Aliyu Umar Larat

Aliyu Modibbo Umar (born 15 November 1958) is a Nigerian technocrat who currently serves as the Special Adviser on General Duties to the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima. He previously served as the federal Minister of State for Power and Steel from December 2002 to May 2003, Minister of Commerce from July 2006 to July 2007, and Minister for the FCT (Federal Capital Territory, Abuja), a post he held until October 2008.

Aliyu Modibbo Umar was born of Kumo origin in Gombe State on 15 November 1958. He obtained a BA in journalism from California State University, Long Beach; an MA in African Studies and a PhD in Comparative Education both from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His first job was in 1979 as a reporter for the Nigerian Television Authority.

Between 1986 and 1992, he worked in the United States, returning to Nigeria in 1993 to take up a position as a lecturer at the University of Abuja. He then moved into civilian administration, working in the office of the Chief of Staff to the President. Under President Olusegun Obasanjo, Aliyu Modibbo was appointed Minister of State for Power and Steel from January to May 2003. In March 2003, he stated that the Federal government had spent N2.2 billion on rural electrification projects in Gombe State, blaming saboteurs for frequent power outages.

After a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in March 2003, Modibbo Umar stated it had been decided to ban imports of toothpicks, bottled water, biscuits, spaghetti, and noodles. He was appointed Chairman of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Ltd. (PAN) in May 2003, alongside the post of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Research and Liaison. In March 2004, he outlined plans to relaunch Peugeot car manufacturing in Nigeria at affordable prices. As PAN chairman, he resolved industrial disputes, stabilized operations within 90 days, and pioneered the first export of Nigerian-made Peugeot cars to other African countries.

Dr. Modibbo also facilitated the adoption of Peugeot 307 cars for Abuja Taxi schemes under Mallam Nasir El Rufai and in Rivers State under Governor Peter Odili. He championed the Consumer Car Finance Scheme, benefiting 15,000 military, paramilitary, and police personnel. In September 2004, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria began exporting cars to Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Cameroon, delivering an initial 120 vehicles. As Minister of Commerce, he established the Nigerian-Russian Business Council to improve trade relations and launched the Commerce 44 project to promote 11 agricultural, manufactured, and mineral products to global markets.

In March 2007, speaking at the Human Capital Development Centre in Lagos, Aliyu Modibbo Umar emphasized Nigeria’s potential under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Later that month, as spokesman for the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States at the EU-ACP ministerial meeting in Bonn, he cautioned against the negative impacts of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) on ECOWAS countries.

In July 2007, two months after President Umaru Yar’Adua’s election, Aliyu Modibbo Umar was appointed Minister of Federal Capital Territory. Early in his tenure, he introduced a technocratic team to address FCT challenges. He established a committee to select the 'FCT Department of the Year,' encouraging innovation. He proposed the Abuja Central District Development (Abuja Boulevard), a 6.5-kilometer project for commerce, entertainment, and leisure, and envisioned Abuja City University to provide education for working-class residents.

Dr. Modibbo restored over 3,000 seized plots of land, including diplomatic properties, and implemented stringent security measures, reducing crime by over 50% through the Abuja Crime Control Squad (ACCOS) and the G-6 security strategy. He introduced free antenatal care for FCT pregnant women, aiming for healthy mothers and babies. Projects included Abuja Downtown Mall, a 30,000 hectares agricultural zone, and the first Maitama Farmers Market. He also established Abuja Film Village and five new parks. His goal was to boost FCT agriculture for domestic and export markets.

In March 2008, he supported the establishment of the Cyprian Ekwensi Council for Arts and Culture. In May 2008, he announced plans to establish a City University in Abuja, offering management sciences courses for working professionals. In June 2008, he faced criticism for resuming forced evictions of informal settlements in the FCT, defending the action as necessary to comply with the Abuja Master Plan, despite criticism over lack of due process.