Gaidam Ibrahim
Gaidam Ibrahim is a Nigerian politician who contested the 2019 Senate Elections as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Yobe.
Biography
Ibrahim Gaidam, born on 15 September 1956, is a Nigerian politician and current Minister of Police Affairs since 2023. He was previously a senator for the Yobe East senatorial district from 2019 to 2023 and served as governor of Yobe State from 2009 to 2019.
He became governor after the death of Governor Mamman Bello Ali in January 2009, succeeding him as deputy governor from 2007 to 2009. Gaidam was born in Bukarti village, Yunusari Local Government Area in present-day Yobe State.
He attended Borno Teachers' College (BTC), Maiduguri, obtaining a Teachers' Certificate between 1974 and 1979. He later earned a Diploma in Accountancy from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria in 1983 and a BSc in Accountancy in 1990, becoming a Certified Public Accountant.
Gaidam worked in government ministries in Borno and Yobe States before leaving the civil service in 1995 to become Commissioner for Youths and Sports, later for Commerce and Industries. He returned to the civil service, serving as a Director in the State Finance Ministry and Permanent Secretary in various ministries from 1997 to 2007.
Elected deputy governor on the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) platform in 2007, he was sworn in as governor following Mamman Ali’s death in January 2009. He was re-elected in 2011 and 2015 for full terms.
During his tenure, he addressed religious tensions in Yobe State, urging cooperation and peace amid Boko Haram-related violence. He later served as senator for Yobe East from 2019 to 2023.
His political career includes roles in governance, accountability, and public administration, spanning over four decades in Yobe State’s political landscape.
Party Positions
Policy positions from the All Progressives Congress (APC) party manifesto.
Agriculture
Launches the Irrigate Nigeria Project as a public-private partnership to develop small-scale irrigation and water catchment systems using modern technology to boost agricultural productivity.
Security & Defense
Will deploy modern aerial surveillance and advanced technology to monitor and deter intrusions into oil pipelines, power stations, and other critical national infrastructure in real time.
Environment & Climate
Accelerates the environmental cleanup and re-establishment of fisheries and profitable aquacultural activities in the Niger-Delta region to counter violent extremism and poverty-driven disaffection.
Economy & Trade
Will implement the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and additional favorable policies to attract investment in deep-water assets within 6 months, including encouraging signature bonus negotiations and royalty reliefs.
Infrastructure
Creates regional industrial hubs in specific zones (North West, North East, South East, South South, South West, North Central) to focus on labor-intensive manufacturing, with tailored investments (e.g., textiles, dry ports, glass, pottery, solid minerals, regulated mining).
Enterprise grant support
Work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to simplify loan processes for commercial banks, mandate federally owned banks to provide low-cost loans to youth-led enterprises, and expand business incubation centers to support youth innovation.
Energy
Will mandate gas metering equipment on all facilities where gas flaring occurs within 6 months and establish a special enforcement unit to monitor compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) on gas flaring reduction, with non-compliance leading to financial penalties for affected communities.
Governance & Reform
Reserve at least 3 cabinet positions for individuals under 40 and 6 more positions for members under the age of 40, and mandate that at least 20% of political appointments to Ministries/Dangomas (MDAs) be reserved for individuals under 40.
Education
Raises the priority of addressing out-of-school children, establishes a task force to review and strengthen programs like school feeding, and aims to reduce disaffected youth recruitment by violent groups.
Healthcare
Will establish a network of upgraded, equipped, and staffed general hospitals in every Local Government Area, tertiary facilities in each State, and world-class specialist hospitals in each geo-political zone to improve healthcare accessibility and quality.
Technology & Digital
Supports the development of MSMEs through partnerships with fintech players to expand access to capital and business development services.
Reliefs and scholarships
Commits to a conditional income support program requiring recipients to meet human capital goals (school attendance, healthcare, nutrition) in exchange for payments.
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