President Bola Tinubu on Thursday swore in Dr Bernard Doro and Dr Kingsley Udeh as ministers, officially bringing them into the Federal Executive Council during a ceremony held at the State House in Abuja.
The swearing-in ceremony took place Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja, before the start of the Federal Executive Council meeting.
Dr Bernard Doro, a UK-trained clinical practitioner with vast experience, is a seasoned pharmaceutical and public health administrator.
He was earlier nominated to replace the current APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, who formerly served as minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction before emerging as the party’s chairman on July 31, 2025.
The appointments comply with the Federal Character Commission Act, as Enugu and Plateau States previously had no representation at the Federal Executive Council. Their swearing-in brings the Tinubu administration’s cabinet size to 48.
Some analysts have raised reservations about the number of ministers in the Tinubu administration. However, the appointments of Doro and Udeh are considered necessary, as both states were previously underrepresented.
Among those who have objected to government spending is the former Central Bank Governor and Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Speaking at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference and Book Launch, the monarch said, “If you stop paying subsidies but continue borrowing more, it means you’ve filled one hole only to dig another. The real challenge now is the quality of government spending and the management of the revenues saved,” he said.
Dr Doro hails from Kwall, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State. According to the Presidency, he holds multiple degrees in Pharmacy, Law, and Advanced Clinical Practice.
Dr Kingsley Udeh, who served as attorney-general and the commissioner for Justice in Enugu State until his appointment, replaces Uche Nnaji, the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.
Nnaji resigned on October 7, 2025, following public controversy over his academic records at the University of Nigeria, Nsuka (UNN).
After the swearing-in, the Federal Executive Meeting went into a closed session, its first since July 2025. The reason the meetings have not been held weekly, as in the previous administration, has not been made public by the Federal Government.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, briefed the council on Nigeria’s return to the international capital market, noting that the $2.35 billion Eurobond was oversubscribed by an all-time 453%, attracting $13 billion in orders, as reported by the Debt Management Office (DMO).
“The next phase of reforms will remove barriers holding back investors. We will review tariffs and import restrictions to stimulate productivity and investment,” the Minister said.
