HONOURABLE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

DR HAMID BOBBOYI

Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC)

Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, who hails from Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, was born on July 29, 1957. He had his primary education at the Fufore Primary School, where he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate in 1971. He had his secondary education at Government Secondary School, Yola and obtained the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Certificate in 1975. He thereafter proceeded to the North East College of Arts and Science, Maiduguri, Nigeria and then Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A., where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History in 1982, a Master‟s Degree and finally capping it with a PhD in History of Educational Institutions in 1992. Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, having completed what passes for a sound educational foundation began his experience in the world of work as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of History, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, in 1984. He further served the university as a Teaching Fellow and Research Assistant. His working career in the US culminated in his appointment as a Research Fellow in the same university up till 1992. In a bid to give back to his country, he returned to Nigeria and took up appointment as a Research Coordinator with Huda Huda Publishing Company Ltd. Zaria, Nigeria. He served in this capacity until 1995.

Between 1995 and 1996, he joined the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow. He later returned to Huda Huda Publishing Company Ltd., Zaria as the Managing Director and served in this capacity till 1998. While under the employment of Ahmadu Bello University between 2004 and 2006, Dr. Bobboyi served as Member, Humanities Complex Committee; Member, Committee of Deans and Directors (CDD) of the university; Member of Ahmadu Bello University Senate; Chairman, Committee on the Establishment of a new Ahmadu Bello University College in Kaduna as well as External Examiner, Department of History, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Nigeria. A significant milestone in his professional career was his appointment as Director of Arewa House, Centre for Research and Historical Documentation, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna, Nigeria and served in this capacity till 2006. He was responsible for overseeing the administration as well as the general operations of the House, serving as member of and Secretary to the Board of Governors of the House and working with state governments, government agencies and non- governmental organisations in developing sustainable policy in areas of education, culture and the economy. After a successful tenure at Arewa House, Dr. Bobboyi was appointed DirectorGeneral, Centre for Regional Integration and Development (CRID), Abuja. Focusing on West African developmental issues, especially education and socio-economic development from 2007 to 2016, CRID under his leadership, among others, undertook major education and development projects such as the collation and editing of the proceedings of Nigeria‟s Constitutional Conferences from 1946 -1963 for the National Institute of Legislative Studies; Tsangaya Schools Project for the Education Trust Fund (ETF), from 2008 till date; Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja; Textbook development, editing and publication for the Education Trust Fund, Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja 2008 – 2013; and Research and Advocacy Project on Girl Child Education in Northern States of Nigeria, The Hewlett Packard Foundation, Seattle USA, 2010 – 2012. 1. Dr. Bobboyi is a visiting fellow and renowned speaker at various national and international conferences. Some of the platforms that have benefitted from his wealth of intellect and expertise include: John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 12th – 15th December, 2002. Conference on Nigeria: Governance, Law and Conflict. Presented a paper on Conflict and Conflict Management in Central Nigeria: The case of the Tiv and the Jukun. 2. Programme of African Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, May-June 2001 as Senior Scholar in Residence. Participated and chaired sessions in two conferences: Transmission of Islamic Learning in Africa and Nigeria‟s Economy: The Life and Economic Thought of Pius Okigbo. 3. Muhammad V. University, Rabat and the Kingdom of Morocco International Conference on 100 years of relations between Fez and Sub-Saharan Africa, November, 1993. Presented a paper on the Relationship between Fez and Kanem-Borno, with particular reference to activities of Shaykh Abdallah AlBarnawi. 4. George Mason University, Washington DC in collaboration with National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and National Defence College, Abuja on Institutional Reforms in Nigeria (Under the Chairmanship of Prof. John Paden). 5. East Centre and Wits University, Johannesburg, International Conference 2020 ANNUAL REPORTS Page 3 on Conceptualizing Power between States and Islamic Movements, held at Pretoria, from 19th – 20th January, 2015. Presented a paper entitled, Islam, Militancy, and Attitude to Political Power and Authority: The Case of Nigeria‟s Boko Haram. Dr. Hamid Bobboyi‟s academic accomplishments are readily demonstrated through his rich contributions to literature. Some of his major publications in collaboration with some authors include Peace-Building and Conflict Resolution in Northern Nigeria (2005); Adamawa Emirate: A Documentary Source Book, Vol. I, (1809-1965), CRID, Abuja, 2009; Principles of Leadership According to the Founding Fathers of the Sokoto Caliphate: An Anthology, CRID, Abuja 2011; „‟Nigeria, ECOWAS, and the Promotion of Regional Integration and Development‟‟ in Attahiru Jega and J. Farris, Fifty Years of Nigeria: Contributions to Peace Democracy and Development, Abuja: Shehu Yar‟adua Centre 2010; He has also been in the forefront of the promotion of national and regional integration and has deployed his professional competence in initiating and facilitating peace building efforts at national and regional levels. Some of his major engagements in this respect include: 1. Facilitator to the Peace-conference organised by Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at Arewa house, Kaduna, to resolve the politico-ethnic crisis between the Tiv and the Jukun in Benue and Taraba States, 2002. 2. Chairman, Technical Committee on Northern Nigeria Peace Conference, organised by the Northern States Governors Forum, December 2004. 3. Resource person, Inter-faith Research Roundtable organized by the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Nigeria, under the Director. 4. Technical Advisor on Socio-religious Implications of Nigeria‟s Polio-Crisis at the Global Vaccine Summit, organized by the Gates Foundation and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE, December 2013. 5. Director and member, Technical Committee of the National Development Project (NDP), Abuja. The NDP is a non– governmental organization that provides policy advice on fiscal and monetary policy, agricultural produce marketing, education, as well as on peace–building and Conflict resolution to various agencies of government. 6. Member Organizing Committee, First Industrial Roundtable 2002 to deliberate on the Northern States Industry Survey and to work out strategies for stimulating the industrialization of Northern states. He is a Member, Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and Member, Board of Trustees, Girl-Child Concerns, Abuja.