Marafa Bashir Abba is a Nigerian politician from Taraba. They have contested 1 election (1 loss) across 1 party. Most recent: 2023 Nigerian Senate Elections as All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
Biography
Marafa Bashir Abba is a Nigerian politician and public administrator from Nguroje, Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State. Born in the same locality, he attended Central Primary School, Nguroje, and Government Day Secondary School, Jada, before obtaining a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Accountancy from Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola.
Before entering politics, Abba worked with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), gaining experience in banking and administration. He served in the Taraba State House of Assembly from 2003 to 2011, representing the Nguroje Constituency, and was Deputy Speaker from 2005 to 2011.
In 2015, he was elected as Senator for Taraba Central in the 8th National Assembly but served only for six months, from May to November 2015, before being unseated by the Court of Appeal. He later served as Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to the Taraba State Government and was appointed Chairman of the Taraba State Tourism Board.
Currently, Abba is a Federal Commissioner at the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), following his nomination by President Bola Tinubu and confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.
Political Career
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.
Other Candidates in Taraba
Sources
Bio, Photo, State of Origin: Wikipedia ↗