About Hon. Betara

Rt. Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara has been a dedicated lawmaker and champion for the people throughout his life.

Muktar Aliyu Betara, OON is a Nigerian accountant and lawmaker, first elected to the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2007 to represent the Biu, Bayo, Kwaya-Kusar and Shani Federal Constituency of Borno State in the North-eastern region of Nigeria.

He was the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations in the 9th Assembly which held its first session on the 11th of June, 2019. He is the Chairman, House Committee on FCT in the 10th Assembly. This marks his fifth tenure as a member of the Federal House of Representatives.

He is an indigene of Zara Wuyaku Ward, in a little township of Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, North East, Nigeria.

Betara began his education at Biu Central Primary School in 1973 and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1978. He proceeded to Biu Central Junior Day Secondary School, and then to Government Technical Secondary School Benishek, Borno State, where his leadership skills saw him becoming head prefect, and would eventually obtain his West Africa School Certificate in 1983.

He advanced his education at Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri where he obtained his Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Business Administration in 1986. Between 2007 and 2011, Betara acted as Chairman of the Sub-committee on NDIC, Banking and Currency, and also served as a member of the House Committee on Customs and Immigration.

Rt. Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara, OON
Rt. Hon. Muktar Betara Aliyu addressing the Federal House of Representatives
“Leadership is not a title, it is a responsibility — to serve, to build, and to endure.”
— Rt. Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara, OON

Five-Term Legislative Leadership Timeline

A chronological record of Rt. Hon. Muktar Betara Aliyu's stewardship in the Federal House of Representatives from 2007 to the present day.

★
10th National Assembly
2023 – PRESENT
Chairman, House Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

Currently presiding over parliamentary oversight of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). Hon. Betara has played an instrumental role in ensuring robust budgetary backing and rigorous oversight for the aggressive infrastructural modernisation, arterial road construction, and security architecture across Abuja.

•
9th National Assembly
2019 – 2023
Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations

Held its first session on June 11, 2019. Hon. Betara presided over all other House committees regarding the appropriation process. Under his visionary guidance, the National Assembly achieved the landmark feat of returning Nigeria's annual federal budget to the predictable January-December fiscal cycle, which had eluded previous assemblies for decades.

•
8th National Assembly
2015 – 2019
Chairman, House Committee on Defence

Served as Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, steering critical legislative oversight over the nation's armed forces, defence procurement, and regional military operations to restore stability across the North-East and Nigeria.

•
7th National Assembly
2011 – 2015
Chairman, House Committee on the Army

Appointed as Chairman, House Committee on the Army, directly making legislative interventions and recommendations to empower, fund, and sustain the counter-insurgency activities of the Nigerian Army in Borno State and the wider Northern region.

•
6th National Assembly
2007 – 2011
Sub-committee Chairman: NDIC, Banking & Currency | CIPPO

In his debut tenure, Betara acted as Chairman of the Sub-committee on NDIC, Banking and Currency. He also served as a member of the House Committee on Interior, and was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Sub-committee on Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO), instituting transparency in public sector pension administration.

Awards & Recognition

Rt. Hon. Muktar Betara Aliyu has earned numerous national and regional distinctions.

Award for Constituency Development in Nigeria
Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service

Award for Constituency Development in Nigeria

Best Performing House of Reps Member — Democracy Heroes Awards 2020
Democracy Heroes Awards, 2020

Best Performing House of Reps Member

Award of Excellence in Public Leadership — NUJ North-East Zone, 2013
NUJ North-East Zone, 2013

Award of Excellence in Public Leadership

Legislative Impact Award — Institute of Administrative Managers
Democracy Heroes Awards, 2025

Outstanding Policy Maker of the Year