22 Facts About Adamu Bello

Adamu Bello was born on 20 May 1951 and is a Nigerian politician who was Federal Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from 2001 to 2007.

Adamu Bello headed the consolidated Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources from January to May 2007.

Adamu Bello had a comfortable childhood with a complete education.

Adamu Bello graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Ahmadu Adamu Bello University, Zaria in 1975, and completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh in 1982.

Adamu Bello attended Harvard Business School's six-week Advanced Management Program in 1990.

Adamu Bello started his career in banking in 1976 as an investment executive with the New Nigerian Development Company.

In 1983, Adamu Bello joined Habib Bank as deputy Managing director, subsequently becoming managing director and then chief executive in 1988, remaining in the position until 1994.

In January 2001, Adamu Bello was nominated by the President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, to be Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and he took up the post in February 2001.

President Obasanjo renominated Adamu Bello after being re-elected in May 2003.

Four months after Adamu Bello assumed his new post, he approved the import of a few million tons of beans into Nigeria from Burkina Faso, a decision which was strongly criticised in the media.

Adamu Bello was accused by former chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Bode Olowoporoku, of conspiring with foreign companies to defraud the country in a 3.4 billion Naira deal over fertilizer imports.

Adamu Bello told the Federal Cabinet that the disparity was due to transport and duties costs incurred during the delivery of the fertilizer from Ukraine to Nigeria, which was accepted by the Cabinet.

Olowoporoku continued with his proceedings against Adamu Bello, even escorting the minister of state for agriculture, Bamidele Dada, out of the Senate chambers when he came to discuss the matter.

Adamu Bello said that Olowoporoku had a vendetta against him due to not being awarded fertilizer contracts during the process, which could have earned him N200 million.

The senator denied ever requesting contracts from the Ministry, but an investigation concluded that Adamu Bello was correct, and the Senate relieved Olowoporoku of his position as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and excluded him from all committees.

Adamu Bello was eventually expelled from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

Adamu Bello was conferred with the chieftaincy title of the "Dan Iyan Adamawa" in 1989 by the chieftaincy council of his native Gongola State.

Adamu Bello was made a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria in 1991.

Adamu Bello was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.

Adamu Bello was named a Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic in December 2006, the first serving member of the Federal Cabinet to be decorated in this way.

Adamu Bello has received numerous leadership awards, and has been nominated for Minister of the Year Awards by numerous media organisations in Nigeria.

Adamu Bello is married to pharmacist Lubabatu Adamu Bello, and they have six children.