President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Mr Taiwo Oyedele as the new Minister of State for Finance, replacing Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite in a cabinet reshuffle announced on Tuesday.
In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President formally conveyed Oyedele’s nomination to the Senate for confirmation.
Announcing the development, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the nomination was in line with the administration’s commitment to deepening fiscal reforms and strengthening economic management.
“Oyedele’s nomination reflects the President’s confidence in his expertise and track record in fiscal policy and tax reforms, The administration remains focused on consolidating ongoing reforms to enhance revenue generation and improve public finance management,” the statement said.
As part of the changes, Uzoka-Anite will be redeployed to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning as Minister of State her third portfolio in the current administration.
Until his nomination, Oyedele served as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, a body credited with spearheading a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system.
“The committee under his leadership laid the groundwork for a modernised and more efficient tax framework,” adding that the reforms were designed to “simplify compliance, widen the tax net and boost government revenues,” the statement noted.
Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert from Ikaram in Akoko, Ondo State. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy and Finance from Yaba College of Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University.
He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.
Before his nomination, Oyedele spent 22 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he rose to become Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.
In addition to his corporate and policy experience, he is a professor at Babcock University and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.
“The President is confident that Mr Oyedele will bring his wealth of experience to bear in supporting the Finance Ministry to deliver on the administration’s economic objectives,” the statement added.