Abukar M. Abdirahman is the budget director for the Economic Development and Regulation Cluster. He manages budget operations for the cluster’s 20 agencies, which have a combined operating and capital budget of approximately $1.5 billion and more than 1,200 employees.  

Joining the Office of the Chief Financial Officer in 2004, Abdirahman started as a grants analyst at D.C. Public Schools and rose to become senior budget analyst in charge of financial reporting and data integrity. He was recognized for using data analytics to identify cost savings of more than $4 million. Later, he served as the budget officer for the D.C. Department of the Environment where he helped design and implement internal controls that removed the agency’s at-risk designation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Prior to joining District government, Abdirahman served in various financial and grants management capacities in both governmental and non-governmental organizations in the United Kingdom. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Hull (United Kingdom) and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nairobi (Kenya). He is a certified government financial manager, certified fraud examiner, and certified internal control auditor. Abdirahman is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association, Association of Government Accountants and The Institute of Internal Control Auditors.