Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday announced a cabinet reshuffle that saw the removal of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the appointment of new officials.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Governor Makinde has relieved the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Olanike Kudirat Adeyemo, of her appointment “with immediate effect.”
The governor has appointed Professor Musibau Adetunji Babatunde as the new Secretary to the State Government.
The statement further disclosed that Barrister Temilolu Seun Ashamu has been redeployed from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
Governor Makinde also announced his Senior Special Assistant on Public Works, Ademola Aderinto, as a commissioner-designate. Aderinto will be presented to the Oyo State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
In addition, the governor approved the appointment of Honourable Abiodun Adedoja as Special Adviser on Energy Security, while Kolawole Elijah Akanmu was named Senior Special Assistant on Budget and Economic Planning.
The newly appointed SSG, Professor Babatunde, is a seasoned economist from the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan. He previously served as Chief Economic Adviser to Governor Makinde during the governor’s first term and was later appointed Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning.
Babatunde is an alumnus of the University of Ibadan, where he obtained his B.Sc in Economics, as well as his Master’s and PhD degrees. He was awarded the Doctorate Degree in Economics on June 30, 2007, and joined the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, as an Assistant Lecturer on November 1, 2006. He is currently a Professor in the department.
In September 2005, Babatunde was a recipient of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doctoral Internship Visiting Scholar Support Award in Geneva, Switzerland.
He also emerged as the Overall Best Graduating Student in the Master of Science degree in Economics at the University of Ibadan and won the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), Nairobi, Collaborative PhD Scholarship Award for African scholars.
His international experience includes serving as Director in the Industrial Policy Course in Africa and Domestic Resource Mobilisation for Investment for African Policy Makers at the United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), Dakar, Senegal.
Babatunde has consulted on several national and state-level economic assignments, including the National Factsheet on the Impact of Economic Partnership Agreement on selected sectors of the Nigerian economy, export supply response capacity constraints in Nigeria, and output market initiatives.
His public sector assignments also include serving as Chief Consultant on the Niger State Economic Development Strategy in December 2008 and Coordinating Consultant on the Niger State Vision 3:2020 and Local Governments Vision 3:2020 documents in March 2010.
