Board of Governance

MALLAM HABIB ABDULLAHI – CHAIRMAN 

Mallam Habib Abdullahi, a native of Kano State graduated from Ahmadu Bello University with a degree in Political Science, he later obtained a diploma in Development Economics and Development Studies from the University of East Anglia and University of Bath respectively, and a master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1989.

During his early career, Mallam Abdullahi functioned as an Administrative Officer in the Cabinet Office, Kano State Government in 1979. He started lecturing at the Kano State Institute for Higher Education (now Kano State Polytechnic) from the year 1979 – 1983.

He became the Senior Evaluation Officer for Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Agency, a World Bank assisted project from 1983 – 1984. Mallam Abdullahi later became the Senior Planning Officer to the Kano State Director of Budget (Kano State Ministry of Finance/Kano State Directorate of Budget and Planning) from 1983 – 2003.

He was posted on special assignment to Kabo Local Government as the Pioneer Sole Administrator from 1990 – 1991, Kano Agricultural Supply Company as the Managing Director/CEO from 1994 – 1996 and Kano State Director of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Co-operatives where he held dual responsibilities (in charge of Administration and General services of the ministry) from 1996 – 1998.

Mallam Abdullahi was appointed Sole Administrator and later MD/CEO of the Kano State Printing Corporation.  He was on secondment as the Special Adviser (Budget and Economics Matters) and later as the Chief of Staff to the Honourable Ghali Umar Na’Abba (Speaker, Federal House of Representative between 1999 – 2001). He later requested to be transferred back to Kano State civil service as the Director of Planning at the Rural Water Supply Agency from 2002 – 2003.

Prior to his retirement, he joined the Nigerian Ports Authority as Assistant General Manager (Personnel) in 2003 and was promoted to the position of General Manager (Administration) in 2006. He became the General Manager/Overseas Representative from 2007 – 2012, the Acting Executive Director (Finance and Administration) from 2012 – 2013 and subsequently the Managing Director/CEO between 2013 – 2016.

Mallam Abdullahi has attended various workshops and conferences in Management including World Bank/IMF annual conference year 2000, 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Today, at the age of 64, Mallam Abdullahi is retired and engaged in Consultancy, Real Estate and service to humanity. He is married to Hauwa Habib and blessed with 7 children.

HAJIA AISHA ABUBAKAR   

Aisha Abubakar, CSFIEC-UK, FPMA-UK, FCIPM-UK

Aisha Abubakar started her banking career as a Research Officer in a Merchant Bank and acquired further experience in development, retail and credit administration.  Found her passion in micro, small and medium enterprises development where she deepened her with skills in micro credit and non interest financing.  Her career focused principally on Small and Micro Enterprise Development, Women Development and Family Livelihood Enhancement.

She obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Politics with International Studies from University of Warwick in 1990 and completed her Master’s Degree in Development Studies at the University of Leeds, in 1991. She worked at the African Development Bank (AfDB), but later relocated to the African International Bank (AIB) in Lagos where she rose to the position of Principal Manager just before she left to start her own business in 1999. During this time further competences were learnt in international development and human resource management.

Aisha joined the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) in 2005 as one of the pioneer staff, and rose to become the Managing Director/CEO 10 years later!  As premier Company Secretary of the AEA, a number of courses such as Corporate Governance & Board Management, building teams, collaborative partnerships to name a few enabled her success at the AEA.  She paved the way for a closer relation between the Agency, Board and its Supervising Minister which ensured adequate budgetary provision of the Agency, increased the Agency training capacities and clientele, founded the FCT Microfinance Bank and saw the Agency settled at its permanent site in Jahi. The Entrepreneurial Complex was the first of its kind in Nigeria.   Her commitment to excellence and an unwavering focus saw AEA receiving the Global Citizen Movement Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in leadership in 2013, in New York City, USA for being a model for entrepreneurial development as a way to lift people and communities out of extreme poverty and serving as a model for the rest of the world.

Her quest for diversity and continuous development saw her assuming higher roles as a Pioneer Director overseeing to the welfare of pensioners under the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Department at the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) in 2015.

She had only been in PTAD for a few months, when His Excellency President Muhammad Buhari appointed her as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in November 2015 as Minister of State Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment. In recognition of her dexterity and dedication to duty, she was in October 2018 given the added responsibility of overseeing the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, a post she held until May, 2019.

Aisha intends to pursue continuous self-development and training whilst focusing on starting a business.

She is the founding Chairman of Global Entrepreneurship Network Nigeria.

TUNDE AKINPELU

Mr Tunde Akinpelu is presently the Managing Director, Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) of the Aiteo Eastern E&P Company. After over 20 years, he retired from NNPC as the Chief Chemical Engineer.

MRS. VALERIE AGODO   

Mrs Valerie Agodo is currently the Managing Director of E-Enhanced Services LTd, a trade promotion, advisory and facilitation company supporting trade and investment activities into Nigeria.

She has over 17 years’ experience in international trade work, 13 of which was gained from playing a role in supporting UK/Nigeria trade and investment activities at the UK Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT), Lagos Nigeria.

E-Enhanced Services Ltd provides market entry services and in-country and representational support to international clients interested in trading and investing in Nigeria. We have secured key relationships with a number of international multiplier trade agencies and chambers of commerce and support the commercial activities of their member companies in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Our services are also geared to the domestic market and we provide business support services to Nigerian clients looking to grow their business locally and internationally via connections to overseas technical partners, sourcing of new markets for products, new supply chains, trade mission support, capacity building training programmes etc.

Our aim is to provide our clients with the confidence to explore their chosen market.

E-Enhanced Services Ltd also operates in the marine logistics sector and via its operator’s licence at the Lagos Ferry Services (Lagferry) Mile 2 terminal, we can support the transportation of trucks and containers via the waterways from the Mile 2 Terminal to the Apapa and TinCan Island ports.