An accomplished public servant, venerable engineer and a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Muhammad Rabi’u Musa was born at Kwankwaso town, Madobi Local Government Area of Kano State on October 21, 1956. At the tender age of four, Master Rabi’u was introduced to Islamic education but two years later, he veered into Western Education at Kwankwaso Primary School (1962-1969). Thereafter, he enrolled at the Wudil Craft School from (1970-1972) and Kano Technical Training School (1992-1975). He later proceeded to Kaduna Polytechnic (1975-1980) shortly after graduation; he proceeded to the United Kingdom for further education in Middlesex Polytechnic (1982-1983); Loughborough University of Technology (1982-1985); and later Nottingham University (1987-1991).
Thereafter, he enrolled for certificate courses at Derby National Water Council (1982); Derby Water Industrial Training (1985); and London Industrial Training (1985).
Kwankwaso started his professional career as an Artisan Craftsman Technician and rose through the cadre to the rank of Principal Engineer at The Kano State Water Resources and Engineering Construction Agency (WRECA). Over the years, he served in so many capacities and at different places, such as Technical Officer-City Water Supply, Project Manager-Challawa Gorge Dam, as well as a Research Officer at the Ministry of Water Resources.
Kwankwaso’s journey into politics can be traced to his student days when he served as the National Assistant Secretary General of Kano State Students Association (NAKSS), as well as the President of the Kano State Students Association (Kaduna Polytechnic Branch). He also served as Board member of both Faculty of Agricultural Science, as well as Post graduate Studies at the University of Nottingham, UK. His active party politics started with his election as member of Representative in (1992), representing Madobi Federal Constituency. His subsequent election as Deputy Speaker in the House brought him to the limelight of National politics. This was however short-lived as the Civilian Administration was truncated by a Military Coup.
In 1994, Kwankwaso was elected delegate to the Constitutional Conference, which fashioned out the constitution that later ushered in the fourth republic. Under this dispensation, he contested and won the governorship ticket of Kano State- a position he held from (1999-2003). During his tenure, the state witnessed some milestone developmental projects.
He was appointed Federal Minister of Defence in 2003, a positioned he meticulously occupied till 2006. Between 2006 and 2007 Kwankwaso was Special Adviser to the President on Darfur/Somalia. He represented the North-West zone on the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission, from 2009 to 2010.
Ever passionate and patriotic, Kwankwaso contested for the position of governor of Kano State on the platform of the (PDP) in the April 2011 elections, during which he defeated the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANNP)-led government under former governor Ibrahim Shekarau, setting the record of returning to the governorship seat after vacating the position for eight years.
