Born in October, 1945 in Musawa, Katsina State, Senator Ibrahim holds an M.Sc in Economics  from the University of Wales, United Kingdom from where he graduated in 1976. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business administration in 1969 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and a Diploma in Economic Planning from the Central School for Economics and Statistics Warsaw Poland in 1971. His early education was in Musawa Primary School, Katsina; Katsina Secondary School and Government College, Keffi.

He joined the North- Central State Civil Service in 1970 as an Assistant Secretary Internal Affairs, rising too Principal Assistant Secretary Government House Kaduna, and Under-Secretary Economic Planning and Under-Secretary Ministry of Works and Housing between 1976 and 1978. Between 1978 and 1979, he served as the first Secretary of the Kaduna State Housing Authority, and coordinated the take-over of over 5,000 housing units transferred from the Federal Housing authority to the State. In 1979, he joined the Federal Public Service as Director of administration Federal Capital Territory, and then as Director, Nigerian Merchant Bank between 1979 and 1988. He went on to serve as Director of Nigerian Agricultural and Cooperative Bank between 1988 and 1991. He has also worked in the private sector first as an Area Manager for UTC Nigeria Limited, and then as Chairman of several petroleum and energy companies.