Things to know about Tinubu’s housing minister-designate, Darma | Prestige Real Estate News
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday nominated Muttaqha Darma as Minister-designate for the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, pending Senate confirmation.
The appointment follows a recent cabinet reshuffle affecting two key ministries, including housing. Taiwo Oyedele was also appointed as the new Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
He directed the outgoing ministers to complete handover processes to their respective successors or supervising officials, stating that all handover and takeover activities must be concluded on or before the close of business on Thursday.
Here are key things to know about Darwa:
1. Engineer and academic background
Darma is a trained engineer with a background in Mechanical Engineering from Bayero University, Kano. He is widely recognised as an academic and development professional with experience in teaching and research in engineering-related fields.
2. Experience in public administration
He has held several public service positions at both state and federal levels. At the state level, he served in Katsina State during the administration of the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as commissioner in different ministries, including Works and Housing-related portfolios, Rural Development, Transport, and Women Affairs.
3. Former PTDF chief executive
At the federal level, Darma served as Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.
In that role, he oversaw capacity-building programmes, scholarships, and institutional development initiatives in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
4. Infrastructure and development focus
His appointment to the Housing and Urban Development Ministry aligns with his background in infrastructure-related governance and public sector administration. He has been involved in policy and programme implementation in areas connected to public infrastructure and development planning.
5. Political involvement
Darma is politically active and associated with northern political structures, with long-standing ties to the political legacy of the late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. As NNPP’s Katsina deputy governor candidate in 2023, the party sacked him for endorsing APC candidate Dikko Radda at an unauthorised meeting, which the party described as illegal and unconstitutional.
6. Public profile
Darma is generally regarded as a technocrat with experience in both academia and public administration.
His profile combines engineering training with governance experience at state and federal levels.
7. Ambition
Darma, a former lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Bayero University, Kano, recently declared his intention to contest for the Katsina Central Senatorial seat under the All Progressives Congress in 2027.
– Culled from The PUNCH
