President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 16, 2026, swore in Mr. Taiwo Oyedele as Minister of State for Finance, praising his experience, professionalism and dedication to national service.
The brief ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, where the President described Oyedele’s appointment as a strong vote of confidence in his competence and commitment to economic reform.
Speaking after administering the oath of office, Tinubu commended the new minister for his work as chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, noting that his contributions had been instrumental in shaping Nigeria’s ongoing tax reform agenda.
“We are very proud of your knowledge, your simplicity, ambition, and excellence. I congratulate your wife for standing up to our challenge of time management and long hours of absence,” the President said.
He added that the minister’s family would need to continue supporting him as he takes on the demanding responsibility of managing aspects of the nation’s fiscal policy.
“This is additional responsibility, and I hope you will encourage and support him,” Tinubu told the wife of the new minister.
The President also acknowledged Oyedele’s dedication to reforming Nigeria’s tax system, which he described as outdated before the ongoing reform efforts.
“Thank you for accepting to serve your country, especially for reforming the entire tax policy of this country that was obsolete and fundamentally against every progressive thinking,” Tinubu said.
He further expressed confidence in Oyedele’s ability to handle the complexities of fiscal policy at a critical period for the Nigerian economy.
“You are a very dedicated and highly determined individual. It didn’t take much for me to decide where you fit and where you need to be to further help with the economy.
“It is a very challenging job because we look at the fiscal policy and responsibility that come with it at the time that economic stability is being experienced, but without exponential growth. It’s always very difficult, but you are fit to be there,” the President added.
Profile of the New Minister
Oyedele, a native of Ikaram in Akoko area of Ondo State, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert with extensive experience in tax and fiscal policy.
He obtained a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy and Finance from Yaba College of Technology before earning a BSc in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University.
The new minister has also completed executive education programmes at leading global institutions including the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science and the Harvard Kennedy School.
Before his appointment, Oyedele spent 22 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he joined in 2001 and rose to become Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.
He also serves as a professor at Babcock University and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.
The presidency said Oyedele’s appointment is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s fiscal reform programme and support the administration’s broader efforts to stabilise the economy and expand government revenue.
