating agencies by the president, a development financial experts saw as a red flag for the coordinating minister of the economy.
A source told Blueprint that Edun was only allowed to last this long as CME because the Presidency had not gotten the right person to replace him.
“The sacking of Edun is not surprising. But I told you earlier. Initially, they contacted somebody who was based in the U.S but the person declined. But I think they finally settled for Oyedele, a much younger candidate who is believed to be a major brain behind the ongoing reforms,” he told this Blueprint.ng.
Achievements
Among Edun’s major achievements was the formulation and implementation of the Accelerated Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, which produced policy recommendations that simplified Nigeria’s complex tax system, enhanced ease of doing business, and improved compliance.
He was also instrumental in the federal government’s decision to remove fuel subsidies and redirect savings into productive investments, such as infrastructure, agriculture, and social welfare programmes.
Another key milestone during his tenure was the debt restructuring framework, which focused on reducing the cost of debt servicing through innovative instruments and negotiations with multilateral lenders. This helped free up resources for critical development projects.
…It was privilege to serve – Dangiwa
In his reaction, Arc Dangiwa expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve in his cabinet and contribute to the Renewed Hope Agenda.
In a statement Tuesday night, signed by his Special Assistant on Media & Strategy, Mark Chieshe, Arc. Dangiwa described his time in office as a privilege and a call to national service, saying he remained deeply honoured to have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading reforms in Nigeria’s housing and urban development sector.
“I wish to sincerely thank Mr. President for the confidence he reposed in me to serve as Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development. It has been a rare privilege to contribute to the advancement of policies and programmes aimed at expanding access to affordable housing for Nigerians.
“I am grateful to my colleagues in the Federal Executive Council, stakeholders across the housing value chain, and the dedicated staff of the Ministry and its agencies for their commitment and hard work. Together, we laid strong foundations for a more structured and sustainable housing delivery system in Nigeria,” he said.
