Another delayed cabinet: Is Nigeria a serious country?

It took nearly two months from his inauguration for President Buhari to release his Ministerial list. In his first term in 2015, he took almost six months to do the same, earning the nickname “Baba Go Slow” even as the Nigerian economy slipped into recession. In this article, we will explore the prevalence of ministerial delays in Nigeria and whether a proposed constitutional amendment would cure this menace.

Is delay a Nigerian Factor?

Nigerians rarely rush ceremonial activities, and the Nigerian government is known for delaying many things: payment, budget, reforms.

Likewise, delay in cabinet formation is not new in Nigeria; instead, it looks to have gotten worse over time. In President Obasanjo’s first term in 1999, his cabinet list was sent to the Senate within a week and the reason is clear: Nigeria just came out of over a decade of military rule, and needed to hit the ground running. In his second term