Early Years and Education
Born in 1962, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki attended the King’s College, Lagos, and Cheltenham College, London and later trained as a medical doctor at the London Hospital Medical College, London, where he obtained the M.B.B.S degree in 1987. He practised medicine at Rush Green Hospital, Essex, from 1988 to 1989 before returning to Nigeria for an illustrious career in business and politics. He was Executive Director and later, Executive Vice Chairman, Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria (SGBN).
Chairman and Founder
CHAIRMAN, PDP NATIONAL RECONCILIATION & STRATEGY COMMITTEE/ FOUNDER, THE ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI FOUNDATION (2019 – TO DATE)
Dr. Saraki was the chairman of the PDP National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee (NRSC), which had traversed the entire country to unite members of the leading opposition party and refocus the party.
The committee completed its work in May 2020 and submitted its report to the PDP National Chairman.
The work of the committee was instrumental in saving the PDP from the haemorrhage it was suffering from. Through their efforts, the party was able to reconcile and come together. This was integral to the party’s survival and in ensuring the party was able to regain its footing.
In June 2019, Dr. Saraki established the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation (otherwise known as the ABS Foundation). The Foundation is dedicated to pursuing policies and programmes that foster an intersection between opportunities backed by resources and Nigeria’s talent pool in the focal areas of education, health, the environment, sports and job creation.
Senate President
PUBLIC SERVICE: PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
On June 9th, 2015, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was elected president of the 8th
Nigerian Senate. He quickly commenced work for the adoption of the Senate Legislative Agenda, which focused on three broad areas: Improving Livelihood, Improving Governance and, Improving Business. Under the Improving Business agenda, he has directed a comprehensive review of the business-related legislations in Nigeria with a view to improving Nigeria’s ease-of-doing-business ranking as well as improving the general operative environment for business in Nigeria.
Senator
Representing
Kwara Central
In his first term as Senator of the Federal Republic, Saraki was appointed the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology while serving in the Senate Committees on Capital Markets and Finance. Saraki’s leadership of the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology set the pace for international legislative cooperation and diplomacy in sharing knowledge on global environmental governance. In 2012, he was appointed to the Leadership Council of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation that aims to use public-private partnerships to create a thriving global market for clean cookstoves and fuels for over 100 million people by 2020.
Nigerian Governor's
Forum
PUBLIC SERVICE: CHAIRING THE NIGERIAN GOVERNOR’S FORUM (2007- 2011)
In his second term as Governor, Dr. Saraki was unanimously elected by his colleagues across all the political parties as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) – an association of all the State Governors in Nigeria. In that capacity, he adopted the Peer Review Mechanism (PRM) for states as well as knowledge and experience sharing. He also mobilised significant donor collaboration and support from several international development agencies working in the country, across governance, education, and health issues.
Governor of Kwara State
PUBLIC SERVICE: GOVERNOR OF KWARA STATE (2003 — 2011)
In 2003, Dr. Saraki was elected Governor of Kwara State. During his tenure, Dr. Saraki transformed many aspects of Kwara state and delivered major reforms for the benefit of its citizens.
Special Assistant
PUBLIC SERVICE: SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO (2000 — 2002)
Saraki began his political career in the year 2000, as a Special Assistant on Budgetary Matters to President Olusegun Obasanjo. In this position, he initiated the Fiscal Responsibility Bill and served on the Economic Policy Coordination Committee, where he was responsible for the formulation and implementation
of several key economic policies for Nigeria.
Prior to this appointment, Saraki had had considerable private sector experience, having served as the Director of the now-defunct Societe Generale Bank.
Personal Life
Dr. Saraki is married to Mrs. Toyin Ojora–Saraki, a lawyer and Founder- President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBF Africa), a pan- African maternal health and wellbeing charity. WBF Africa has become one of the most influential and active organisations in the area of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH).
Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Toyin Ojora-Saraki have four children and two grandchildren.