Tinubu appoints Muhammad Babangida as Chairman, Bank of Agriculture

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Muhammad Babangida, son of former military president Ibrahim Babangida, as Chairman of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), as part of nine major appointments to federal agencies made on Thursday, July 18.

The announcement was made through a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, highlighting the administration’s move to reposition key institutions critical to Nigeria’s economic and developmental growth.

At 53, Babangida is bringing his experience to the BOA, a major driver of agricultural financing.

He is a graduate of the European University in Montreux, Switzerland, with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Public Relations and Business Communication.

He also completed an executive programme in Corporate Governance at Harvard Business School in 2002.

His appointment is expected to enhance access to agricultural funding, particularly for farmers, youth, and women, contributing to improved food security.

Also appointed were Lydia Kalat Musa (Kaduna) as Chairman of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), and Jamilu Wada Aliyu (Kano) as Chairman of the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

Hon. Yahuza Ado Inuwa, also from Kano, was named Chairman of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), while Sanusi Musa (SAN), another Kano indigene, was appointed Chairman of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR).

Professor Al-Mustapha Alhaji Aliyu (Sokoto) was named Director-General of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA), Sanusi Garba Rikiji (Zamfara) as Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN), Mrs. Tomi Somefun (Oyo) as Managing Director of the National Hydro-Electric Power Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), and Dr. Abdulmumini Mohammed Aminu-Zaria (Kaduna) as Executive Director of the Nigerian Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC).

Onanuga noted that the appointments are part of President Tinubu’s commitment to merit-based governance, urging the appointees to bring innovation and integrity to their roles in pursuit of sustainable national development.