EXCLUSIVE: Tinubu Creates Confusion At Nigeria's Upper Niger River Basin Authority After Appointment Of Two Managing Directors

President Bola Tinubu had initially appointed one Aliyu Tajudeen as the Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer of the agency. 

There is confusion surrounding the appointment of two Managing Director and Chief Executive Officers for the Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority (UNRBDA). 

President Bola Tinubu had initially appointed one Aliyu Tajudeen as the Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer of the agency. 

Tajudeen’s appointment was communicated in a letter dated October 30, 2024, and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. 

In the letter with reference number SGF.51/S.4/T/368, his appointment was for a four-year term. 

Three months after, President Tinubu announced the appointment of another individual, Dangajere Shuaibu Bawa Jaja, as Managing Director of the same agency. 

Jaja was one of those appointed by the President on December 18 to lead the 12 River Basin Development Authorities under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Jaja’s appointment was made alongside six executive directors for the UNRBDA.  

“Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, Minna (Niger, Kaduna and FCT) Haruna Y. Usman, Chairman (Niger); Dangajere Shuaibu Bawa Jaja, Managing Director (Kaduna); Mohammed Usma, Executive Director, Finance (Niger); Dr. Abdullahi A. Kutso, Executive Director, Planning and Design (Niger); Ayuba Waziri Tedde, Executive Director, Agric services (FCT) and John Hassan, Executive Director, Engineering (Kaduna),” the statement from Onanuga had read.