Flying with babanriga, walking with purpose: The giant strides of Abubakar Atiku Bagudu

The populace have come to see the babanriga as a symbol of relaxation, a mill grinding slowly, that little to nothing is expected of the Nigerian politician. Recently, a few Nigerian politicians have begun to change this mindset; one of them is the Minister of Budget and Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.

Since he assumed office under the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he has hit the ground running. An action that doesn’t come as a surprise to those who know the erstwhile Governor of Kebbi State from 2015 to 2023 as a man of purpose. If anything, he hasn’t forgotten his transformative wand in Kebbi; he brought it with him, where he has started leaving unerasable footprints on the Nigerian economy as a visionary and compassionate leader in less than two years.

Far from a flower that bloomed suddenly, the Matawallen Gwandu before his venture into politics, was an astute banker and corporate champion with a brilliant career leading local and global institutions. He worked as an economist at the Central Bank of Nigeria and later movedto CitiBank (formerly Nigeria International Bank) and FSB International Bank Limited. His last banking experience was with the World Bank/IFC in 1993; armed with corporate knowledge and the mindset of a servant leader, he prepared to serve the people.

Before fully stepping into politics, Atiku Bagudu gained valuable experience as a Special Assistant to the Minister of National Planning, Mr Kalu Idika Kalu, during President Ibrahim Babangida’s military administration. This role deepened his understanding of governance and reinforced his ambition to serve at a higher level. Over the years, he has steadily built his political career-first as a Senator representing Kebbi Central from 2009 to 2015, then as a two-term Governor of Kebbi state from 2015 to 2023. Now, as Nigeria’s Minister of Budget and Economic planning, he continues to apply his expertise, shaping policies that drive national development.

Like a man whose giant strides precede him, his appointment as the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning was earned on merit for his accountability, good governance, and vision, making Kebbi State a beacon of hope among Northern states and Nigeria. His success, combined with his experience as a public office holder, enabled him to steer the ship confidently and purposefully, piloting the economy through systematic budgeting and coordination of consensus around issues of national concern.

Described as a pacesetter, trailblazer, transparent, and effective manager of scarce resources, Mr Bagudu’s innovations in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have further cemented these accolades with projects bearing fruits of hope and fulfilment. In its bid to create wealth, provide jobs, reduce poverty, and improve food security and nutrition, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, In collaboration with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), successfully concessioned the Cassava bio-ethanol Value Chain in the six (6) geographical zones.

The ongoing pilot projects, which aim to build a Bio-technology Industrial Park on a 20-hectare plot across 20 Universities, Academia and Research & Development Institutes, have created over 8,000 direct and indirect jobs. The project also seeks to double cassava production from the current 62 million tons to an output of over 120 million tons. With improved tropical agroecology, bio-technology, intense mechanization and effective partnership resource mobilisation, Nigeria can double production to 120 million metric tons in 5 years. The key goal of the cassava – Bioethanol pilot project is to demonstrate the efficacy of a private sector-led approach in promoting investment in renewable biomass and creating wealth, providing jobs, reducing poverty, improving food security & nutrition, providing renewable energy and reducing carbon footprint.

Another feather to his illustrious cap is the timely release of monthly inflation figures through the provision of essential data to inform and guide policy decisions related to managing the economy, particularly in areas like budget allocation, expenditure control, and economic planning, allowing for swift reactions to changing inflationary trends and making necessary adjustments to mitigate adverse impacts on the population. The ministry under Bagudu has been more effective with informed budgeting policy adjustment, such as adjusting spending priorities or introducing price control measures to stabilise the economy, economic planning, social impact assessment, transparency and accountability. In addition, the release of quarterly GDP numbers and other indicators are consistent with the timeframe.

There have been notable changes that have re-engineered operational excellence, such as ensuring the independence of the National Bureau of Statistics. This strategic move has strengthened the agency’s resolve to collect and release inflation data to streamline the process efficiently. One masterstroke is the commencement of preliminary work on the rebasing of the GDP numbers to cover emerging economic sectors, which, upon completion, will boost the country’s GDP and strengthen its prime position as the largest economy in Africa.

For Bagudu, the babanriga has transformed into a cape, giving him wings to fly. Like a drone overseeing activities and analysing the situation to identify gaps, he continues to plug the holes, providing lasting solutions. Take, for instance, advocating for mainstreaming geospatial evidence and insights from geospatial analysis to design and implement public programmes and projects to foster efficient utilisation of public resources to ensure no citizen is left behind.

The soon-to-be-launched revised National Social Protection Policy, vetoed by all 36 governors at the NEC meeting and supported by the president as a guide for managing the Social Protection program in Nigeria, is another thing to look out for. There is promise in the air that soon, vulnerable citizens will be beneficiaries of various social assistance programs aimed at reducing poverty, improving quality of life, and ensuring the availability of basic needs.

The Ministry of Budget, Economy and Planning’s achievements in less than two years under Bagudu point to the mindset of a man who was prepared for the job; hence, his purposeful strides are making a mark on the economy and the people. By the time this administration is two years old and concrete results are seen in the lives of ordinary Nigerians, we will all conclude that the present administration has put together a dream team that will turn the country’s fortunes around.