Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office (SDO)

ENGR. FARUK, YUSUF YABO

Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office (SDO)

ENGR. FARUK, YUSUF YABO
PERMANENT SECRETARY, SPECIAL DUTIES OFFICE (SDO)
Engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo was born on the 27th of July 1969 in Yabo local government area of Sokoto state.

He began his educational journey at central primary school Yabo, Sokoto state in 1974 and proceeded to unity secondary school gummi, zamfara state where he completed his secondary education in 1985
From 1985 to 1986 the young Faruk was at the Sokoto state college of art and science where he obtained West Africa secondary certificate that earned him admission to study bachelor’s degree at the Usman Danfodio University Sokoto and graduated with a bachelor of science in physics in 1991.

Engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo holds a master's degree in electrical engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 2010., before then, he also bagged a post graduate diploma (PGD) in electrical engineering from Bayero University, Kano in 2002 along with another PGD in computer science and engineering from Enugu state University of science and technology in 1997 and is currently a Ph.D. student at the electrical department of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

In the course of his Ph.D. research, he visited several renowned universities around the world as a visiting researcher. In particular, he was invited as a visiting scholar to the famous – national cheng kung University in Taiwan, the republic china.

HIS WORKING CAREER
He answered the clarion call and served his fatherland in the one year mandatory National Youth Service Corp at the University of Nigeria teaching hospital Enugu in 1992.
While in Enugu, he secured a job with lake concrete industries limited, at the time one of the biggest electric pole manufacturing and electrical engineering company in West Africa, he served diligently as public relations and sales manager from 1992 to 1994 where he attracted multimillion naira electrification project for the company and helped the company to established for the first time new business links with the northern Nigeria market.

His excellent performance led to his elevation to serve as Special Assistant to the chairman and chief executive officer of the company before exiting the company in 1995.
From Enugu engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo moved to cross river state, where he was appointed as managing director and chief executive officer of Gwanga quarry products limited, Ikom, Northern Cross River a small scale quarry and mining company.

His five years stint at the company saw the establishement of the first indigenous quarries in Northern Cross River, at Ikom town and at kanyeng community in 1996/1997. Engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo’s business engagement’s at Gwanga quarries limited saw him travelling widely across nooks and crannies of Nigeria, particularly in the south-south and south-eastern geo-political zones of Nigeria.

In the year 2000 engineer faruk moved from his comfort zone in southern Nigeria back to sokoto as a result of the unfortunate ethnic-and-religious crisis that threatened the country’s peaceful co-existence in 1998 just before the 1999 national elections and continued in 2000.
On returning to Sokoto in 2000 engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo along with other partners established el-yusuof investment limited, where he served as the pioneer managing Director/CEO and left shortly after for the classroom to lectured at the Sokoto state polytechnic. At the same time, he secured admission to study post graduate diploma (pgd) in electrical engineering at Bayero University Kano, which he successfully completed in 2002.

He joined federal ministry of power & steel abuja in november 2002 as principal inspecting engineer and rose through the ranks during the last twenty years in service to the position of director, renewable energy and rural power access and later director, investments and sector development before his appointment by president Muhammadu Buhari as permanent secretary on the 3rd august 2022.

With over 18 years’ experience in power sector policies, market and regulatory reforms as well as projects planning, design, implementation, monitoring and safety issues, engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo has special interest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and rural power policies and programmes, which he believes will change lives in Nigeria

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS
In February 2020, his excellency, president Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR approved the appointment of engineer Fauk Yusuf Yabo as chairman, project delivery committee for the mambilla hydroelectric power project in taraba state, the biggest power project currently under development in west africa.
In keeping with the mandate of the committee, engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo dared the mountainous terrain of mambilla and rode on motorcycle for more than two hours in search of site for the proposed hydro dam with survey and aerial demarcation now in progress. Through his efforts the project designs has been re-scoped to ensure bankability, while all project management structures and tools, as well as stakeholders engagement frameworks are developed for the project execution to commence.

Engr Faruk Yusuf Yabo contributed to the initiation and development of various policies, programs and project’s in the ministry of power. Some of the key policies includes the national renewable energy and energy efficiency policy (NREEE) in 2015, the national renewable energy action plan in 2016, the national energy efficiency action plan in 2016 the sustainable energy for all action agenda in 2016, and the rural electrification strategy and implementation plan in 2016.
Some of the major programmes he contributed to includes the renewable energy micro utility program (REMU) in 2015, the 24/7 3d feeder program to promote reliable power supply to rural communities in 2020, the solar in public buildings program in 2017, the national program for the development of small and medium hydropower projects, the program for the digitization of the power sector in 2017. Furthermore, engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo contributed greatly to the development and completion of major projects in the power sector, including the central data management system (CDMS) as a digital tool for data-driven electrification planning and decision making which was launched in 2020, the 24/7 3d feeder pilot project to provide a reliable power supply to 110 communities along the yabo-shagari feeder in Sokoto state, the first grid-connected 60kw solar PV pilot project in torankawa village, Sokoto state and 5 others in niger state, Bayelsa state, Imo state, Taraba state, and Benue state, under the REMU program, as well as the 40mw kashimbilla hydropower evacuation project in Taraba and Benue state, among others.

A man of many caps, engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo represented the federal ministry of power on the board of directors of Nigeria bulk electricity trading plc. He also represented the federal government in several international and regional sustainable energy cooperation’s including serving as national focal point for Ecowas center for renewable energy and energy efficiency (ECREEE), national focal person in Nigeria for united nations - sustainable energy for all initiative (se4all), coordinator of the Nigerian energy support programme (in partnership with European union and German government) and the national focal person of international solar alliance representing Nigeria in collaboration with the Indian and French government among others special assignments. Moreover, he championed the development of several sustainable energy policies for Nigeria in line with federal government commitment to sustainable energy development.
His vast knowledge of the power sector endeared him to many as he served as technical assistant to four successive ministers of power from 2010 to 2014.

HIS NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT’S
Engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo is a registered member of the council for the regulation of engineering in Nigeria (coren), a distinguished fellow of the Nigerian society of engineers and a distinguished fellow of the solar energy society of Nigeria, fellow of institute of corporate administration, engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo is also a member of other notable professional bodies.
In the last 10 years, engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo actively participated in more than fifty high level regional and international conferences and seminars around the world on sustainable energy development, focusing on renewable energy, energy efficiency and rural power access policies. Engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo has travelled widely to the United States, Canada, several European Union member state, Asia and Middle East countries as well as many African countries.
With passion to improve energy access in Nigeria and the Ecowas region through the digital transformation of the power sector and overall energy transition, his appointment as permanent secretary, stakeholders believe is a reward for hard work and a right choice in the present administration quest to reposition federal civil service for efficient service delivery in line with the federal civil service strategy and implementation plan (FCSSIP 25) approved by federal government in 2022.