Bagudu's Reforms Transform Nigeria's Budgeting Process

Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu was appointed Minister of Budget and Economic Planning on August 21, 2023, in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. His tenure has focused on transforming the ministry into a key driver of the administration's economic reform agenda.

Bagudu has achieved measurable outcomes, including restoring the January-to-December budget cycle, revising the national development framework, and introducing a citizen-facing project-tracking tool. His qualifications include a degree in Economics from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, a Master’s in Money and Banking from the University of Jos, and a second Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University.

He has previously served as a special assistant to the Minister of National Planning, a two-term senator for Kebbi Central, and Governor of Kebbi State from 2015 to 2023. Despite facing public backlash due to the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of foreign exchange windows, Bagudu has defended these reforms, citing improvements in foreign reserves and capital importation figures.