John Enoh: Full List of Nigeria’s Ministers of Sports Since 1999
FCT, Abuja - Cross River state politician, Senator John Enoh, was appointed as the minister of sports development by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, August 16.
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With the development, the 57-year-old becomes Nigeria's 36th sports minister and 16th ministry head (pending swearing-in) since Nigeria returned to democratic government in 1999.
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Legit.ng has gathered a list of people who headed the sports ministry before Enoh.
1) Damishi Tonson Sango (1999 – 2001)
He was appointed minister of sports in the first cabinet of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. Sango held office between June 1999 and January 2001.
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He was an aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to become governor of Plateau state in 1999 and 2007. He also ran for Plateau state governor on the Alliance for Democracy (AD) platform in 2003.
2) Ishaya Mark Aku (2001 – 2002)
Aku was a minister of sports in the first cabinet of former president Obasanjo. He died in a plane crash in May 2002.
3) Stephen Ibn Akiga (2002 – 2003)
Akiga (died September 6, 2004) was the minister of industry, then minister of police affairs, and finally minister of sports in the first cabinet of President Obasanjo.
In May 2003, during the delay before Obasanjo named his new cabinet following the general elections, there were reports that workers in the sports ministry had embarked on "serious fasting and prayer" to ensure that God did not return Akiga to them. A report at the time noted this.
4) Musa Mohammed (2003 – 2005)
Mohammed was appointed minister of sports and social development in July 2003.
On July 13, 2005, in a cabinet reshuffle, he became minister for inter-governmental affairs, youth development and special duties.
5) Samaila Sambawa – (2005 – 2006)
Sambawa headed the federal ministry of sports and social development until the June 2006 cabinet reshuffle, when he was replaced by Bala Bawa Ka'oje.
Sambawa was also said to be an entrepreneur.
6) Bala Bawa Ka’oje (2006 – 2007)
Ka'oje was a one-time sports minister of Nigeria, as well as chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC).
He passed away in January 2021, aged 60.
Apart from his involvement in sports, Ka'oje was a former national treasurer of the PDP.
7) Abdulrahman Gimba (2007 – 2008)
Gimba, from Niger state, became Nigeria's minister of sports and chairman of the National Sports Commission on July 27, 2007.
He was dismissed on October 29, 2008, one casualty of a major cabinet reshuffle.
8) Sani Ndanusa (2008 – 2010)
Ndanusa was a civil servant who was appointed minister of youths, sports and social development in December 2008.
He left office in March 2010 when President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet.
9) Ibrahim Isa Biu (2010)
Biu was appointed by President Umaru Yar'Adua (deceased) as Nigeria's minister of transportation on December 17, 2008.
After then-vice-president Jonathan became acting president in February 2010, he dissolved the cabinet on March 17, 2010, and swore in a new cabinet on April 6, 2010, with Biu as minister for the National Sports Commission.
10) Taoheed Adedoja (2010 – 2011)
Ibadan-born Professor Adedoja is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state and a former minister of sports and special duties.
He is also a one-time provost of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo.
11) Yusuf Sulaiman (2011)
Sulaiman, 60, is a member of the traditional ruling family of the Sokoto caliphate who was a civil servant before entering politics in Nigeria.
He was appointed as minister of transport on April 6, 2010, when Jonathan announced his new cabinet.
He became minister of sports in July 2011 following a cabinet reshuffle.
12) Bolaji Abdullahi Ganiyu (2011 – 2014)
Abdullahi is a Kwara politician. He is also a writer who was the former national publicity secretary of the APC.
He served in the cabinet of Jonathan as the minister of youth development in July 2011 and as the minister of sports till 2014.
13) Tamunobaabo Wenike Danagogo (2014 – 2015)
Before serving the Rivers state government, Barrister Danagogo was Nigeria's minister of sports.
Currently, he is the secretary to the state government (SSG) of Rivers state.
14) Solomon Dalung (2015 – 2019)
Dalung is a lawyer and academic. He was made the minister of youth and sports by former president Muhammadu Buhari in November 2015, and his tenure ended in May 2019.
During the 2023 general elections, he lost his bid to be elected to the House of Representatives.
15) Sunday Akin Dare (2019 – 2023)
Sunday Dare is a Nigerian journalist who was the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), an appointment he was nominated for by former leader, Buhari, in August 2016.
He later served as minister of youth and sports of Nigeria from August 21, 2019, to May 2023.
16) John Owan Enoh
Enoh is the current minister for sports development. He is a politician and farmer.
Enoh was a senator in 2015, representing the Central Senatorial District of Cross River state in the 8th national assembly.
Tinubu’s ministers and their portfolios
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Bola Tinubu assigned portfolios to his newly-appointed ministers.
Ajuri Ngelale, the president's spokesman, confirmed the portfolios on Wednesday, August 16.
Source: Legit.ng
