Nasir El-Rufai – Former Governor of Kaduna State
| Stage Name: | Nasir El-Rufai |
| Real Name: | Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai |
| Occupation: | Politician |
| Date Of Birth/Age: | 16th February 1960 (65 years) |
| State of Origin: | Kaduna State, Nigeria |
| Gender: | Male |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Education: | Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria |
| Known for: | Politics |
Early Life
Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai was born on February 16, 1960, in a town called Daudawa, which is now in Katsina State, Nigeria. When he was just eight years old, his father died. After this sad event, his uncle in Kaduna took care of him and made sure he continued his education. Nasir was a very brilliant boy. He attended Barewa College in Zaria and graduated as the best student in his class in 1976. Because he was so intelligent, he won a prize for being the top student that year.
Educational Background
After secondary school, El-Rufai went to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria. There, he studied Quantity Surveying and graduated with First Class Honours. This means he got the highest level of grades possible. Later in life, he continued to learn more. He earned a Law degree (LL.B) from the University of London in August 2008. He also got a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University in the United States in June 2009. He studied at Georgetown University too. Nasir El-Rufai loved education and never stopped learning, even while working.
Career
Nasir El-Rufai started his career in the private sector. In 1982, he joined with three friends to start a company called El-Rufai & Partners. This company helped build roads and buildings and gave advice to others in construction. His company worked on many big projects in Nigeria, especially in Abuja. This helped him make good money before he entered politics.
Later, El-Rufai worked for big international companies like AT&T and Motorola. His work was respected, and he was known for being smart and hardworking. In 1998, he was appointed as an economic adviser to the military government under General Abdulsalami Abubakar. He worked with groups like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to help Nigeria privatize its public companies.
When Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, and President Olusegun Obasanjo became president, El-Rufai was made the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). He was in charge of selling government-owned companies to private people or groups. He did this job very well and became more popular.
In 2003, he became the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which is Abuja. As minister, he became famous for breaking down illegal buildings and clearing up the city. He created the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS), which helped Abuja have its first digital record of land and houses. Some people liked his bold actions, while others did not.
Later, El-Rufai helped form the All Progressives Congress (APC) party and became its Deputy National Secretary. He ran for the position of governor in Kaduna State and won the election in 2015. He took office on May 29, 2015. He ran for a second term and was re-elected in March 2019. In that election, he got over 1 million votes and defeated his opponent from the PDP party.
As governor, El-Rufai introduced many changes in Kaduna State. He created a single treasury account to help the government save and manage its money better. He also reduced the number of ministries and top government officials to cut costs. He started a school feeding programme that gave one free meal each day to about 1.5 million children in public schools. He also removed many school fees so that more children could attend school without their parents struggling to pay.
Personal Life and Controversies
Nasir El-Rufai is from a Fulani family and is a Muslim. He is married to three wives. Their names are Hadiza Isma El-Rufai, Ummi El-Rufai, and Assia (Asia) El-Rufai. He has eight children. Their names include Mohammed Bello, Ahmed, Hamza, Yasmin, Bilkisu, Mustapha, Bashir, and Abubakar Al-Siddique. Sadly, his daughter Yasmin died in 2011. To honour her memory, a foundation called the Yasmin El-Rufai Foundation (YELF) was created. This foundation helps young people in Northern Nigeria to read and write stories and poems.
Although El-Rufai is known for his intelligence and achievements, he has also been involved in some controversies. While he was the Minister of the FCT, he said that two senators asked him to pay a bribe of $414,000 before they would confirm him in his new role. The senators denied this and were very angry. There was a big argument in the National Assembly, and it even caused a strike among the senators. Later, El-Rufai apologised during a public session.
During his time in Abuja, he also became known as “Mr. Demolition” because of how many illegal buildings he destroyed. Some people praised him for trying to make Abuja look better, while others said he was too harsh.
In 2012, he made a statement on Twitter saying that if anyone killed a Fulani person—whether a soldier or civilian—that person would “pay someday no matter how long it takes.” Many people found this message threatening. Also, in 2014, he tweeted that Christians were the ones behind Boko Haram, a terrorist group. That statement upset many Nigerians and increased religious tension.
In 2023, he admitted in a speech that he gave more development to Muslim areas in Kaduna State. He said these areas helped him win elections. This speech made many people accuse him of being unfair to Christians in the state.
Social Media Presence
Nasir El-Rufai is very active on social media. He uses Twitter (now X) with the handle @elrufai. He also has accounts on Facebook and Instagram, where he often shares his thoughts, news, and funny posts. He has over 2 million followers, making him one of the most followed politicians in Nigeria. He sometimes uses social media to talk about politics, joke about his opponents, or reply to people who criticize him. He is known for being direct and bold online.
Net Worth
Nasir El-Rufai is considered to be a very wealthy man. In 2025, his estimated net worth is around ₦19 billion, which is about 12 million US dollars. He made much of his money from his early business, El-Rufai & Partners, and from investments in real estate and consulting. He has also made money from speaking at events and working as an adviser for different organizations.
