Nigeria's Buhari assigns cabinet portfolios, appoints Timipre Silva oil minister

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari swore members of his cabinet into office on Wednesday, assigning a new minister of state for petroleum in Africa's top producer of crude oil in a cabinet of 43 ministers.

Buhari kept the petroleum portfolio for himself, as in his first term, and appointed Timipre Silva as minister of state for petroleum, who will manage the portfolio on a day-to-day basis.

Silva replaces Emmanuel Kachikwu who was the country's representative at OPEC meetings. Zainab Ahmed retained the position of finance minister.

(Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram in Lagos and Felix Onuah in Abuja; editing by Chijioke Ohuocha)