Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, has refuted claims that the president serves as Nigeria’s substantive petroleum minister.
Onanuga addressed the matter on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’.
He attributed the label to media misinterpretation, emphasising that Tinubu instead supervises all ministers, including those in the oil and gas sectors, without formally adopting the ministerial title.
Onanuga explained that President Tinubu appointed two junior ministers, Heineken Lokpobiri and Ekperikpe Ekpo, to oversee oil and gas, deeming it unnecessary for the president to hold an additional ministerial title.
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“I believe I’ve clarified this before,” Onanuga stated. “The president has never called himself the Minister of Petroleum. That label came from the media. As far as he’s concerned, all members of his cabinet are ministers under his oversight.”
Furthermore, Onanuga highlighted that Tinubu is addressing past neglect of Nigeria’s gas sector, a sector with untapped potential that holds more reserves than oil.
Citing former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent regret over not prioritising gas, Onanuga noted that Tinubu is actively focusing on this critical resource to boost Nigeria’s energy security and diversify its economy.
“We have two ministers, with one focused specifically on gas, an area overlooked in the past,” Onanuga said. “President Tinubu is committed to realigning our focus toward gas as a more substantial resource.”
The trend of Presidents assuming the petroleum minister role began in 2015 with former President Muhammadu Buhari, who led the sector directly.
Upon assuming office, President Tinubu refrained from appointing a primary minister for the sector, sparking speculation that he, like his predecessor, had taken on the role personally.
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