Ndume Mohammed Ali
Ndume Mohammed Ali is a Nigerian politician from Borno. They have contested 1 election (1 win) across 1 party. Most recent: 2023 Nigerian Senate Elections as All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
Biography
Mohammed Ali Ndume (born 20 November 1959) is a Nigerian politician who has served as the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District since 2011. He is currently a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mohammed Ali Ndume was born in Gwoza Town of Borno State. He attended Gadamayo Primary School in Gwoza and completed it in 1972. He proceeded to Comprehensive Secondary School Mubi in then Gongola (now Adamawa State) from 1973 to 1978, obtaining his Secondary School Certificate and WASC. He was recognized for leadership early, becoming Junior House Captain and later House Captain in his final year. He consistently ranked first in his class at Comprehensive Secondary School Mubi.
After secondary school, he studied Marketing at Kaduna Polytechnic, earning an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in 1980 and a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Marketing in 1982 with an upper credit level. He completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at Federal Polytechnic Ilaro in Ogun State between 1982 and 1983.
In 1983, he joined Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri as a lecturer, rising to the rank of Senior Lecturer. In 1988, he was awarded a USAID Post-Graduate Scholarship to study Business and Computer Education at the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA, graduating with a B.Ed and M.Ed in 1990 and earning Magna Cum Laude academic honors. He was also admitted to Phi Kappa Phi academic society for outstanding performance.
Upon returning to Nigeria, he continued his teaching career at Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri until 2003. He was elected to represent Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the ANPP platform from 2003 to 2011. He became the Minority Leader in 2007. In December 2010, he defected to the PDP, citing injustices within the ANPP, and won the 2011 Senate election for Borno South, securing 146,403 votes.
Ndume has been a key figure in the Senate, serving as Chairman of the MDGs Committee. His political alignments led to his defection from ANPP to CPC, then APC. He was Senate Majority Leader from 2015 to 2017 but was impeached by APC Senators in 2017. He later became the Chief Whip of the 10th Senate in 2023 but was removed on 17 July 2024 due to an APC national chairman’s letter.
As a senator, Ndume has championed numerous constituency projects, including the construction of classrooms, health care centers, electrification, motorized boreholes, and job opportunities across Borno South’s nine local government areas. He has drilled twenty boreholes and donated tractors to each LGA. In 2023, he facilitated 100 houses in Gwoza LGA. Governor Babagana Zulum commended him for his efforts.
Ndume has received numerous awards, including the USAID Award, Dreams African Leadership Excellence Award, Diplomatic Award for Iconic Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, and Ambassador Award. He has also been recognized for his parliamentary leadership and media awards. His wife is Justice Aisha Ndume, and he is blessed with 15 children.
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.