Abubakar Ibrahim
The name, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibril, is hardly known to many outside Nasarawa State. Yet, the bearer of the name was recently nominated by President muhammadu Buhari to serve as a minister, mainly because of his selfless qualities and respect for due process.
Jibril is the Senior Special Assistant on Nasarawa Geographical Information System (NAGIS) to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.
He manages a project worth US$16,876,561.00 (2.7 billion Nigerian Naira), using modern geospatial technologies to develop a modern geospatial data infrastructure for the state.
The project has three components–orthophoto mapping, geographic information service and urban planning and urban renewal.
Jibril spent about 30 years working as a land officer in the administration of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. He was born January 27, 1958, to the late Malam Usman Maikwato Jibril and Late Hajiya Fatima (Yayan Ali), Ibrahim Usman Jibril.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in education and geography and a master’s degree in land resources with specialisation in land administration from Bayero University Kano.
Those who know Jibril generously talk about his forthrightness and dogged commitment to the wellbeing of the masses.
He attended training programmes in Gavle –Sweden, on Land Administration and Geographical Information, organised by Swedesurvey (the overseas agency for the National Land Survey of Sweden) sponsored by SIDA. In March, he went to Washington where he attended the World Bank conference on land and property, and presented a paper entitled: “Spatial Data infrastructures and land reform – lesson, from the Nasarawa experience.”
He also attended the Africa Geospatial Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa, this year, where he presented a paper and served at various times as the secretary of the technical committee on rural lands within the FCT, ministerial committee for the appraisal of physical planning and development issues within the FCT, land use and allocation committee of the FCT, task term on computerisation of the cadastral and land registry of the FCT, which led to the establishment of Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), in Abuja.
Jubril, widely regarded as an ardent land reformist, expert in urban renewal, spatial data management and land information system. also served as the deputy director, Development Control office, Abuja, and director of land administration department of the FCT. Until his nomination as a minister, he was the project manager of the Nasarawa Geographic Information System (NAGIS).
Under his supervision, the Nasarawa State’s land mass of 27, 290sq km was flown at 25cm GDS. Six townships were flown at 10cm GDS. The data acquired were stored in a GIS platform of Nasarawa Geographic Information Service (NAGIS). Land use and land cover maps were also produced for the entire state.
Needless to say that as another writer has noted, Jibril’s efforts a NAGIS have “significantly increased revenue generation, with people now encouraged by the efficient system and the secure documentation to register their land… As more people obtain C-of-O’s investment in the development of new property surges, resulting in development control charges and increased property tax and tenement rates.”
Jibril is said to be a workaholic, strict disciplinarian, experienced and a corrupt free technocrat. He holds the traditional title of Wamban Nasarawa, in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
