Ararume Ifeanyi Godwin

Ifeanyi Godwin Ararume (born 16 December 1958) is a Nigerian politician who served as Minister of Petroleum Resources and Chairman of the Board of Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

He was the Senator representing Imo North (Okigwe) in the 9th Nigerian National Assembly, elected on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform. He took office on 29 May 1999 and was re-elected in April 2003. After joining the Senate in June 1999, he was appointed to committees on Communications, Police Affairs, Federal Character, Finance & Appropriation, Information, and Niger Delta (with a vice chair role).

In 2007, Ararume won the PDP primaries to run for governor of Imo State but was later replaced by Charles Ugwu. He successfully challenged the decision through the Supreme Court, which ruled in his favor, leading to his expulsion from the party. The PDP did not field a candidate, allowing Ikedi Ohakim of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) to win the governorship election.

Early life: Ararume was born on 16 December 1958 in Isiebu, Umuduru, Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. His parents were Marcus Ararume and Adaezi Grace Ararume (née Anyiam). He attended Saint Christopher Primary School, Umuluwe, Ajirija, and completed secondary education at Dick Tiger Memorial Secondary School, Amaigbo. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Liberty University (Virginia, USA) and a Master of Science in international relations from the University of Benin.

Career: Ararume began his political journey in the 1990s, serving as State Treasurer for the Liberal Convention in Imo State (1988–1989). He joined the National Finance Committee of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) under General Ibrahim Babangida (1990–1993) and served as Chairman of NRC Presidential Primaries for Kwara and Delta States. He was also the pioneer State Chairman of the defunct All People’s Party (APP) and later the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Imo State (1998–1999).

Party Positions

Policy positions from the Labour Party (LP) party manifesto.

Environment & Climate

Will establish a Green Army to tap into $3 trillion in international climate finance for green growth, employment, and transition to a green economy.

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Security & Defense

Committed to activating regional cooperation with neighboring countries (Niger, Chad, Cameroon) for border security and addressing cross-border crimes under the ECOWAS Protocol on Movement of Persons.

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Governance & Reform

Will push for a policy on Common Regimentation Emolument Structure Table (CREST) to harmonize wages across federal public servants, military, and judiciary/academia, ensuring equal pay for comparable roles.

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Reliefs and scholarships

Will criminalize non-payment of salaries/wages/pensions to address poverty, inequality, and enhance social solidarity through enforcement of collective bargaining agreements.

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Agriculture

Will optimize agricultural value chains across all states via targeted investments to boost food security and advance agro-based industrialization, addressing banditry, kidnapping, desertification, and policy barriers.

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Economy & Trade

Will implement radical economic reforms to drastically cut debt-servicing and debt-to-revenue ratios through aggressive fiscal policy adjustments, addressing high poverty (95M), unemployment (~32%), and low tax contribution (~6% of GDP).

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Enterprise grant support

Will implement a mandatory national certification for blue-collar artisans and re-skilling programs to align youth skills with economic needs, including STEM training and a venture capital-like fund for entrepreneurs.

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Anti-corruption

Will establish an Office of Special Counsel to investigate executive abuses, corruption, and bureaucratic concealments, exempting its prosecutions from Nolle Prosequi by the Attorney General.

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Technology & Digital

Drive Nigeria’s transition into the 4th Industrial Revolution through digital economy initiatives, including scientific and technological innovation.

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Energy

Fast-track gas flaring commercialisation (NGFCP) to increase gas utilization and reduce wastage by enforcing Domestic Gas Supply Obligations of oil/gas companies, implementing gas-to-power infrastructure with fiscal incentives, and lowering prices for embedded power generation.

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Infrastructure

Will develop and complete a $2.3 billion Siemens deal to upgrade Nigeria’s power transmission grid, aiming for stable capacities of 7,000 MW by 2023, 11,000 MW by 2024, and 25,000 MW by 2025 through public-private partnerships.

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Education

Overhauls funding access for UBEC and TETFund by removing bottlenecks, increasing transparency, and implementing a public-private partnership model where private corporations fund and manage schools (tax-in-kind).

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Healthcare

Develop a comprehensive occupational mapping of Nigeria’s healthcare system to generate data on human capacity, reverse brain drain, and stop medical tourism by leveraging Diaspora healthcare expertise.

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Foreign Policy

Will actively engage in sub-regional and regional forums to enhance Nigeria’s leadership role in African affairs through constructive dialogue on challenges.

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