Nasir El-Rufai is a Nigerian politician who is very popular in Kaduna State. He served as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023.
Nasir El-Rufai Biography
Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai was born on February 16, 1960, in Katsina State (Daudawa). El-Rufai was born into a Fulani family in Daudawa.
He lost his father when he was just eight years old and had to rely on his uncle for sponsorship. El-Rufai moved to Kaduna during this time to acquire his education.
Education
Nasir El-Rufai studied at Barewa College in Zaria, Kaduna State. He was in the same dormitory as former President Umaru Yar’Adua.
After El-Rufai graduated in 1976, he attended Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in quantity surveying. He also has a Master’s in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University.
El-Rufai also holds other degrees, like a law degree from the University of London and a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Career
Before going into politics, El-Rufai worked for a quantity surveying consulting firm he founded with three partners in 1982. The company received different building and civil engineering contracts during the early development of Nigeria.
The company quickly made El-Rufai and other partners young millionaires at the time. He also held management positions with international telecommunications companies like AT&T Network Systems International BV and Motorola Inc.
At this point, we know that Nasir El-Rufai was a very successful businessman before his involvement in Nigerian politics.
Political Career
El-Rufai started his political career in 1998, after the death of the military head of state, General Sani Abacha. He was appointed an economic advisor by General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
In 1999, after the military transferred power to President Olusegun Obasanjo, El-Rufai was appointed the director of the Bureau of Public Enterprises. He was also the secretary of the National Council of Privatisation, alongside Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
El-Rufai was appointed the minister of the Federal Capital Territory in July 2003, during the tenure of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. He held this position until July 2007.
El-Rufai went into exile during the tenure of the late Umaru Yar’Adua in 2008. He was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after his return to Nigeria in 2010.
Career as Governor
El-Rufai has been actively involved in Nigerian politics since 2011. He supported Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign in 2011. In 2013, he was appointed deputy national secretary of the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC).
El-Rufai declared his intention to run for governor of Kaduna State in 2014 under the APC. He won the governorship election with over one million votes to defeat the ruling candidate of the People’s Democratic Party.
Once again in 2019, he emerged as the as the winner for the second time, defeating his closest rival by over 200,000 votes.
Nasir El-Rufai Wives
Nasir El-Rufai is married to three wives: Hadiza Isma El-Rufai, Ummi El-Rufai, and Asia El-Rufai.
His first wife, Hadiza Isma, is also from Kano and was born on June 21, 1960. She is fluent in Hausa, English, and French.
Hadiza and El-Rufai met in 1976, when they were both studying at the Kaduna School of Basic Studies. Both proceeded to study at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, where she studied architecture and El-Rufai quantity surveying.
Hadiza has also worked as a lecturer at the Department of Architecture at Kaduna Polytechnic.
The couple got married in 1985, and they have children together.
Asia Ahmad, his second wife, is a lawyer. She started working with the Federal Capital Development Authority before setting up her own law firm.
El-Rufai’s third wife, Hajiya Aisha Ummi Garba, is an interior decorator. She was also born in Kano to parents from Jigawa.
Ummi Garba attended Model Secondary School, Maitama, before graduating from the University of Abuja in 2003 with a BSc in Political Science.
Nasir El-Rufai Children
El-Rufai has many children, but six of them are known to the public. They are Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, Yasmin El-Rufai (late), Hamza El-Rufai (late), Bilkisu El-Rufai, Ahmed El-Rufai, and Mustapha El-Rufai.
Sometime in 2023, Nasir El-Rufai and his wife, Hajiya Aisha Ummi Garba El-Rufai, welcomed their fourth child together. The baby was named Fatima Layan El-Rufai.
The former governor shared pictures with his family to celebrate his new arrival.
Nasir El-Rufai Son
The most popular of El-Rufai’s children is his first son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai. Bello is a politician who is following in his father’s footsteps in politics.
He is a member of the Federal House of Representatives of Nigeria.
Nasir El-Rufai Net Worth
El-Rufai is a businessman and politician who started to make money at a young age. His quantity surveying consulting firm got major deals during the development of Abuja, alongside other top projects.
El-Rufai’s net worth was estimated to be over $400 million in 2022.
FAQs
Where is Nasir el-Rufai from?
Nasir El-Rufai hails from Daudawa in the Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, Nigeria.
How many wives does El-Rufai have?
El-Rufai is married to three wives: Hadiza, Asia, and Ummi.
What is El-Rufai known for?
El-Rufai is known for his contributions to Nigerian politics, particularly as the Governor of Kaduna State and as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
