Profile: Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda
• Full Name: Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda
• Date of Birth: August 8, 1968
• Place of Birth: Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area, Plateau State
• Age: 59
• Family Background: Born into a devout Christian family—the late Reverend and Mrs. Toma Yilwatda  .

Education
• Completed primary education at LGED Primary School, Dungung in 1981
• Obtained GCE O‑Levels in 1986 from Boys’ Secondary School, Gindiri
• Earned a B.Eng. in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (1992)
• Completed M.Eng. at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi
• Completed PhD in Digital Systems Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka
• Attended UN University International Institute for Software Technology, Macau, focusing on e-governance systems

Academic & Professional Career
• Began lecturing in 1995 at Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi
• Joined the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi in 1996 and served more than 12 years as Director of ICT, overseeing technological reforms and strategy
• Consulted for development organizations like the UN, World Bank, UNDP, and implemented projects in renewable energy, cold‑chain systems, and micro‑grids (e.g. PAWA 774)

✅ Public Service
• Appointed Resident Electoral Commissioner (Benue State) by President Buhari in 2017, serving until December 2021
• Oversaw reforms supporting voting access for IDPs and persons with disabilities, and improved electoral transparency

Political Career
• Contested as the APC gubernatorial candidate in Plateau State (2023)
• Lost to Caleb Mutfwang of PDP by ~4%, later challenged the result through the courts before the Supreme Court validated the PDP candidate’s victory 
• Served as the State Coordinator for Tinubu‑Shettima Campaign in Plateau during the 2023 election cycle

Ministerial Appointment
• Appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction by President Bola Tinubu in October 2024

🏅 Personal & Community Engagement
• Registered engineer with COREN; member of IEEE, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Solar Society of Nigeria
• Recognized for contributions in digital economy and awarded by platforms such as IT Edge News Africa  
• Married to Dr. Martina Yilwatda, with a son, and active in local community development through scholarships and youth empowerment initiatives