News Investigators/ The Presidency has announced the appointment of a former Economic Adviser, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi as the new Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation.

The announcement follows the expiration of the tenure of Ben Akabueze who served in that capacity for 8 years. 

Mr. Akabueze was appointed to the position by immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016.

A statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale described Mr. Kurfi as an accomplished economist who was Chief Economic Adviser to late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua from 2007 to 2010.

The new Budget Office boss was also Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria from 2003 to 2007, and Commissioner of Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning in Katsina State from 1999 to 2003.

Mr. Ngelale further said Kurfi holds a Master’s of Business Administration degree in Finance from Wagner College, Staten Island, New York, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the same institution.

He said the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expects the new helmsman at this pivotal Office to further enhance the provision of efficient and qualitative budget functions, with a view to promoting fiscal sustainability, transparency, and accountability in public finance management for national development.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has thanked the outgoing Director-General, Mr Akabueze, for his services and wished him success in his future endeavours.

Ben Akabueze, a Chartered Accountant, served two terms as the Budget Officer’s Director General. In February 2016, he was appointed as Special Adviser to President Buhari on National Planning and later became the Budget Office’s Director General in June of the same year.