By Abiola Olawale
The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Mai-Martaba Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari CFR, has felicitated with one of Africa’s most accomplished Scholars/Diplomats , former Chief of Staff to former president Muhammadu Buhari and former United Nations (UN)Under-Secretary-General (political), Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, who clocked 80 years on Sunday, November 24, 2024.
The Monarch, in a birthday message, referred to Gambari as a remarkable administrator and an exemplary diplomat “whose contributions have greatly impacted both Nigeria and the global community.”
Alhaji Sulu-Gambari who also extended his heartfelt congratulations to Gambari, who reached the milestone of attaining the distinguished age of 80 said in a statement which read in part thus: “Your sojourn as a diplomat, which you described as ‘accidental’, was part of Allah’s favour to Ilorin Emirate, Kwara State and Nigeria at large for making one of us an asset to the African continent and global community. It is, therefore, not ‘accidental’ but ‘Allah’s Providence’ on you.
“Your roles in promoting global peace and diplomacy were exceptional, and your last appointment as the Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari was another milestone in the history and profiling of Ilorin Emirate and Kwara State in general.
“We are proud of you and grateful to Almighty Allah for the opportunity given to you to serve Africa and Nigeria in particular with respect and abiding loyalty.”
The New Diplomat reports that Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari was born on 24 November 1944 in Ilorin, Kwara State, into a prominent Fulani ruling-class family. He is an uncle to the current Emir of Ilorin, and Chairman of Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.
His educational journey began at the elite King’s College in Lagos, known for its rigorous academic standards. Thereafter, Gambari pursued higher education at the London School of Economics, where he specialized in International Relations and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics in 1968.
With an excellent foundation, Gambari thereafter advanced in his academic pursuits in the United States at Columbia University in New York City, where he obtained a Master of Arts degree in 1970, followed by a Doctorate in Political Science/International Relations in 1974.
Indeed, Gambari’s rich and rigorous educational background laid the bedrock for his excellent career in both the academia and international diplomacy.
Commencing his academic career in 1969 at the City University of New York, where he concretized the groundwork for an inspiring teaching and research trajectory, Gambari returned to Nigeria where he took up teaching role at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State. Between 1986 and 1989, he also served as a Visiting Professor at three esteemed institutions in the United States, namely; Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Georgetown University, and Howard University, where he contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of political science and international relations.
In addition to his teaching roles, Gambari was a distinguished research fellow at the Brookings Institution, a prominent think tank in Washington, D.C., where he focused on critical issues affecting international relations. Furthermore, he was a Resident Scholar at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Italy, operated by the Rockefeller Foundation, where he conducted research in a conducive environment for scholars.
In his exemplary academic career, Gambari authored, co-authored numerous books and articles, becoming a very well-respected international figure in the sphere of foreign policy and international relations.
In recognition of his exceptional academic accomplishments, Gambari was appointed as Nigeria’s Minister for External Affairs in 1984, and served between 1984 and 1985 under General Muhammadu Buhari’s military regime. Prior to that 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.
Gambari has held several strategic and key 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 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.
