Onome Amuge
President Bola Tinubu has dismissed Fegho Umunubo, the special assistant on digital and creative economy in the office of Kashim Shettima, the vice president, in a move that casts a spotlight on the administration’s management of one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing industries.
The decision was announced in a statement on Monday by Abiodun Oladunjoye, director of information and public relations at the State House, which said the dismissal was effective immediately.
“Stakeholders and constituents of the digital and creative economy, at home and abroad, as well as the general public are hereby notified that Fegho John Umunubo…has been disengaged with immediate effect. Kindly note that he no longer represents this administration in any capacity. Henceforth, anyone who interfaces with him in the name of President Tinubu’s administration does so at his or her own risk,” the statement read.
No explanation was offered for Umunubo’s removal, though analysts said the abrupt termination underlined the political sensitivity of a portfolio seen as central to diversifying Africa’s largest economy away from oil.
Umunubo, a lawyer and entrepreneur with a background in the music and technology industries, was appointed in 2023 to strengthen the presidency’s engagement with stakeholders in the fast-expanding creative and digital economy. His work was positioned as part of Tinubu’s reform agenda aimed at boosting job creation and attracting investment in technology, fintech, film, and music.
While the presidency has given no indication of who might replace him, it warned stakeholders against further dealings with Umunubo in the name of government.
