Ibrahim Abdullahi Umar

Abdullahi Ibrahim Gobir (born 1 January 1958) is a Nigerian politician who was Senator for Sokoto East from 2011 to 2023. He was the Senate Majority Leader from July 2022 to July 2023.

Gobir holds a master's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Detroit in the United States, and a doctoral degree in electrical engineering and energy from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi, Nigeria.

He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (UK) and of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

Gobir began his career with the Ministry of Communication, and then joined the Nigerian Television Authority in Sokoto.

He became the Director of Union Bank of Nigeria in 2002.

He also became the Managing Director of Taifo Multi Services Limited, Abuja.

Before entering politics, he was the Chairman of the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria, based in the state.

At the PDP primaries, Gobir defeated the incumbent Senator Abubakar Umar Gada by 1,547 against 60 votes.

He went on to be elected to the Senate.

In July 2022, Gobir was selected as APC senate majority leader.

In August 2023, Gobir was appointed as the northwest representative in the NDDC by president bola Ahmed tinubu.

Party Positions

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

Agriculture

Will optimize agricultural value chains across all 36 states with targeted investments, addressing impediments like banditry, kidnapping, and desertification to enhance food security and advance agro-based industrialization.

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Governance & Reform

Will restructure the Nigerian federation through legal and institutional reforms to strengthen federalism by moving agreed items from the exclusive list of the Federal government to the concurrent list, ensuring effective public action for growth and sustainable livelihood.

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Security & Defense

Will implement key recommendations from previous police and security sector reform reports, including a three-level policing structure (local, state, federal) with detailed guidelines to curb abuses.

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Reliefs and scholarships

Will resolve the national minimum wage problem by replacing the extant salary structure with an hourly productivity-based national minimum wage, ensuring binding application across all sectors.

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Economy & Trade

Will reform the transport system, including logistics, ports, customs, and other agencies, to create an integrated transport system promoting inter-connectivity among ports, roads, rail, and inland waterways to reduce trade costs and enhance competitiveness.

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Enterprise grant support

Will devise programs to reskill youths, create mandatory national certification for blue-collar artisans, strengthen STEM tertiary schools, and establish a venture capital-like fund for young entrepreneurs.

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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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Anti-corruption

Will establish the Office of Special Counsel to investigate and prosecute executive abuses of power and corruption, with constitutional amendments to exempt its prosecutions from the Nolle Prosequi power of the Attorney General.

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Energy

Launch a solar power revolution in Northern Nigeria, ensuring uninterrupted power supply in cities and industrial parks by the end of 2024 through re-engagement of 14 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and resolving financial impediments to reach $2.5 billion in PPAs for 1,125 MW of solar capacity.

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Technology & Digital

Support private sector-led fiber-optic backbone projects connecting tertiary institutions and state capitals to enable free broadband access for digital transformation.

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Infrastructure

Creation of national multi-utility transport tunnels (MUT) to integrate masterplans for gas, road, railway, urban mass transit, telecommunications, water, sewage, and electricity for cost efficiency and streamlined infrastructure development.

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Education

Will implement a Marshall Plan-style education reform program with compulsory technical and vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and digital training from primary to secondary level, with strategic partnerships for incubators and seed funding.

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Healthcare

Expand health insurance coverage to 133 million poorest Nigerians (including pregnant women, children, the elderly, and disabled) through strengthened NHIS with private sector involvement, ensuring accessibility and affordability.

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Foreign Policy

Engage in Afro-centric diplomacy to protect Nigerian citizens abroad and advance economic interests through trade, investment, and diplomatic leverage.

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