Draft:Hafiz Bayero

Muhammad Hafiz Bayero (born May 14, 1987) is the Senior Advisor Counsellor to the Governor of Kaduna state, Uba Sani. He was appointed 31st May 2023. He is a former administrator of the Kaduna City Metropolitan Authority, known as the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority, Kaduna State, Nigeria from 2021 to 2023.

He was City Manager (Administrator) of the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority from 2021 to 2023, he is the current Special Advisor Counsellor to the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani.

Early Life and Education
Hafiz was born in Kaduna State, Nigeria. He had his primary and secondary education at Essence International School, Kaduna. He is a graduate of the University of Aston, Birmingham, England, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, and a master's degree in process engineering and business management from the University of Warwick, Coventry, England.

Political Career
Hafiz, a council member of the All Progressives Congress, was the youngest Administrator to head a Metropolitan Authority in Kaduna state. He is the Chairman of the board of Kaduna Metropolitan Authorities in Kaduna State he was a member of a 65-man committee handing over to the next administration in Kaduna State. Hafiz served as a special assistant to the Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai on job creation from 2015; afterwards, he was made Director Investor-Relations at the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency from 2016 to 2018. In 2018, he was appointed Special Adviser on Intergovernmental Relations, and in 2019, he became the Managing Director of Kaduna Markets Development and Management Company, a state owned enterprise.

Achievements
In 2023, with Nasir El-Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State, amongst others, announced the establishment of Afri-Venture Capital Company Limited , a venture capital/private equity firm set to commence operations in 2024. This initiative aims to support and guide Nigerian innovators and entrepreneurs, aspiring to emulate the success of the Dangote Group, collaborating with private sector partners as well.

As the Administrator of the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority, Hafiz made history by spearheading a comprehensive and successful initiative to address the pressing issue of flooding within Kaduna city. Under his leadership, a strategic river dredging project was implemented, aimed at significantly reducing the risks posed by inundation events. This proactive intervention not only safeguarded the lives and properties of the city's residents but also served as a pivotal measure in fortifying the region's resilience against future flooding incidents.

He led the development of over a dozen commercial hubs in Kaduna, including the Damu household milk farm, a grazing ranch with support from the Federal Government, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Denmark’s Arla Foods Limited. In addition, Kaduna Galaxy Mall, the first-ever shopping mall in Kaduna, rehabilitation of Murtala Muhammad Square and several specialized markets across Kaduna.

He also supervised a 26.27 billion Naira socio-economic project that involved the transfer of commercial real estate to over 16,000 traders in Kaduna.

As head of investor relations at Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency, he championed the ease of doing business process reforms, making Kaduna the most improved state on the 2018 World Bank Ease of Doing Business Ranking.

Hafiz coordinated the investment promotion drive that led to the state attracting foreign direct investments upwards of $1.5 billion in 2 years, including the Olam Feed Mill and Hatchery, the largest in sub-Saharan Africa.

As special assistant on job creation, Hafiz steered the development and implementation of skills acquisition programs like the Kaduna Start-up and Entrepreneurship Program, a tripartite partnership with the Kaduna Business School and Bank of Industry, and the Kaduna Electrical, Electronics, and Renewable Energy Academy in partnership with the Kaduna State University and Indian Power Conglomerate, SkipperSeil Group. He also championed the establishment of the Kaduna Artisans Training Initiative in collaboration with the National Open University of Nigeria.

He coordinated the creation of the Kaduna ICT Hub in partnership with Coders4Africa and Draper Dark Flow Fund to offer support to start-ups in emerging technology sectors.