Aliyu Modibbo Umar

Aliyu Modibbo Umar was born of Kumo origin in Gombe State on 15 November 1958.{{cite news|url=https://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/abujareports/2007/mar/12/abujaroport-12-03-2007-003.htm|title=Why I dumped foreign attires for made in Nigeria outfits|date=12 March 2007|work=Daily Sun|access-date=25 September 2009|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080229190434/https://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/abujareports/2007/mar/12/abujaroport-12-03-2007-003.htm|archive-date=29 February 2008|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.africanchoicenewsusa.net/view_article.php?id=17|title=Brief on Ministers|publisher=African Choice News USA|date=14 September 2007|access-date=25 September 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903101557/http://www.africanchoicenewsusa.net/view_article.php?id=17|archivedate=3 September 2011}} He obtained a BA in Journalism from California State University, Long Beach; an MA in African Studies and a PhD in Comparative Education both from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).{{cite web|url=http://www.nigerianmuse.com/essays/?u=MONDAY_QUARTERBACKING_A_Quick_Look_at_Yar_Adua_s_Ministers_And_A_Few_Troubling_Issues_to_Ponder.htm|title=A Quick Look at Yar'Adua's Ministers – And A Few Troubling Issues to Ponder|date=29 July 2007|publisher=Nigerian Muse|access-date=25 September 2009}}

His first job was in 1979 as a reporter for the Nigerian Television Authority. Between 1986 and 1992, he worked in the United States, returning to Nigeria in 1993 to take up a position as a lecturer at the University of Abuja. He then moved into civilian administration, working in the office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

Under President Olusegun Obasanjo, Aliyu Modibbo was appointed Minister of State for Power and Steel from January to May 2003.{{cite web|url=https://www.ihsglobalinsight.com/SDA/SDADetail10082.htm|title=Nigeria's President Names New Cabinet After Weeks of Speculation|date=27 July 2007|publisher=Global Insight|access-date=25 September 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22426289_ITM|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020084953/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22426289_ITM|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 October 2012|title=Obasanjo Swears-in Three New Ministers.|date=17 January 2003|work=Vanguard|access-date=25 September 2009}}

In March 2003, he stated that the Federal government had spent N2.2 billion on rural electrification projects in Gombe State.{{cite web|url=https://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22572210_ITM|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020085000/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22572210_ITM|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 October 2012|title=FG Spends N2.2b on Rural Electrification in Gombe.|date=1 March 2003|work=This Day|access-date=25 September 2009}}

He blamed saboteurs for the frequent power outages during this period.{{cite web|url=https://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22793597_ITM|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020085007/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22793597_ITM|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 October 2012|title=Egbin Power Station Shuts Down.|date=24 March 2003|work=This Day|access-date=25 September 2009}}

After a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in March 2003, Modibbo Umar stated it had been decided to ban imports of toothpicks of any kind, bottled water, biscuits of all types, spaghetti and noodles.{{cite web|url=https://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22640188_ITM|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020085157/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22640188_ITM|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 October 2012|title=FG Bans Importation of Toothpicks, 4 Other Items.|date=6 March 2003|work=This Day|access-date=25 September 2009}}

He was appointed Chairman of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Ltd. (PAN) in May 2003, as well as holding the post of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Research and Liaison.

In March 2004 he detailed plans to re-launch manufacture of Peugeot cars in Nigeria, selling them at affordable prices. As chairman of PAN, he resolved the industrial crises between management and Staff of the company which grounded operation in the factory for several years and within 90 days, he turned the fortunes of PAN around. During his tenure as chairman, Dr. Modibbo pioneered the first export of made in Nigeria Peugeot cars to other African countries. It was Dr. Modibbo that insisted that Peugeot 307 cars be used for Abuja Taxi scheme introduced by the then Minister of FCT Mallam Nasir El Rufai. Dr. Modibbo also facilitated the adoption of Peugeot 307 cars as taxis in Rivers state under the administration of Dr. Peter Odili as governor of Rivers state. He championed the introduction of Consumer Car Finance Scheme for Public servants in which 15, 000 military, paramilitary and police personnel benefitted from.{{cite news|url=https://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/abujareports/2004/mar/15/abujaroport-mar15-004.htm|title=Nigerians will celebrate next Xmas with brand new Peugeot cars, says Aliyu Umar, PAN boss|date=15 March 2004|work=Daily Sun|access-date=25 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051204005323/https://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/abujareports/2004/mar/15/abujaroport-mar15-004.htm|archive-date=4 December 2005|url-status=dead}}

In September 2004, he stated that Peugeot Automobile Nigeria had started to export to Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon, with an initial delivery of 120 cars.{{cite web|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-13352060_ITM|title=PAN Earns N300m From Car Exports.|date=9 September 2004|work=This Day|access-date=25 September 2009}}

In June 2006 he was nominated as Minister of Commerce to replace Idris Waziri, and was confirmed in July 2006 while remaining chairman of the board of directors of PAN.{{cite news|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200607241247.html|title=Can Modibbo Make a Difference?|date=23 July 2006|last=Umoru|first=Henry|work=Vanguard|access-date=21 September 2024|via=allAfrica}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nasarawastate.org/newsday/news/nasara06/NewArticle225.html|title=PAN donates bus to FRCN|date=12 September 2006|work=Nigerian Newsday|access-date=25 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719034907/https://www.nasarawastate.org/newsday/news/nasara06/NewArticle225.html|archive-date=19 July 2011|url-status=dead}}

As Minister of Commerce, he was responsible for the establishment of the Nigerian-Russian Business Council to promote co-operation, collaboration and improvement of trade relationship between the two countries.{{cite news|url=https://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200701/12/eng20070112_340472.html|title=Nigerian-Russian Business Council established in Nigeria|date=12 January 2007|work=People's Daily|access-date=25 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100815002715/https://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200701/12/eng20070112_340472.html|archive-date=15 August 2010|url-status=dead}} He also introduced the trailblazing Commerce 44 project which was aimed at promoting 11 agricultural products, 11 manufactured products, 11 solid mineral products to 11 Global Markets.

In March 2007, speaking at the official commissioning of the Human Capital Development Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, Aliyu Modibbo Umar said that Nigeria should take advantage of African Growth and Opportunity Act which was signed into law on 18 May 2000, by US President Bill Clinton.{{cite web|url=https://agoa.info/news/article/3909-nigeria-country-can-take-advantage-of-agoa-to-export.html|title=Nigeria: Country Can Take Advantage of AGOA to Export|date=2 March 2007|work=Vanguard|access-date=21 September 2024}}

Later that month, as spokesman for the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Ministers at the EU-ACP ministerial meeting in Bonn, Aliyu Modibbo stated that the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) should be implemented carefully to avoid negative impact, especially on countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.{{cite web|url=https://www.epa2007.org/main.asp?id=361|title=Formal Presentation of Dr. Aliyu Modibbo UMAR, Hon. Minister, Commerce and Industry, Nigeria|date=13 March 2007|publisher=EPA 2007|access-date=25 September 2009}}{{Dead link|date=October 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}

In July 2007, two months after he had been elected, President Umaru Yar'Adua appointed Aliyu Modibbo Umar Minister of Federal Capital Territory. In the early period of his ministry he was praised for introducing a technocratic team to address the problems of the region.{{cite web|url=https://www.nasarawastate.org/newsday/news/nasara08/NewArticle144.html|title=FCT under Aliyu Modibbo|date=6 February 2008|work=Nigerian Newsday|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719034855/http://www.nasarawastate.org/newsday/news/nasara08/NewArticle144.html|archive-date=19 July 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=25 September 2009}}

He set up a committee to select the "FCT Department of the year" to encourage innovation and healthy competition among the FCT departments. He initiated visionary projects in the city one of which was the Abuja Central District Development also called the Abuja Boulevard. The Boulevard was a 6.5 kilometre project conceived to provide character, class and grandeur finesse to Abuja City as one of the promising emerging modern cities of the world. Cutting across the Central Business Districts of the city, the boulevard was to provide the city with state-of-the-art facilities for commerce, entertainment, high street shopping and leisure. Dr. Modibbo also proposed Abuja City University which would offer opportunity to workers in Abuja City to further their education without going out of their working environment. The Committee he inaugurated for this purpose was chaired by Prof. Pat Utomi.

He insisted on Rule of Law by restoring over 3,000 plots of land that was seized from the rightful owners without recourse to due process or rule of law. Some of these plots of land belonged to even the diplomatic community. In addition, he put in place stringent security measure in the FCT that made the city the safest in the Nigeria during his tenure. To achieve this, he flagged off Abuja Crime Control Squad (ACCOS)The Initiative gave birth to the institution of G-6 which was a security strategy that ringed the neighbouring states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarrawa and Benue states in a joint security arrangement. this strategy dropped crime rate in the city by over 50% between July and June in 2007/2008 compared to the period in review in 2006/2007. Other laudable policies introduced by Dr Modibbo as FCT Minister include free antenatal care for pregnant women in FCT. He declared 'We in the FCT Administration seek to achieve at the end of every pregnancy, a healthy mother and a healthy baby'. Other projects and policies initiated by him include Abuja Downtown Mall which was to provide modern lifestyle centre made up of high street shopping, entertainment, residential, hospitality and world class office spaces. Also, he made available a 30, 000 hectares of land for the development of agricultural chain and also introduced the first ever Maitama Farmers market. others are; Abuja Film Village, and creation of 5 new Parks in the city{{cite web|url=https://fct.gov.ng/fcta/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101&Itemid=76|title=Modibbo Establishes Committee to Select FCT Department of the Year|publisher=Federal Capital Territory Administration|access-date=25 September 2009}}{{Dead link|date=October 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}

He stated his intention to boost agriculture output in the FCT "not only for ... consumption within the Territory but for export to other states of the federation and beyond".{{cite web|url=https://fct.gov.ng/fcta/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=79&Itemid=76|title=Be a Catalyst for Increased Food Production: Modibbo Tasks Agric Officers|publisher=Federal Capital Territory Administration|access-date=25 September 2009}}{{Dead link|date=October 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}

In March 2008 he gave his support for establishment of a Cyprian Ekwensi Council for Arts and Culture.{{cite news|url=https://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/literari/2008/mar/23/literari-23-03-2008-001.htm|title=A new lease of life for Nigerian writers|date=23 March 2008|work=Daily Sun|access-date=25 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206035735/https://sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/literari/2008/mar/23/literari-23-03-2008-001.htm|archive-date=6 February 2010|url-status=dead}}

In May 2008 he announced that the FCT Administration had concluded plans to establish a City University in Abuja, offering courses in management sciences to help working-class people gain skills.{{cite news|url=https://www.newnigeriannews.com/around_abuja_1.htm|title=Modibbo establishes city varsity|date=8 May 2008|work=New Nigerian|access-date=25 September 2009}}

In June 2008 he was criticised for resuming forced evictions of informal settlements in the FCT.{{cite web|url=https://www.cohre.org/view_page.php?page_id=326|title=Forced Evictions in Nigeria: FCT Minister reinitiates systematic violations of human rights in Abuja|date=24 June 2008|publisher=Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE)|access-date=25 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229181806/https://www.cohre.org/view_page.php?page_id=326|archive-date=29 December 2008|url-status=dead}}

He defended his action on the grounds that the informal settlements had to be demolished because their existence violated the Abuja Master Plan.{{cite web|url=https://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/SHIG-7ENEL8?OpenDocument|title=Human rights organisations call for an end to housing rights violations in Nigeria: More than 800,000 residents evicted from Abuja from 2003 to 2007|date=15 May 2008|publisher=ReliefWeb|access-date=25 September 2009}}

He said of the shanty towns around Abuja, most of which lack electricity or piped water, "The moment we relent and allow shanty towns they will keep growing and growing to the point where we can't do anything about them so we thought it would be better to nip it in the bud."{{cite web|url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L10236430.htm|title=Nigeria bulldozes slums to polish capital|date=23 July 2008|agency=Reuters|access-date=25 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115175947/http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L10236430.htm|archive-date=15 January 2010|url-status=dead}}

{{Reflist}}

{{AbujaFCTMinisters}}

{{Cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo 1999-2003}}

{{Cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo 2003-2007}}

{{Cabinet of President Umaru Yar'Adua}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Modibbo}}

Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:Federal ministers of Nigeria

Category:Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria)

Category:People from Gombe State

Category:Nigerian expatriates in the United States

Category:Academic staff of the University of Abuja

Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni

Category:California State University, Long Beach alumni