Tinubu Removes Igbo Woman as Climate Council DG, Appoints Yoruba Successor Amid Rising Concerns Over Ethnic Favoritism

 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dismissed Nkiruka Madueke, an Igbo technocrat, from her position as Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), replacing her with Omotenioye Majekodunmi, a Yoruba woman who previously served as the Council’s Financial Adviser. The move, announced by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, has stirred discussions around ethnic balance and gender equity in public appointments under the current administration.

The decision, while framed as a routine leadership adjustment to align with the government’s climate agenda, is drawing scrutiny for what some see as a pattern of regional and ethnic favoritism. Tinubu, himself a Yoruba man from the South West, has now appointed another Yoruba figure to head the influential climate body, just two months after appointing a Yoruba man, Ajuri Ngelale, to lead the now-controversial Office of the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action (SPEC).

While Majekodunmi brings experience in renewable energy finance, carbon markets, and climate policy, the optics surrounding her appointment are difficult to ignore. Critics note that Madueke, who hails from the South East, was not given enough time to establish her leadership, having only been appointed in June 2024, following the removal of her predecessor Salisu Dahiru.

Her removal now marks the third change in leadership at the Council in under two years, reinforcing concerns about political instability within a body that is central to Nigeria’s response to climate change. More pointedly, her exit is reviving an ongoing debate about regional representation, especially as voices from the South East continue to raise alarms over what they see as consistent marginalization in key federal appointments.

During her short tenure, Madueke made a mark internationally, particularly at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she delivered a passionate critique of the proposed $300 billion financing target under the National Climate Quantum Goals (NCQG). “We cannot accept this. You expect us to establish ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The National Climate Quantum Goals were intended to facilitate our attainment of realistic financial objectives. The figure of $300 billion is unattainable. We must confront the truth,” she said in a firm address that captured global attention.

Supporters had seen her as a rising star in Nigeria’s international climate diplomacy. However, others within the administration reportedly viewed her combative tone as diplomatically risky, particularly at a time when Nigeria is seeking increased support from international climate funds.

Her leadership also coincided with a period of bureaucratic tension, as the SPEC office, created to oversee Nigeria’s global climate strategy, was accused of overlapping functions with the NCCC. Ajuri Ngelale, who led the SPEC office, later resigned following allegations of inefficiency and policy duplication.

With Majekodunmi now at the helm of the NCCC, the Tinubu administration appears to be signaling a pivot toward technocratic consolidation, but that signal is being drowned out by growing public unease about the ethnic pattern of high-level appointments. The concern is not only about who was removed or appointed, but about what such moves imply for national cohesion in an already fragile federation.

Majekodunmi’s background in climate finance and governance could help re-stabilize the Council, especially as Nigeria prepares its delegation to COP30 in Belem, Brazil. Yet she will take over at a time when trust in equitable leadership is under question, and where performance alone may not be enough to reassure critics.

Analysts say the administration must do more to demonstrate balance in both policy and appointments, especially in key areas like climate action, where Nigeria’s voice on the global stage depends heavily on internal consensus and public legitimacy.

For now, the replacement of an Igbo woman with a Yoruba woman, under a Yoruba president, is likely to continue fueling debate, about power, identity, and inclusion at the highest levels of government.