Babagana Zulum

Nigerian politician (born 1969)

Babagana Zulum

CON

Zulum in 2020

Governor of Borno State

Incumbent

Assumed office
29 May 2019
Deputy| Umar Usman Kadafur
Preceded by| Kashim Shettima
Borno State Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement
In office
17 September 2015 – 29 May 2019
Governor| Kashim Shettima
Preceded by| position established
Succeeded by| Mustapha Gubio
Personal details
Born|  (1969-08-25) 25 August 1969 (age 55)
Mafa, North-Eastern State, Nigeria (now in Borno State)
Political party| All Progressives Congress
Alma mater| University of Maiduguri
Occupation|

* Politician
* professor

Website| www.zulum.ng

Babagana Umara Zulum CON[1] mni (born 25 August 1969) is a Nigerian professor and politician who has served as governor of Borno State since 2019 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).[2][3][4][5]

## Early life and education

[edit]

Zulum was born on 25 August 1969, in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State.[6]

After elementary school in Mafa Primary School from 1975 to 1980 and secondary education in Government Secondary School, Monguno from 1980 to 1985, Zulum studied at the University of Maiduguri,[7] where he obtained a degree in Agriculture Engineering after which he served as a youth corps member with Katsina State Polytechnic.[6] He proceeded to the University of Ibadan from 1997 to 1998, where he obtained a master's degree in Agriculture Engineering. In 2005, he enrolled for a PhD in Soil and Water Engineering with the University of Maiduguri which he completed in 2009.[6][7]

## Career

[edit]

Zulum's first appointment was in 1989 with Borno State Civil Service as an Assistant Technical Officer in the State's Ministry of Agriculture.[6]

In 1990, Babagana moved into Borno State Unified Local Government Service as Senior Field Overseer and later Principal Water Engineer. In 2000, he took up an appointment with the University of Maiduguri as an assistant Lecturer where he rose to the rank of Professor. Babagana was Deputy Dean and Acting Dean, Faculty of Engineering in 2010 and 2011 respectively. In 2011, Babagana Umara was appointed the rector of the state-owned Ramat Polytechnic in Maiduguri.[8] Meanwhile, he retained his teaching position in the University of Maiduguri.[6]

In 2015, Governor Kashim Shetima of Borno State made Zulum the Commissioner of the newly established ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement.[8]

## Publications

[edit]

Zulum has written papers and article for publication in both local and international journals, in the area of Agriculture Engineering.

## Politics

[edit]

On 1 October 2018, he won the gubernatorial primaries of the All Progressives Congress for Borno State.[9] He was elected to the office of the governor of Borno State in the 2019 Borno gubernatorial election held on 9 March 2019, with 1175440 votes.[2][3][10]

In December 2023, the Center for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria has accused Babagana Zulum of excluding Christians from the Federal Government palliatives in Borno State.[11]

To prevent more attacks from Boko Haram fighters, Zulum totally banned all metal scavenging in Borno State, effective as of 10 July 2023.[12][13][14][15][16] In April 2024, the ban was contested by the National Association of Scrap Waste Dealers and Employers of Nigeria, who wanted the ban to be lifted for the Ramadan fast.[17] The ban, however, remained in effect.

In September 2024, Babagana Zulum sponsored 180 students for postgraduate scholarships to study in Malaysia and India.[18]

## Assassination attempts

[edit]

Zulum has been the target of several failed assassination attempts by the group Boko Haram.

His convoy was attacked by Boko Haram insurgents on 29 July 2020, on Maiduguri-Damaturu highway. Five people were killed including three policemen.[19]

On 26 September 2020, Zulum and his convoy were again attacked by Boko Haram near Lake Chad. At least 18 people were reportedly killed, including 14 police officers and soldiers and 4 civilians.[20] The death toll was later updated to 30 as more bodies were found.[21]

Three days later, on the 29, Zulum's convoy noticed a donkey on the road and shot at it. After the donkey exploded, insurgents came out of hiding and fired at them. A number of insurgents were killed, whereas no one in the convoy was injured.[20]

On 22 November 2020, Convoy belonging to Zulum was attacked while he was traveling to meet with government officials in Baga. Seven soldiers and two civilians were killed in this ambush, but the governor was unhurt.[22]

## Award

[edit]

In October 2022, a Nigerian National Honour of Commander Of The Order Of The Niger (CON) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.[23]

## Projects

[edit]

Babagana Zulum, has completed and commissioned 77 projects for service deliveries in the health, education and other sectors of the economy.[24]

### Distribution of Palliatives

[edit]

Zulum stated that the palliative distribution was to salvage communities whose sources of livelihood were cut off due to the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.[25]

## See also

[edit]

* List of governors of Borno State

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Abubuwan da ke faruwa a Najeriya da sauran sassan duniya". BBC News Hausa (in Hausa). 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
2. ^ a b Idowu, Kayode (11 March 2019). "APC's Zulum wins Borno Gov poll with 1,175,440 votes". The Punch. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
3. ^ a b Abubakar, Uthman; Omirin, Olatunji (11 March 2019). "Just In: Zulum wins Borno governorship election". Daily Trust. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
4. ^ "Babagana Umara Zulum". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
5. ^ Jimoh, Abdul (9 February 2021). "Zulum's convoy not involved in accident, spokesman clarifies". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
6. ^ a b c d e "Shettima endorses Prof. Umara-Zulum successor". The Guardian. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
7. ^ a b "Profile: Babagana Zulum, Governor, Borno State, Nigeria [2019 –]". Premium Times. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
8. ^ a b Sawab, Ibrahim (17 September 2015). "Shettima creates reconstruction ministry as commissioners get portfolios". Daily Trust. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
9. ^ Musa, Njadvara; Abogonye, Abel (2 October 2018). "Borno, Nasarawa APC endorse Zulum, Sule". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
10. ^ "Scooper – Nigeria Politics News: Meet The 5 Best Governors In Nigeria". m.scooper.news. Retrieved 28 May 2020.[permanent dead link]
11. ^ "Borno Governor, Zulum Excludes Christians, Their Communities From Nigerian Government's N3billion Palliatives – Centre For Justice". Sahara Reporters. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
12. ^ "Gov Zulum bans metal scavenging in Borno". The Guardian. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
13. ^ "B'Haram: Zulum bans metal scavenging biz in Borno". The Sun. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2024 - via The Free Library.
14. ^ "Gov. Zulum bans metal scavenging in Borno". Peoples Gazette. News Agency of Nigeria. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
15. ^ Sunday, Ochogwu (10 July 2023). "Gov Zulum bans metal scavenging in Borno". Daily Post. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
16. ^ "Zulum bans metal scavenging in Borno". Vanguard. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
17. ^ Abubakar, Uthman (8 April 2024). "Borno metal scavengers urge Zulum to lift ban". The Punch. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
18. ^ Mari, Ahmed (19 September 2024). "Zulum sends 180 postgraduate students to study in Malysia, India". Daily Champion. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
19. ^ "BREAKING: Boko Haram Attacks Convoy Of Borno Governor, Zulum, In Baga". Sahara Reporters. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
20. ^ a b "Nigeria's Boko Haram crisis: 'Bomb on donkey' used to ambush Borno governor". BBC News. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
21. ^ "Dozens killed in jihadist attack on Nigeria governor's convoy". France 24. 26 September 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
22. ^ "Boko Haram Kills Fifteen over Two Days in Borno State". Persecution. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
23. ^ "Full List: 2022 National Honours Award Recipients". The Nation. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
24. ^ Musa, Njadvara (12 September 2023). "Zulum completes 77 projects in education, health, other sectors". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
25. ^ George, Godfrey (21 April 2024). "25,000 Borno families share Zulum's N25m". The Punch. Retrieved 11 September 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Governors of North-Eastern and Borno State

North-Eastern State|

* Musa Usman
* Muhammadu Buhari

Borno State|

* Mustapha Amin
* Tunde Idiagbon
* Mohammed Goni
* Asheik Jarma
* Abubakar Waziri
* Abdulmumini Aminu
* Abdul One Mohammed
* Mohammed Maina
* Mohammed Buba Marwa
* Maina Maaji Lawan
* Ibrahim Dada
* Victor Ozodinobi
* Augustine Aniebo
* Lawal Haruna
* Mala Kachalla
* Ali Modu Sheriff
* Kashim Shettima
* Babagana Zulum

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