Prof Ibrahim Agboola Gambari: 10 facts you need to know about Buhari’s new Chief of Staff

25 days after the death of his former Chief of Staff, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, announced Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, as Mallam Abba Kyari’s replacement.

Kyari’s death was announced by Presidential Adviser on Media Femi Adesina in the early hours of Saturday April 18. He died of COVID-19 complications and was buried later in the day.

There has been a flurry of speculations over Kyari’s likely successor, among those earlier touted to replace Kyari were Babagana Kingibe, MKO Abiola’s running mate in the June 1993 Presidential election and Education Minister, Adamu.

Buhari, however, proved the speculators wrong on Tuesday he appointed Prof Gambari, an academia, former minister and diplomat as his new Chief of Staff.

Despite viral reports of Gambari’s appointment on Tuesday, the President’s spokespersons and the official social media pages did not announce nor confirm reports of his appointment until

The Presideny, however, confirmed Gambari’s appointment on Wednesday afternoon after sharing photos of the new Chief of Staff attending the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

@NGRPresident tweeted: “Ibrahim Gambari is the new Chief of Staff to President @MBuhari. He succeeds Abba Kyari, who passed away on April 17, 2020.”

Ibrahim Gambari is the new Chief of Staff to President @MBuhari. He succeeds Abba Kyari, who passed away on April 17, 2020. pic.twitter.com/3KLK3AYOew

— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) May 13, 2020

Here are 10 facts you need to know about Gambari

1. He was born on November 24, 1944 in Ilorin, Kwara State where he hails from. He attended Provincial (now Government) Secondary School, Ilorin before proceeding to the Kings College, Lagos. He attended the London School of Economics where he obtained his B. Sc. (Economics) in 1968 with a specialization in International Relations. He later obtained his M.A. in 1970 and Ph.D. (1974) in Political Science/International Relations from Columbia University, New York.

2. He began his career as a Lecturer at the Queen’s College, City University of New York from 1969-1974. Followed by an Assistant Professorship at the State University of New York 1974-1977. Upon returning to Nigeria, he was appointed Senior Lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1977-1980, and rose to become full Professor in 1983. He was the 5th Head of Department of Political Science and International Studies at ABU from 1982 to 1984. He is also a Visiting Professor at several Universities in the United States.

3. He was Director General of Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos from 1983-1984 and later became Minister of External Affairs (now Foreign Affairs) from 1984-1985 under the military government of Muhammadu Buhari.

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4. He was Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid from 1990-1994 and also served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations from 1990-1999.

5. He became the first United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on Africa from 1999-2005.

6. In 2007 he was appointed by the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Iraq Compact and other issues, a position he held until 2009.

7. He is the founder and current Chairman of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD), a Non-Governmental and Non-Profit Think-Tank committed to policy research, advocacy and training in diplomacy, democracy and development in Nigeria and Africa.

8. Professor Gambari holds the National Honors of Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFR), and South Africa’s highest national honour conferred on non-citizens, the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo (OCORT), conferred on him by President Jacob Zuma in October 2012.

9. In March 2013, he was appointed as First Chancellor, Kwara State University by Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed. He is also the current Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Bayero University, Kano (BUK).

10. In February 2019, the African Peer Review Forum of Heads of State and Government, chaired by President Idris Derby of Chad appointed Gambari as the Chairperson of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Panel of Eminent Persons.