Nigeria's Daukoru promoted in cabinet reshuffle

ABUJA, Jan 10 (Reuters) Nigeria's Edmund Daukoru has been promoted to energy minister in a cabinet reshuffle that saw the number of ministries reduced to 19 from 27, the official list of new ministers showed today.

Previously, Daukoru's title was minister of state for petroleum resources and President Olusegun Obasanjo was the minister, although Daukoru ran the day-to-day business of the petroleum resources ministry.

That has now been merged with the old power ministry to form the new energy ministry, with Daukoru at the helm.

No explanation was given as to why Obasanjo had relinquished the crucial petroleum portfolio, which he had held since becoming president in 1999. Obasanjo is due to step down after elections in April.

OPEC member Nigeria gets the bulk of its revenue from its oil industry, which is the eighth-biggest in the world.

Daukoru just finished a one-year term as president of OPEC, handing over to Mohammed al-Hamli of the United Arab Emirates.

Daukoru hosted an OPEC meeting in Abuja on December 14 that was the first to be held in Nigeria in more than three decades.

Reuters BDP GC2103