Mohammed Umar Bago
Website: https://nigerstate.gov.ng/
Office Date: May 2023
Address: Government House, Minna
Birth Date: 22 February 1974
Birth State: Niger State
Political Party: All Progressives Congress (APC)
State: Niger State
Mohammed Umar Bago is a Nigerian politician and former banker who currently serves as the Governor of Niger State, Nigeria, assuming office on May 29, 2023. Born in Minna, Niger State, to a Nupe family, he previously held the position of Member of the House of Representatives representing the Chanchaga Federal Constituency. Bago emerged as the winner of the 2023 gubernatorial elections in Niger State, defeating Isah Liman Kantigi of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Born in 1974, Hon. Umar Bago attended Marafa Primary School in Minna and Federal Government College in Jos. He obtained his West Africa School Certificate from WAEC and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in political science from Usman Danfodio University in Sokoto.
Hon. Umar Bago holds several postgraduate diplomas and master's degrees, including a postgraduate diploma in management from the Federal University of Technology Minna in 2001, an MBA in economics from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, in 2003, and a master's degree in finance from the University of Calabar in 2005. He is also a distinguished alumnus of Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, having completed a program there in 2014.
Bago's professional career started in the banking sector, where he worked for notable institutions such as United Bank for Africa (UBA), First City Monument Bank (FCMB), and Afri-Bank PLC. He served as a manager at First City Monument Bank before venturing into politics in 2007.
In the political arena, Bago gained prominence when he contested for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th National Assembly, finishing second to Femi Gbajabiamila. He expressed his determination not to back down, aiming to rectify what he perceived as a mistake made by party leaders regarding zoning.
Currently, Bago serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education, and Administration. In 2016, he advised the management of the Maritime Commission to terminate the employment of 83 staff members, criticizing the irregular hiring process and emphasizing the need for proper financial management within the commission. Bago won the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primary elections in Niger State in preparation for the 2023 general elections. Ultimately, he emerged as the winner of the gubernatorial election, securing a total of 469,896 votes, while his closest rival, Alhaji Isah Liman Kantigi, received 387,476 votes.
Bago is a married man and a proud father. Sadly, his mother, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed, passed away on June 1, 2019, after a brief illness.
To enhance the educational quality within his constituency, Bago distributed 1,000 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms to his constituents. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic period, he provided 11 trailer loads of rice as palliative support to the people in his constituency.