Biography of Alison-Madueke

Diezani Alison-Madueke became Nigeria's minister of transportation on July 26, 2007. She was moved to Mines and Steel Development, and in April 2010 was appointed Minister of Petroleum Resources.

Diezani Agama was born on December 6, 1960 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria Her father was Chief Frederick Abiye Agama. She studied architecture in England and then at Howard University in the United States, and worked in USA for some years before returning to Nigeria, joining Shell Petroleum Development Corporation in 1992. In 2002, she attended Cambridge University for her MBA. In April 2006, Shell appointed her its first female Executive Director in Nigeria.

Since 1999 she has been married to Admiral Allison Madueke (retired), one-time Chief of Naval Staff who was at various times governor of Imo and Anambra State.

Alison-Madueke was appointed Transport Minister in July 2007. In June 2008 she was subject to a Senate probe after it emerged that as Transport Minister she had paid 30,9-billion naira ($263-million) to contractors between December 26 and 31 2007. She has however never been charged or tried for these allegations and has strongly denied any wrongdoing. In September 2008 there was an unsuccessful attempt to kidnap her at her house in Abuja. On December 23, 2008, she was appointed Minister of Mines and Steel Development.

In October 2009, the Senate of Nigeria indicted Diezani Alison-Madueke and recommended prosecution for the alleged transfer of N1.2 billion into the private account of a toll company without due process and in breach of concession agreement. However, the allegations have never been taken to law, and the Minister maintains her innocence.

After Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan became acting President in February 2010, he dissolved the cabinet on 17 March 2010, and swore in a new cabinet on 6 April 2010 with Alison-Madueke as Minister for Petroleum Resources.

A May 2010 report in Huhuonline.com noted that Diezani Alison-Madueke was both the Minister of Petroleum Resources and head of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. It asserted that she was using these positions to prevent a court-ordered lien being placed on an oil field operated by a company chaired by her husband, Retired Rear Admiral Allison-Madueke.

Biography of Alison-Madueke