Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, CFR ((Listen); born November 24, 1944), is a Nigerian academic and diplomat who served as Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria from 2020 to 2023.[1][2][3][4]

Ibrahim Gambari
Chief of Staff to the President
In office
13 May 2020 – 29 May 2023
PresidentMuhammadu Buhari
Preceded byAbba Kyari
Succeeded byFemi Gbajabiamila
Under Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political Affairs
In office
2005–2007
Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan
Ban Ki-moon
Under Secretary-General of the United Nations
(Special Adviser on Africa)
In office
1999–2005
Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan
Preceded byPosition established
President of UNICEF
In office
1999–1999
Preceded byMichael Powles
Succeeded byAnwarul Karim Chowdhury
Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations
In office
1990–1999
PresidentIbrahim Badamasi Babangida
Ernest Shonekan
Sani Abacha
Abdulsalami Abubakar
Olusegun Obasanjo
Preceded byJoseph Nanven Garba
Succeeded byArthur Mbanefo
Minister of External Affairs
In office
1984–1985
Head of StateMuhammadu Buhari
Preceded byEmeka Anyaoku
Succeeded byBolaji Akinyemi
Personal details
Born (1944-11-24) 24 November 1944 (age 79)
Ilorin, Northern Region, British Nigeria (now in Kwara State, Nigeria)
Political partyAll Progressives Congress (APC)
RelativesIbrahim Sulu-Gambari (nephew)
EducationLondon School of Economics (B.Sc.)
Columbia University (M.A. & Ph.D.)
Alma materKings College, Lagos
Occupation
  • Diplomat
  • academic

He previously served as permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations from 1990 to 1999, and minister of external affairs from 1984 to 1985.

Early life and education

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Ibrahim Agboola Gambari was born on 24 November 1944 in Ilorin, Kwara State to a Fulani ruling class family. His nephew Ibrahim Sulu Gambari is the Emir of Ilorin.[5]

Gambari attended King's College, Lagos. He subsequently attended the London School of Economics where he obtained his B. Sc. (Economics) degree (1968) with specialisation in International Relations. He later obtained his M.A. (1970) and Ph. D. (1974) degrees from Columbia University, New York, United States in Political Science /International Relations.[6]

Academic career

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Gambari began his teaching career in 1969 at City University of New York before working at University of Albany. Later, he taught at Ahmadu Bello University, in Zaria, Kaduna State.[7] From 1986 to 1989, he was Visiting Professor at three universities in Washington, D.C.: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Georgetown University and Howard University. He has also been a research fellow at the Brookings Institution also in Washington, D.C. and a Resident Scholar at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center, the Rockefeller Foundation-run center in Italy. He has written so many books and published in reputable journals in foreign policy and international relations, such as 'Theory and Reality in Foreign Policy: Nigeria after second Republic'.[8]

Foreign policy

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Nigeria

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Gambari served as the Minister for External Affairs between 1984 and 1985 under General Muhammadu Buhari's military regime, after he was the director general of The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA). From 1990 to 1999, he holds the record of being the longest serving Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, serving under five Heads of State and Presidents.

United Nations

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Gambari has held several positions in the United Nations. In 1999, he was the President of UNICEF and later became UN Under Secretary-General and the first Special Adviser on Africa to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan from 1999 to 2005. He was the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political Affairs from 2005 to 2007 under Secretary-General's Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon. His last appointment in the UN was from January 2010 to July 2012, when he was appointed by Ban Ki-moon and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission as the Joint African Union-United Nations Special Representative for Darfur.[9]

Honours and memberships

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References

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  1. ^ Fasan, Olu (14 January 2021). "Gambari wants to help secure Buhari's legacy, but time is running out!". Vanguard. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  2. ^ "It's official… Ibrahim Gambari is new chief of staff". The Cable. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  3. ^ Okunuga, Timileyin (12 May 2020). "Buhari Appoints Gambari as Chief of Staff". TELL.
  4. ^ "Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari". OHCHR. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  5. ^ Onasanya, Angelicus (2010). Ibrahim Agboola Gambari : the man for all challenges. S.l.: Xilibris Corp. ISBN 9781453532126.
  6. ^ "Profile: Prof Ibrahim Gambari, New Chief Of Staff To Nigeria's President Buhari". Nigerian Bulletin. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  7. ^ Ani, Micheal (13 May 2020). "Nigeria has a new chief of staff, here are few things to know about him". Business Day. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  8. ^ Theory and Reality in Foreign Policy: Nigeria after second Republic
  9. ^ "Former Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari". UN. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Official Bio-data of Ibrahim Gambari, President Buhari's new COS". Premium Times. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
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Political offices
Preceded by Foreign Minister of Nigeria
1984 – 1985
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of Staff to the President
2020 – 2023
Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Permanent Representative of Nigeria
to the United Nations

1990 – 1999
Succeeded by
Chief Arthur Mbanefo
Preceded by
Joseph Nanven Garba
Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee
on Peacekeeping Operations

1990 – 1999
Succeeded by
Chief Arthur Mbanefo
Preceded by
?
President of the Executive Board of UNICEF
1999
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Nil
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
Special Adviser on Africa

2000 – 2005
Succeeded by
Legwaila Joseph Legwaila
Preceded by Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
for Department of Political Affairs

2005 – 2007
Succeeded by