by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The governor of Kaduna State, Sen. (Dr) Uba Sani, has appointed Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo as the Commissioner, Ministry of Education Kaduna State.
He has also redeployed the outgoing Education Commissioner, Prof. Sani Bello (Mainan Zazzau) to the newly-created Ministry of Information that was scrapped under the immediate past administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The governor has also appointed Barrister Gloria Ibrahim as the Commissioner of Youth Development, according to a statement signed Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibraheem Musa. The appointments and redeployment are with immediate effect.
Governor Uba Sani expects Prof. Abubakar Sambo to reinvigorate the Education Ministry to deliver on his administration’s agenda, which is aimed at improving access to education, building and rehabilitating infrastructure, enhancing the capacity of teachers, harnessing the capacity of ICT, prioritising girl-child education and strengthening security in schools.
In line with his administration’s focus on refocusing and empowering Kaduna State youths to play vital roles in a fast-changing and technologically-driven world, the governor expects Barrister Gloria Ibrahim to fashion out creative, innovative and implementable programmes and projects to make the Youth Development Ministry a leading center for high-impact solutions for youths-related issues.
While congratulating Prof. Abubakar Sambo and Barrister Gloria Ibrahim on their well-deserved appointments, Governor Uba Sani wishes them God’s guidance and protection in their new assignments.
Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, the new Commissioner of Education, is an accomplished academician, administrator and a recipient of the National Productivity Order of Merit (1997) and Officer of the Order of the Niger (2000).
A Professor of Energy Studies, he served as Vice Chancellor, Kaduna State University (2004), Vice Chancellor, Bauchi State University (1995-2004), and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Usmanu Dan Fodio University, Sokoto (1990-1994).
From 2005 to 2012, Prof. Sambo was the Director-General, Energy Commission of Nigeria. In 2011, he was appointed Special Adviser to the President on Energy. He has equally served at some high-level panels and committees in Nigeria and at the international level, the statement added.
He was the Chairman, Nigerian Committee for Partnership with Brazil on Energy (2007-2008), Member, Tertiary Education Trust Fund Standing Committee on Research and Development and Coordinator of the Energy Thematic Group (2020), Member, ECOWAS Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) Consultation Committee (2021), and Member, African Union High Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (2022).
Barrister Gloria Ibrahim, the new Commissioner of Youth Development, is a long standing legal practitioner and mediator. Before her appointment as Commissioner, she was a Principal Legal Practitioner at Glownom Legal Consult, Kaduna.
She holds the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree, from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Certificate in Negotiation and Mediation, DICON Consulting, Empowerment and Management, Kaduna. She is a member of the Association of Professional Negotiators and Mediators (APNM), Child Protection Agency (CPN), Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), and International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), it stated.