Most ministers were sworn in on 11 November 2015 and the cabinet was dissolved on 28 May 2019, the day before Buhari's second inauguration.

In an interview published by Vanguard on 19 April 2015, Buhari, whose administration was to begin on 29 May 2015, said he would assemble a small cabinet that might be active before the official ceremony.

[1] On 31 May 2015 Buhari was reported to have said he would break with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) tradition where ministers were nominated by governors.

[2] On 1 July 2015 a spokesman for the president said that Buhari would delay selecting a cabinet until September.

[4] On the night of 30 September, TheCable, an online newspaper in Nigeria, reported a list of 21 names submitted to Senate President Bukola Saraki for screening and confirmation.