The new Nigerian government of 36 members has finally been sworn in this Wednesday 11 November, more than 5 months after the election of president Muhammadu Buhari.

The inauguration ceremony took place in the residence of President Buhari, who has been actively criticised by Nigerian businessman and foreign investors for taking too long in constituting his first term government.

Talking about "a new beginning", Mr. Buhari justified this delay by the need to "put the right person at the right place".

«J’ai pris bien soin de ne pas répéter les erreurs du passé», a affirmé le président lors de la cérémonie durant laquelle  24 ministres et 12  secrétaires d’Etat ont prêté serment.

"I have taken care to not repeat the mistakes of the past", the president said during the ceremony during which 24 ministers and 12 secretaries of state were sworn in.

As he had announced at the end of September, the new man in charge reserved the ministry of Oil, with a state secretary in charge of managing the current affairs of this sector plagued by corruption.

The boss of the national oil company NNPC, Ibe Kachikwu, appointed in August by President Buhari, will be the State secretary in charge of the operational management of the oil sector.

The former corporate banker Kemi Adeosun has been appointed minister of Finance. Until now Finance Auditor for Ogun state, Mrs Adeosun succeeded the very famous Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the first economy of Africa is going through a rough patch following the drop in crude oil prices.

Retired Brigade General Muhammad Mansur Dan-Ali becomes minister of Defence. His mission will be to eradicate the Islamist sect Boko Haram, second priority of President Buhari after corruption. The ex-military chief of staff Abdulrahman Dambazau received the Interior portfolio.

The ministry of Foreign Affairs will be led by corporate lawyer, specialised in intellectual property, Geoffrey Onyeama.

The ex-governor of the Lagos state, Babatunde Fashola, has been appointed minister of Energy, Civil Engineering and Housing, and the ex-governor of the Rivers state will lead the ministry of Transports.

Ex-governors Fashola and Amaechi are two heavyweights of the All Progressive Congress (PC), Mr. Buhari's party.

It is worth noting that the new cabinet, which has seven women, has 36 ministres and State Secretaries from the 36 states of the Nigerian federation, which is proof of a real concern to respect the regional, ethnic and religious balance of the country.