1- Chief Festus Okotie‑Eboh was Nigeria’s first Minister of Finance from 1960 to 1966 under Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. He was one of the most colourful political figures of early independent Nigeria, known for his flamboyant style at public events.
2- Obafemi Awolowo served as Finance Minister from 1967 to 1971 during the regime of heads of state that included Johnson Aguiyi‑Ironsi and Yakubu Gowon. Under his watch the country’s new currency, the Naira, was introduced and national fiscal-allocation frameworks were shaped.
3- Shehu Shagari served as Nigeria’s Finance Minister from 1971 to 1975 under the leadership of Head of State Yakubu Gowon. He later became the country’s civilian President. His time in charge of national finances came before his presidency and placed him at the centre of important early post-independence economic decisions.
4- Asumoh Ete Ekukinam held the finance role from 1976 to 1977 during the military rule of Olusegun Obasanjo. As a trained economist and former central-bank researcher, he brought technical background into economic management at a time Nigeria was under military governance.
5- James Oluleye served as Federal Commissioner of Finance from 1977 to 1979 under the same military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo. His period was part of the military-era leadership structure in the late 1970s.
6- Sunday Matthew Essang was Finance Minister between 1979 and 1983 under the civilian presidency of Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari. Before becoming minister he was an academic economist, which gave him a policy-oriented approach to national finance.
7- Onaolapo Soleye took over the finance office from 1984 to 1985 under the military regime of Muhammadu Buhari. He is remembered for resisting drastic devaluation of the Naira and introducing new currency notes to curb smuggling during hard economic times.
8- Kalu Idika Kalu first served as Finance Minister from 1985 to 1986 under head of state Ibrahim Babangida. He later returned for a second spell from 1993 to 1994 under the same head of state regime. As an economist with international exposure, he contributed to fiscal planning and economic restructuring efforts.
9- Chu Okongwu was Minister of Finance from 1986 to 1990 during the Babangida administration. A well-educated economist with studies abroad, he led the ministry at a time when Nigeria was navigating domestic and external economic pressures.
10- Anthony Ani served as Minister of Finance from 1994 to 1998 under General Sani Abacha. He came into the role with a strong background in accounting and public finance and worked through a tense political and economic period marked by sanctions and internal pressure.
11- Ismaila Usman held the finance office from 1998 to 1999 under General Abdulsalami Abubakar. His tenure came during Nigeria’s transition from military rule to democracy, and he helped stabilise finances ahead of civilian handover.
12- Adamu Ciroma served from 1999 to 2003 under President Olusegun Obasanjo. He was already known as a former Central Bank Governor and senior statesman, and he focused on restoring economic confidence after years of political instability.
13- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala first headed the finance ministry from 2003 to 2006 under President Olusegun Obasanjo. She played a major role in securing Nigeria’s historic Paris Club debt relief. She returned for a second tenure from 2011 to 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan, where she strengthened budgeting processes and transparency.
14- Nenadi Usman served from 2006 to 2007, also under President Obasanjo. Her time in office was short, but she remains one of the few women to lead the ministry during the Fourth Republic.
15- Shamsuddeen Usman was Minister of Finance from 2007 to 2009 under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He represented a new generation of technocrats and worked on reforming public-finance structures before later moving to the National Planning Commission.
16- Mansur Mukhtar served from 2009 to 2010 under President Yar’Adua. With experience from the African Development Bank and other international institutions, he worked on fiscal adjustments during a period of global financial stress.
17- Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga was Minister of Finance from 2010 to 2011 under President Goodluck Jonathan. His background in international finance helped shape policies aimed at diversification and investment attraction.
18- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala returned to the office again from 2011 to 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan, making her the first person to serve two full non-consecutive terms. She continued her reforms in public expenditure, debt management and transparency.
19- Kemi Adeosun held the finance portfolio from 2015 to 2018 under President Muhammadu Buhari. She focused on revenue expansion, payroll cleanup and anti-corruption in public finance, and played a role in navigating Nigeria through recession.
20- Zainab Ahmed served from 2018 to 2023, also under President Buhari. She oversaw the ministry through challenging economic times, including revenue shortfalls, rising debt and global shocks, and worked to strengthen fiscal policy and budgeting.
21- Wale Edun became Minister of Finance in August 2023 under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is an experienced economist and investment professional, now leading efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s economy through reforms, revenue expansion and restructuring of public finances.
In your own opinion, who among these ministers served the country best during their years of service?
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