Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, clarifies that President Tinubu never claims the title of Minister of Petroleum, attributing this assumption to media misinterpretation. In an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, Onanuga explains that two ministers already manage the oil and gas sectors, and President Tinubu does not see a need to designate himself as a minister.
Onanuga adds that, as president, Tinubu oversees all ministries, maintaining overall authority. “The President has never called himself the Minister of Petroleum; the media assigned him that title,” Onanuga states. “He supervises all his ministers, and therefore, all ministries fall under his administration.”
Tinubu’s Focus on the Gas Sector
Onanuga also notes that President Tinubu prioritizes the development of Nigeria’s gas sector, which has historically received less attention than oil. Citing former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regret over not focusing on gas, Onanuga explains that Tinubu is working to rectify this oversight. “We have two ministers, with one focusing specifically on gas, recognizing it as a valuable resource given Nigeria’s extensive gas reserves,” he says.
The practice of a president directly overseeing the petroleum sector began in 2015 when former President Muhammadu Buhari assumed the role himself. Unlike his predecessor, Tinubu appoints two junior ministers—Heineken Lokpobiri for oil and Ekperikpe Ekpo for gas—but no primary minister, leading to speculation that he might retain the role.
