Bukola Saraki

Abubakar Bukola Saraki is a Nigerian politician. He has twice been elected as governor of Kwara State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

He was born on December 19, 1962. He attended Corona School, Lagos from 1966 to 1972 for his primary school education. He attended King’s College, Lagos from 1973 to 1973 to 1998 when he obtained his West African School Certificate. He attended Cheltenham College, London from 1979 to 1981 when he obtained his High School Certificate. He studied at the London Hospital Medical College of the University of London from 1982 to 1997, when he obtained his M.B.B.S (London). He worked as a Medical Officer at Rush Green Hospital, Essex from 1987 to 1988. He worked as a Senior Casualty Officer at Royal Free Hospital, London from 1988 to 1989. He worked as Director (non-executive) at Societe Generale (Nig.) Limited from 1989 to 1990. He worked as Executive Director at Societe Generale (Nig.) Limited from 1990 to 2000. He worked for the Federal Government of Nigeria as Special Assistant to the President on Budget from 2000 to 2001. He worked for the Federal Government of Nigeria as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Non-Oil Revenue Generation from 2000 to 2001. He worked as Executive Vice Chairman at Societe Generale (Nig.) Limited from 2001 to 2002.

POLITICS

He contested and won the gubernatorial elections for the north-central state of Kwara in Nigeria, which was conducted on April 19, 2003. He was sworn in as governor of Kwara State on May 29, 2003. He again contested and won the gubernatorial elections for the north-central state of Kwara in Nigeria, which was conducted on April 14, 2007. He was sworn in for a second time as governor of Kwara State on May 29, 2007.

In 2004, he invited white Zimbabwean farmers who had been evicted from their farms in Zimbabwe under the regime of Robert Mugabe to settle in Nigeria. Several Zimbabwean farmers took him up on this offer, and came to settle in Kwara.

In 2006, he was given an award as Best Governor in AFrica by the Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, and in 2007, he was appointed as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum.

LINKS

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