In a move signaling strategic reform in Nigeria’s agricultural and economic sectors, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Muhammad Babangida, son of former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, as the Chairman of the newly revamped Bank of Agriculture (BOA). The appointment is part of a broader effort by the Tinubu administration to inject fresh leadership into key institutions vital to national development.
Muhammad Babangida, 53, brings both local relevance and global experience to the role. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Public Relations and Business Communication from the European University in Montreux, Switzerland, and also completed an Executive Program in Corporate Governance at Harvard Business School in 2002. His leadership at the BOA is expected to steer the bank toward enhanced agricultural financing and rural development, at a time when Nigeria is seeking to boost food security and modernize its agricultural value chain.
Read Latest Edition: Sustainable Agriculture of the 21st Century – Africa Contemporary Farmers Magazine 10 July 2025
The announcement came alongside seven other high-profile appointments approved by President Tinubu, spanning various federal agencies. Among them is Lydia Kalat Musa (Kaduna State) as Chairman of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA), and Jamilu Wada Aliyu (Kano State) as Chairman of the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).
Hon. Yahuza Ado Inuwa (Kano State) will chair the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), while Sanusi Musa (SAN, Kano State) takes the helm as Chairman of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR). Prof. Al-Mustapha Alhaji Aliyu (Sokoto State) has been named Director-General of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA).
Additional appointments include Sanusi Garba Rikiji (Zamfara State) as Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN), Mrs Tomi Somefun (Oyo State) as Managing Director of the National Hydro-Electric Power Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), and Dr. Abdulmumini Mohammed Aminu-Zaria (Kaduna State) as Executive Director of the Nigerian Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC).
These appointments are seen as part of a broader push by President Tinubu to reposition Nigeria’s public sector institutions for efficiency, innovation, and economic resilience. The inclusion of professionals with diverse academic and international backgrounds suggests a commitment to capable governance and forward-thinking leadership.
As Nigeria navigates economic challenges and seeks to optimize critical sectors like agriculture, trade, education, and energy, these leadership changes could play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s development trajectory in the years ahead.