Zulum appoints ex- minister Tijani as SSG, reappoints Marte as Chief of Staff
By Jennifer S. Kuwanta
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has appointed former minister of state for agriculture and rural development, Malam Bukar Tijani as Secretary to Borno State Government.
The Governor has also reappointed Professor Isa Hussaini Marte as Chief of Staff.
Malam Isa Gusau, the governor’s spokesperson, revealed the two appointments in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the announcement, Zulum took into account Tijani’s extremely high degree of experience from his time serving as a minister from July 2011 to September 2013 as well as his time serving as the FAO’s Assistant Secretary-General/Assistant Director-General (ASG/ADG).
The former minister travelled to about 50 different countries for official engagements through both offices and other national positions, such as national coordinator for Nigeria’s National Programme for Agriculture and Food Security and project coordinator for the World Bank’s Fadama initiative. He also made a significant contribution to the advancement of agriculture and food security in Nigeria, Africa, and on a global scale.
The 62-year old Tijani was born in Damasak but hails from Dikwa local government area of Borno State.
The former minister holds a Master of Science (degree) in Tropical Agricultural Development from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, obtained in 1989.
Professor Isa Hussaini Marte, meanwhile, is a native of Borno State’s Marte local government region.
From August 17, 2020 through May 29, 2019, he was Governor Zulum’s chief of staff.
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From August 2019 to August 2020, the Professor was the Borno State Commissioner for Higher Education. While serving as chief of staff in 2021, he also served as overseeing commissioner of health. Under the Zulum administration, he held both jobs.
Professor of pharmacology with a focus on cancer research, Isa Hussaini Marte is also a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, a member of the Society for Neuroscience, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, among other organisations.
Marte holds a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in pharmacology from King’s College London in 1987. He holds Masters’s Degree in pharmacology from Chelsea College, University of London in 1983. In 1997, he received obtained MBA from Averett University, a private non-profit college in Danville, Virginia, United States of America. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Prior to his tertiary education, Professor Isa Hussaini Marte attended Yerwa Central Primary School Maiduguri, before moving to Yerwa Government Secondary School Maiduguri, where he obtained his West African School Certificate in 1975.
Professor Marte is well renowned for having high moral standards that are consistent with the values of Governor Zulum, and he has demonstrated aptitude and a strong desire for societal development.
The statement said that Governor Zulum congratulates Professor Marte and looks forward to the chief of staff returning to work with his demonstrated efficiency in coordinating all government house affairs to enable the full realisation of Governor Zulum’s audacious vision, which has been continued with greater zeal following the first term’s significant accomplishments.
