{{Short description|Nigerian politician}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Mustafa Bello |image = |office1 = Minister of Commerce |term_start1 = June 1999 |term_end1 = 2002 |predecessor1 = Major-General Patrick Aziza |successor1 = |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|01|31}} |birth_place = Niger State, Nigeria |death_date = |party = PDP |Educational background = }} '''Mustafa Bello'''<ref name="mbfsed1">[http://mbfsed.com/chairman.html Welcome to the Official Website of Mustafa Bello Foundation for Small Enterprise Development]. Mbfsed.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-01.</ref> (born 31 January 1954) was appointed Nigerian Minister of Commerce in the first cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo, holding office between June 1999 and 2002. He became head of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) in December 2003.

==Background== He is a cousin to the retired army officer Colonel Sani Bello. Colonel Bello is being credited for supporting Mustafa through school that was largely on the scholarship of the North-Western State of Nigeria. The support and encouragement of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangia made it possible for him to become a Minister in 1999 as the only name forwarded to the then elected President Olusegun Obasanjo with whom he worked closely and gained lot of his confidence as "Dutiful Minister" as he described him in one of his books. Bello obtained a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) Degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria through scholarship by the then North Western State<ref name="mbfsed1"/><ref name=Aderinokun>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200902050305.html |title=Yar'Adua Re-Appoints Bello As NIPC Boss |work=ThisDay |author=Kunle Aderinokun |date=5 February 2009 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref>{{cite web”

==Minister of Commerce==

Bello was Minister of Commerce from 1999 until a cabinet re-shuffle in early 2001.<ref name=Aderinokun/> In August 2001 he said that Nigeria's huge gas resources would last for about 50 years, and could supply the continent once planned pipelines had been constructed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200108140034.html |title=Gas Resources to Last 50 Years, Says Minister |work=The Guardian |date=14 August 2001 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In March 2002 Bello urged GSM operators and other telecommunications service providers to reduce their tariffs and provide quality services for their customers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200203180224.html |title=Nigeria: Mustapha Bello Charges GSM Operators On Tariffs |work=Daily Trust |author=Habiba Adamu |date=18 March 2002 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In June 2002 the Niger State government accused Bello and Information Minister Jerry Gana of being behind the June 4 attack on Governor Abdulkadir Kure. Both men denied the allegations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200206250188.html |title=Gana, Mustapha Behind Attack On Kure, Niger Government Insists |work=ThisDay |date=25 June 2002 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref>

Bello resigned from the government, and in December 2002 he became the candidate of the newly registered People's Redemption Party (PRP) for governor of Niger State in the 2003 Niger State gubernatorial election. He said he had left the People's Democratic Party (PDP) because it had been hijacked by the administration of Governor Abdulkadir Kure for selfish reasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200212310309.html |title=Ex-Commerce Minister Pitches Tent With Peoples Redemption Party |work=Vanguard |author=Wole Mosadomi |date=30 December 2002 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> He came in second after Kure, who was reelected.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201001180905.html |title=Former Niger Governor Inuwa Dies At 62 |work=Leadership |author=Sunday Isuwa |date=17 January 2010 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref>

==Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission==

Bello assumed the position of Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) in December 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200312030521.html |title=Bello Promises to Reposition NIPC |work=Daily Trust |author=Ahmed I. Shekarau And Kashim Sule |date=3 December 2003 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref>

In June 2005 he predicted that interest rate would fall to about 6% on completion of bank recapitalization in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200506230213.html |title=Bank Capitalisation Will Crash Interest Rates |work=Daily Champion |author=Tony Ailemen |date=23 June 2005 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In July 2006 the Chinese Commercial Counselor Mr. Hu Yu Chen praised the NIPC in assisting Chinese investors, and said that in 2005 trade between Nigeria and the People's Republic of China had exceeded $2.8 billion, making Nigeria China's second largest trading partner. This was an increase from $1.45 billion 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200607140253.html |title=China Trade Volume Hits $2.8 Billion |work=Vanguard |author=Franklin Alli |date=14 July 2006 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In June 2007 Bello confirmed that poverty was in the increase, with half of the nation's 140 million people living below the poverty line.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200706270434.html |title=The Poverty Cankerworm |work=Vanguard |date=27 June 2007 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In August 2007 Bello said Nigeria was fast becoming a preferred destination for investors, with total foreign direct investments (FDIs) now at about $35 billion, of which China alone had invested $10 billion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200708200011.html |title=Foreign Investments in Country Hit $35 Billion |work=ThisDay |author=Kunle Aderinokun |date=20 August 2007 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In December 2007 Bello said the NIPC was open to assist any foreign investor who wished to do business in Nigeria.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200712180306.html |title=NIPC Woos Foreign Investors to Nigeria |work=Leadership |date=18 December 2007 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> That month he said that the NIPC investment drive were attracting about N232 billion ($2 billion) annually into the economy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200712190181.html |title=NIPC Investment Drive Attracts N232bn Annually |work=Daily Trust |date=19 December 2007 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In February 2008, Bello noted that the Federal Government did not encourage investment in gambling-related businesses.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200802110097.html |title=FG Does Not Encourage Investment in Gambling |work=Daily Trust |author=Misbahu Bashir |date=9 February 2008 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref>

In February 2009 President Umaru Yar'Adua approved Bello's re-appointment as head of the NIPC for another five years.<ref name=Aderinokun/> In October 2009 Bello announced that the NIPC and the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation had formed a partnership to increase foreign investment in tourism.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200910020554.html |title=NTDC Partners NIPC On Foreign Tourism Investment |work=Leadership |author=Isaac Aimurie |date=2 October 2009 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In November 2009 Bello said that Nigeria was keen to cement business ties with Iran.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200911050173.html |title=FG, Iran to Strengthen Ties in Technology Transfer |work=Daily Trust |date=5 November 2009 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In January 2010 Bello welcomed officials of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), who had come to discuss introducing the bank to stakeholders in Nigeria in the private and public sector. The bank aims to reduce poverty and promote economic development without any political attachment, in the same way as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201001150360.html |title=Islamic Bank Holds Business Forum |work=Daily Trust |date=14 January 2010 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In February 2010 he met with officials of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Bank of Industry (BOI), who were discussing providing funding to develop the Nigerian palm oil, rice and textile sectors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201002230544.html |title=Citizens Await UNIDO's Palm Oil, Textile Clusters |work=Daily Champion |author=Sylva Emeka-Okereke |date=23 February 2010 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> In February 2010 he said the government would try to sustain targeted foreign direct investment (FDI), which was currently at N2.98 trillion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201002240508.html |title=FG Will Sustain N3 Trillion FDI in 2010 – NIPC |work=Leadership |author=Clem Khena-Ogbena |date=23 February 2010 |accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|35em}} {{Cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo 1999-2003}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bello, Mustafa}} Category:Living people Category:1954 births Category:Federal ministers of Nigeria Category:Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria) Category:People's Redemption Party politicians