Former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun struck an upbeat note on his tenure, on Wednesday, touting accelerated growth and sharply lower inflation as hallmarks of his 2 and a half-year stint in the President Bola Tinubu government.
Minister Edun’s comments, released Wednesday, followed President Tinubu’s announcement of his ouster but later corrected as resignation from the cabinet.
Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President Bayo Onanuga in a statement said
Edun, who clocked 70 on Monday and has battled recent ill health, fittingly submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, thanking the President for the opportunity to serve Nigeria.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume in a statement said President Tinubu appointment Taiwo Oyedele – the Minister of State Finance as his successor.
In the statement, the former Finance Minister Edun thanked President Tinubu “for the opportunity to serve in multiple capacities” since the administration’s May 2023 inauguration—including as head of the Presidential Transition Committee, Special Adviser on monetary policy, and top economic steward.
“It has been an honour to contribute to the implementation of the administration’s economic agenda at a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s journey,” Edun said.
He inherited a battered economy, with growth languishing near 2% and inflation at 35%. Under his watch, gross domestic product expansion quickened to more than 4%, while inflation tumbled to 15%, Minister Edun said.
He credited the advances to macroeconomic stabilization, renewed investor confidence, and collaboration among the federal executive council, state governors, and public- and private-sector players.
“I am proud of what we achieved alongside colleagues and the many dedicated professionals whose work continues to support the nation’s economic transformation,” he added.
Minister Edun acknowledged lingering headwinds but called reform “an ongoing process,” wished Mr. Oyedele well, and pledged enduring commitment to Nigeria.
