Muhammed Idris: Media Owner, Ex-Gov'ship Aspirant, 3 Other Things to Know About New Information Minister
- President Bola Tinubu assigned portfolios to Muhammed Idris and 44 other minister-designates
- Idris is a top member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Niger state, northcentral geopolitical zone
- The politician surprisingly secured the Information ministry ahead of Dele Alake, a journalist and long-time ally of President Tinubu
FCT, Abuja - Muhammed Malagi Idris succeeds Lai Mohammed as Nigeria’s minister of Information and National Orientation.
Beyond being a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), there are other things to know about the 57-year-old whose nomination as a minister was recently confirmed by the Senate.
Source: Facebook
We culled a great deal of our information from a recent social media post by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). Ahead of the swearing-in of the new ministers on Monday, August 21, here are five facts you might not know about the Niger-born politician.
1. Muhammed Idris' origin
Muhammed Idris is of Nupe extraction and from Gbako local government area of Niger state.
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The Nupe (traditionally called the Nupawa by the Hausas and Tapa by Yorubas) is an ethnic group native to the North Central of Nigeria. They are the dominant ethnic group in Niger state.
Idris holds the traditional title of Kakaaki Nupe, a title bestowed on him by Yahaya Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe.
2. Muhammed Idris is a media guru
Idris is a publisher and public relations professional. Between 2004 and 2008, he was the chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Kaduna state chapter.
He is the general secretary of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria.
In May 2011, Idris Malagi founded the Blueprint newspaper.
On November 27, 2019, he took over ownership of Kings Broadcasting Network, owners of WE 106.5 FM Abuja.
3. Muhammed Idris' political career
Idris was a governorship aspirant in Niger state during the 2023 general elections.
He polled 154 votes losing to then-House of Representatives member, Umar Bago, who scored 386 votes. Today, Bago is the governor of Niger state.
4. Idris' contribution to Tinubu's emergence as president
Idris was appointed the director of strategic communications for the Bola Tinubu-Kashim Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for the 2023 election.
He facilitated the design and implementation of strategic communications guidelines for the presidential ambition of the former Lagos state governor.
5. Muhammed Idris: Former comms consultant to FG
Idris served as a communications consultant to the federal government on a project to promote girl-child education in Nigeria, from 2007 to 2009. This was during the administration of the late Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.
The new minister also served as a communications consultant on the promotion of nomadic education in northern Nigeria by the federal ministry of agriculture and rural development (2007 to 2009).
John Enoh: Facts about new sports minister
Earlier, Legit.ng spotlighted the new minister of sports, John Enoh.
Ahead of the swearing-in of the new ministers on Monday, August 21, here are 5 facts you might not know about the Cross River-born politician.
Source: Legit.ng
