Ibrahim Aminu Ringim

Ibrahim Saminu Turaki (born 14 July 1963) is a Nigerian actuary and politician who served as the governor of Jigawa State from 1999 to 2007. Prior to that, he was the Jigawa state chairman of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP).

He attended the Federal Government College Kaduna and the Ahmadu Bello University, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in actuarial science in 1985. He is currently the PDP Candidate for the Jigawa North-West Senatorial District for the 2023 general elections.

Ibrahim Saminu Turaki was elected as governor of Jigawa State in the 1999 Jigawa State gubernatorial election and re-elected during the 2003 Jigawa State gubernatorial election on the platform of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP). In December 2006, he transferred his allegiance to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Turaki joined Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in December 2015, reuniting with his former ally, the current governor of Jigawa, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar. He championed the development of ICT, emphasizing its importance in nation-building.

He established the biggest biotechnology centers in Nigeria in Kazaure, attracting DFID to co-fund the Jigawa State microcredit scheme. DFID also partnered with the state government to sponsor students for extensive education in informatics abroad, primarily in Japan. Turaki initiated the Jigawa State Broadband Network Project to promote rapid socio-economic growth and global competitiveness in ICT.

Turaki founded Galaxy Information Technology and Telecommunication (GITT) in 2000, making Jigawa the first state to implement interactive distance learning and video conferencing through GITT. He established the Jigawa Informatics Institute (JII) in 2001, which has graduated over 7,000 students, many of whom are now involved in the e-government sector or ICT entrepreneurship.

Despite criticism that his ICT investments were misplaced due to poor infrastructure, Turaki pursued ICT with significant commitment. He also established a free trade zone in Jigawa in 2000 to attract investors. In 2003, he formed agreements with American companies to process and export gum arabic to the U.S., replacing Sudanese imports.

In 2004, the Niger Republic granted Wallong Camco Nigeria, a company in which Turaki had an interest, free land for constructing 86 housing units for visiting dignitaries. Turaki later faced a dispute over these units. He established solar-powered power plants across local government areas, earning praise for his renewable energy initiatives.

Turaki pioneered Universal Basic Education (UBEC) in Jigawa, later adopted by the federal government. He introduced the first contributory pension scheme in Nigeria in 2001, long before Lagos and the federal government adopted similar schemes. Jigawa also became the first state to implement a housing mortgage scheme through the Jigawa Savings and Loans Bank.

His administration earned the label 'Jigawa, a State of Firsts' for these innovations. Turaki emphasized the importance of security, justice, and safety as prerequisites for economic development. He established the Jigawa State Justice Sector and Law Reform Commission and reformed the vigilante system through the Jigawa State Vigilante Group Law (No. 5 of 2005).

In September 2006, Turaki was attacked by mobs after a blasphemous incident involving a Christian woman. Despite this, he continued to push for development, including the establishment of a contributory pension scheme with legal backing from the state legislature in 2004.

In April 2007, Turaki ran for the Senate as a PDP candidate for the Jigawa North-West constituency. He was elected and appointed to committees on Upstream Petroleum Resources, Sports, Navy, National Planning, and National Identity Card & Population. He co-sponsored six motions and was active in the Sports Committee as vice chairman.

In April 2011, Turaki ran for reelection but lost to Danladi Abdullahi Sankara, the PDP’s candidate. He accused vote-rigging and planned to take the case to court. In 2000, Turaki decentralized Jigawa’s government, allocating responsibilities to the Emirate councils of Hadejia, Dutse, Gumel, Ringim, and Kazaure.

In July 2007, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Turaki for corruption and money-laundering allegations. He was released on bail with stringent conditions. He denied wrongdoing, calling the charges politically motivated. On 13 October 2022, a Federal High Court in Dutse acquitted him of N8.3 billion corruption charges, releasing him from detention.