Ministers Of Work In Nigeria

List Of All Ministers Of Work In Nigeria (1951-Present)

The Ministry of Labour and Employment in Nigeria was set up in 1951. It was created to manage issues related to work, jobs, and workers’ rights.

The ministry helps to make sure that workers are treated fairly and that there are enough jobs for people. It also works with different groups, like trade unions and businesses, to improve working conditions and create more job opportunities.

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List Of All Ministers Of Work In Nigeria

MinisterStart TermEnd Term
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa19511954
Inuwa Wada19551 October 1960
Inuwa Wada1 October 1960May 1965
Shehu ShagariMay 196516 January 1966
Femi Okunnu6 July 19671975
Olusegun ObasanjoJanuary 197529 July 1975
Olufemi Olumide29 July 19751976
Orho Esio Obada19761977
Oberu AribiahMarch 197724 July 1978
Muhammed Shuwa24 July 19781979
Sunday EssangDecember 1979October 1983
Emmanuel NsanOctober 19831984
Hamza Abdullahi19841985
Abubakar Umar198523 December 1987
Mohammed Kontagora23 December 19871993
Barnabas GemadeAugust 199317 November 1993
Lateef JakandeNovember 1993March 1995
Abdulkareem AdisaMarch 1995December 1997
Garba Ali MohammedDecember 1997June 1999
Anthony AnenihJune 1999July 2003
Adeseye OgunleweJuly 2003March 2006
Obafemi AnibabaMarch 2006September 2006
Cornelius AdebayoSeptember 2006January 2007
Hassan Muhammed Lawal17 December 200817 March 2010
Mohammed Daggash6 April 2010July 2011
Mike OnolememenJuly 2011November 2015
Babatunde Fashola11 November 201529 May 2023
Dave Umahi21 August 2023Incumbent

Who Was The First Minister Of Work In Nigeria?

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

The first Minister of Works in Nigeria was Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, who was instrumental in Nigeria’s early development and government formation.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was born in December 1912 in Bauchi. He had his early education in Qur’anic schools before continuing his studies in Western-style schools.

After attending Tafawa Balewa Elementary School and Bauchi Provincial School, he furthered his education at Barewa College in Katsina.

Balewa’s dedication to education was evident from his early years. He trekked long distances to attend school and later went abroad to study at the University of London’s Institute of Education.

Upon returning to Nigeria, Balewa started his career as a teacher and later became the headmaster of Bauchi Middle School.

In 1946, he joined the political space by being elected to the Northern House of Assembly and later to the Legislative Council in 1947. His early political work focused on advocating for the rights and interests of Northern Nigeria.

Balewa’s political career gained momentum when he, along with Sir Ahmadu Bello, helped transform the cultural organization Jam’iyyar Mutanen Arewa into the Northern People’s Congress (NPC).

Balewa was elected Vice President of NPC, and his political influence grew as the party won regional elections. In 1952, Balewa became Nigeria’s Minister of Works.

In this role, he was responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects, which involved managing the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, and other public works that were essential for Nigeria’s development.

Balewa’s contributions were not limited to his role as Minister of Works. He also served as Nigeria’s Minister of Transport.

During his time in the transport ministry, he oversaw the transformation of the Marine and Railway departments into independent corporations.

He also played a key part in planning the construction of a bridge over the Niger River and the Kainji Dam, both of which were major projects for Nigeria.

In 1957, Balewa became the Chief Minister of Nigeria and, later, the Prime Minister when Nigeria gained independence in 1960. His tenure as Prime Minister was seen by his efforts to unify Nigeria and promote a sense of national identity.

He formed a coalition government that included different regional parties to ensure broad representation and cooperation among Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups.

Tragically, Balewa’s life and political career were cut short when he was overthrown and murdered in a military coup on January 15, 1966.

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Who Is The Current Minister Of Work In Nigeria?

David Nweze Umahi

The current Minister of Works in Nigeria is David Nweze Umahi. He was born on July 25, 1963, in Uburu, which is now in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

David Umahi is a popular politician in Nigeria, having served In different positions in the government over the years. David Umahi became the Minister of Works on August 21, 2023, appointed by President Bola Tinubu.

He was the Senator for Ebonyi South, serving from June 13, 2023, to August 2023. Before that, he was the Governor of Ebonyi State from May 29, 2015, to May 29, 2023.

He also served as the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State from 2011 to 2015. David Umahi went to Government Secondary School, Afikpo, for his secondary education.

Later, he attended Anambra State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering in 1987.

Before joining politics, David Umahi worked in the engineering and construction industry. In 1990, he co-founded Norman Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited with Ombo Isokarari.

He worked as the general manager of the company until 1993, before he became the chairman and CEO of several companies, including Brass Engineering & Construction Nigeria Limited, Focus Investment Nigeria Limited, and Osborn La Palm Royal Resort Limited.

David Umahi’s political career started in 2007 when he became the acting chairman of the Ebonyi State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He served as the state chairman of the PDP from 2009 to 2011. During his time as the state chairman, he also served on the governing board of the Federal Medical Centre in Asaba as its chairman.

In 2011, David Umahi became the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, serving under Governor Martin Elechi. However, in 2014, there was a disagreement between Umahi and Governor Elechi.

Governor Elechi supported Onyebuchi Chukwu, the Minister of Health, as his successor, which Umahi did not agree with.

Umahi decided to run for governor and won the primaries. He was elected as the Governor of Ebonyi State on April 12, 2015, on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

David Umahi was re-elected as the Governor of Ebonyi State on March 16, 2019. He won the election by a large margin, defeating the candidate from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sonny Ogbuoji.

In 2020, Umahi decided to leave the PDP and join the APC. He officially defected to the APC on November 17, 2020, saying that one of the reasons for his defection was that the PDP had been unfair to the Southeast Geopolitical Zone.

He also stated that the PDP had been hijacked by a few individuals. In January 2022, David Umahi declared his intention to run for the office of the President of Nigeria in the 2023 general elections.

This was after consulting with President Muhammadu Buhari. However, his earlier statement when he defected to the APC was that he would quit politics after his tenure as governor.

David Umahi faced some challenges during his political career. On March 8, 2022, he and his deputy, Eric Kelechi Igwe, were sacked by the Federal High Court in Abuja for defecting to the APC while in office.

The court said that the votes given to Umahi belonged to the PDP. On April 1, 2022, the Court of Appeal in Enugu State affirmed Umahi as the Governor of Ebonyi State, saying that his defection to the APC was immoral but not unconstitutional.

David Umahi has also faced corruption allegations. In January 2021, it was reported that he had transferred more than ₦3.6 billion in government money to his company, Brass Engineering & Construction Nigeria Limited, during his tenure as deputy governor and governor.

Umahi denied the allegations and sued the newspaper that reported the story for defamation. David Umahi is married to Rachael Umahi, and they have children.

In October 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari conferred on him the Nigerian national honor of Commander Of The Order Of The Niger (CON).

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