Mohammed Badaru Abubakar

Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (born 19 September 1962 ) is a Nigerian politician who has served as the Nigerian minister of defence since 21 August 2023. He previously served as the governor of Jigawa State from 2015 to 2023.

Badaru, as he is popularly called, was a one-time chairman of the Nigerian Presidential committee on fertilizer distribution to farmers, and also a former chairman of a presidential committee on non-oil revenue. He is the founder of Talamiz Group.

Education
Abubakar is a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained a B.Sc Accounting degree. While studying at the university, he became involved in community activism, sport and business. Badaru is also an alumnus of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru.

Career as industrialist
After his graduation, Badaru established his business, the Talamiz Group, a conglomerate with diverse interest in automobiles, manufacturing, agriculture and animal husbandry, as well as commodity distribution.

Career in politics
He was Vice President II of the Federation of the West Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industries and a Fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria. Prior to that, he was a member of the National Council on Privatisation.

Badaru is currently the National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture. He was a gubernatorial candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria but lost to Sule Lamido. Badaru won the 2015 Jigawa governorship.

On 9 March 2019 Jigawa State gubernatorial election Badaru was re-elected as governor having polled a total of 810,933 votes, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Aminu Ibrahim Ringim scored 288,356 while the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Bashir Adamu Jumbo scored 32,894 votes, thereby making him the winner of the election.

Awards
In recognition of his hard work, philanthropic activities, Badaru was conferred with the traditional title of Sardaunan Ringim in Ringim emirate and Walin Jahun in Dutse emirate councils respectively. He was also conferred with the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) by the president in 2006.