Zayyana Abubakar Mohammed (Hon.)
Sokoto | Senator
Sokoto | Senator
Dr. Abubakar Mohammed Zayyana is a Nigerian academic, management professional, public administrator and politician from Sokoto State. He is particularly known for his work in public-sector planning, budgeting, economic development and institutional management. He served as the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning in Sokoto State before voluntarily leaving the position to pursue a political career at the federal level. In 2026, he emerged as a candidate for the Illela/Gwadabawa Federal Constituency seat in the 2027 National Assembly election.
Zayyana has an extensive academic and professional background. Public records identify him as Dr. Abubakar M. Zayyana, PhD, CNA, FHEA and CMgr, reflecting qualifications and professional affiliations in academia, accounting and management. His professional profile also indicates postgraduate and executive-level training, including a programme with Harvard Business School Online. He has built a career that combines academic work with practical experience in finance, management and public administration.
Before entering frontline politics, Zayyana developed considerable experience in education and professional services. He has been associated with academic and professional institutions in the United Kingdom, including the University of Bedfordshire, where he has been described as a visiting lecturer. He has also worked in consultancy and professional capacities, including associations with the London Institute of Banking and Finance and the Walbrook Institute. These experiences contributed to his background in finance, management, strategy and institutional development.
His major public-service role came with the Sokoto State Government, where he was appointed Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning in January 2024. Upon assuming office, he began engaging government agencies responsible for statistics, planning and economic management, with an emphasis on improving institutional efficiency and strengthening evidence-based decision-making. One of his early activities as commissioner was an assessment visit to the Sokoto State Bureau of Statistics to examine its operations and identify areas requiring improvement.
During his tenure as commissioner, Zayyana was involved in several aspects of Sokoto State's economic and development planning. He participated in the preparation of medium-term expenditure frameworks and promoted the use of economic and statistical data in government planning. In 2025, for example, he emphasized the importance of analysing macroeconomic and microeconomic variables when preparing realistic budgets and called for stronger alignment between expenditure planning and the state's development priorities.
Zayyana was also associated with the state's 9-Point SMART Innovative Agenda and the development of the Multidimensional Poverty Index for Sokoto State. As chairman of the state's Technical Working Committee on the agenda, he coordinated discussions involving government officials, development partners and other stakeholders. The work included efforts to establish performance indicators, strengthen monitoring and evaluation, improve development-partner coordination and make citizen participation part of the budgeting process.
In 2026, Zayyana voluntarily resigned as Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning in order to pursue an elective political position. Following his resignation, he continued to discuss the development initiatives started during his tenure and advised his successor to sustain the State Development Plan and make greater use of the Multidimensional Poverty Index in government policy and development interventions. His departure from the ministry marked his transition from appointed public administration into electoral politics.
For the 2027 general election, Zayyana is seeking election to the House of Representatives to represent the Illela/Gwadabawa Federal Constituency of Sokoto State. Recent election records list Zayyana Abubakar Mohammed among the candidates for the constituency, although the party designation shown in different public records has not been completely consistent. A September 2026 election record based on the final candidate list identifies him as an All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, while contemporary reporting and APC-related sources describe Dr. Zayyana as an APC candidate for the constituency. This discrepancy should therefore be treated cautiously until the relevant electoral record is reconciled.
Zayyana's political profile is therefore built largely around his transition from academia and professional management into public administration and electoral politics. His experience in Sokoto State's Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning gave him direct involvement in government budgeting, development planning, statistics, poverty measurement and coordination with development partners. His 2027 candidacy represents his move toward legislative politics, where he is seeking to bring that administrative and policy experience into the National Assembly.