Who are the youngest governors in Nigeria you should know? The Nigerian political scene is relatively filled with “old men”. Old men in this sense as it relates to this article refer to those above 65 years of age, which many currently fall into among the many Nigerian politicians.
In fact, the current president; Muhammadu Buhari, would fall into the range of one of the old leaders in the country as he is above the age of 65. He was also the Head of State of the country during the military era from 1983 to 1885.
Many Nigerians over the years have come to believe that their old leaders aren’t doing well, and as a result, they seek young leaders, believing that they would likely do better. However, not all Nigerian politicians are old. There are few young leaders in politics among Nigerian politicians.
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Below are the Top 10 youngest governors in Nigeria.
Top 10 Youngest Governors In Nigeria ([y])
1. Yahaya Bello
At 40 years of age, Yahaya Bello emerged as the governor of Kogi State in the year 2016 and he is still the current governor of Kogi State. As such, he’s known to be the youngest governor in Nigeria in [currentyear].
He is also known to be the only incumbent governor who was born after the Nigerian-Biafran civil war.
Yahaya Bello belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was ranked to come the second position in the 2015 governorship election in Kogi state but he was declared governor after the winner, Abubakar Audu passed on.
2. Babagana Umara Zulum
Babagana Umara Zulum was born on August 26, 1969, and clocked 51 years old in 2021, making him the second-youngest governor in the country. Babagana Umara Zulum is the governor of Borno state at the moment.
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum took office in 2019 after the All Progressives Congress won the Borno gubernatorial election (APC).
Babagana Umara Zulum was a Borno State Civil Service assistant technical officer before becoming a state commissioner in 2015. And in 2019, Babagana Umara Zulum turned 50 before becoming the current governor of Borno State.
3. Bello Muhammad Matawalle
Bello Muhammad Matawalle, the governor of Zamfara State, is Nigeria’s third youngest governor. He was born in 1969 and is 52 years old now. Before becoming the current governor of Zamafara, Bello Muhammad served as a state commissioner and then as a member of the house of representatives.
Following the 2019 gubernatorial elections, it was reported that Bello Muhammad had lost the election to his APC counterpart, but a Supreme Court ruling declared him the winner, and as a result, he became governor of Zamafara state, representing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
4. Benedict Ayade
In Nigeria in 2021, Cross River state is also known to have one of the youngest governors. Ben Ayade, the incumbent governor of Cross River state, is only 53 years old. He was known as one of Nigeria’s youngest politicians after winning a Senatorial seat at the age of 43 in 2011.
Ben Ayade took over as governor of Cross River in 2015, and he is now in his second term. Governor Ben Ayade is a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
5. Nyesom Wike
Nyesom Wike was 51 years old when he took office as governor of Rivers State in 2015. Governor Nyesom Wike previously served as minister of state for education and, later, as acting minister of education at the federal level.
Nyesom Wike’s ministerial position was terminated as a result of his pursuit of the governorship.
Nyesom Wike is currently serving as the governor of Rivers State for the second time after being re-elected in 2019. He’s a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
6. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde
Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde of Oyo State is known to be celebrated as one of the best performing governor in Nigeria, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde is the 6th youngest governors in Nigeria.
Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde is a Group Managing Director of Makon Group Limited.
Governor Makinde in the year 2021 clocked 53 years and he became governor at 51 in 2019. He began his political career in the year 2007 when he contested for a senatorial seat and he belongs to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
7. Abubakar Sani Bello
The current governor of Niger State. Abubakar Sani Bello, also known as Lolo, was born in December 1967 and will be 54 in 2022, making him the 7th youngest governor in Nigeria. As a member of the All Progressives Party, he was elected governor in 2015. (APC).
In 2015, he ran for the position for the first time, and it was likely his first major attempt at a political seat in Nigeria. Governor Abubakar Sani Bello was re-elected in 2019 and is now in his second term.
8. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri
He is currently 53 years old and the governor of Adamawa State, making him the 8th youngest governor in Nigeria. Prior to becoming governor, he was the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly. After the sitting governor was impeached in 2014, he was named acting governor.
The official election was declared inconclusive in 2019, so a by-election was held, and he was declared the official winner. Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri is a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
9. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is currently 55 years and as a result of that, he’s the 9th youngest governor in Nigeria. As a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has held many public offices before becoming a governor in 2015.
He has served at different levels in his political career, firstly as a member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, then deputy chief whip of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, and also the speaker of the House of Representatives.
10. Udom Emmanuel
At just 48 years of age, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, won the gubernatorial election in 2015. In 2021, Governor Udom Emmanuel turned 54 years old, and as a result, he’s the 10th youngest governor in Nigeria.
Udom Emmanuel only served as secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government before becoming governor.
