Feature/OPED
Examining Dambazau’s Exploits at 65
By Edwin Uhara
Birthday means different things to different people in different places. To some, it is the celebration of anniversary. To another, it is the beginning of a new life while to others it is a year of possibilities as endless as the sky and the opportunity to meet the challenges in everything we do.
Within the context of overcoming the challenges in everything we do, this article is going to look at the exploits of a man who has never failed in every assignment ever handed down to him by the Nigerian people and government. The person is no other person but the Honourable Minister of Interior, retired Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau PhD, CFR and “Baraden Kano” as he turns 65 years on March 14.
General AB Dambazau needs no introduction because his quintessential personality and stellar performances in every national assignment ever given to him by Nigerian authority have distinguished him from his contemporaries.
This is a man who began his career in a low profile but through hardwork, discipline and abiding faith in God rose to the pinnacle of his career and retired as Chief of Army Staff before his appointment as Minister of Interior and member of the International Advisory Board of Africa Peace Fellow (APF) by the College of Health and Human Services of the California State University, Sacramento, USA.
The APF is an initiative of the California State University’s Centre for African Peace and Conflict Resolution (CAPCR), with major training initiatives on conflict resolution.
Born on March 14, 1954, General AB Dambazau began his military career at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) after completing his secondary education at the famous Barewa College, Zaria in 1974. At NDA, he was member of the 17 Regular Combatant Course and was later commissioned, Second Lieutenant in to the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army in June 1977.
In 1979, General Dambazau attended the United States Army Military Police School in Fort McClellan, Alabama. Haven observed that versatility is the key to overcoming the challenges posed by the realities of the 21th Century, in 1980, General Dambazau went to Kent State University in Ohio United States where he graduated with Bachelor of Science Degree (Bsc) in Criminal Justice. After completing his Master of Arts (MA) in International Relations as well as Master of Education (MEd) in Higher Educational Administration, between 1986 and 1989 General Dambazau was at the University of Keele in the United Kingdom to acquire his Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) in Criminology.
Having served as Aid De Camp (ADC) to a former Chief of Army Staff in 1979 and commanded the Military Police Units as well as Special Investigator at the Special Investigation Bureau of NACMP from 1984 to 1985, General Dambazau was appointed Registrar (Academic Branch) of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) from 1993 to 1999. Thereafter, he served as Chief Instructor, Support Weapon Wing of the Infantry Centre and School from 1999 to 2001.
Later, he served as Directing Staff and Director, Higher Military Organization and Operations at the National War College now known as the National Defence College from 2004 to 2006.
Subsequently, he was made Principal Staff Officer at Army Headquarters as well as Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation before he was appointed General Officer Commanding 2nd Division Ibadan from 2007 to 2008.
After distinguishing himself in several task handed down to him by the Federal Government, in August 2008, General Dambazau was appointed Chief of Army Staff; a position he held until his retirement in September 2010.
As a PhD holder, Dr. AB Dambazau was once a part-time Lecturer (Gratis) at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria where he taught his students Criminology at the Faculty of Law.
Outside the military, Dr. Dambazau is also an erudite scholar and author of five widely read books as well as several academic articles in notable journals.
Before joining President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government in 2015, General Dambazau was the Chairman, Board of University Advancement Centre, University of Ibadan as well as Board of Trustees Chairman and founder, Foundation for Victims of Child Abuse (VCAF) which is dedicated to the victims of child abuse in Nigeria.
In recognition of his numerous services to the nation, the Federal Government honoured him with the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) as well as the National Productivity Order of Merit Award among others.
General Dambazau is also the Ochiagha 1 of Egbelu Umuekwune in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State; a chieftaincy title earlier given to him in recognition of his excellent services to the fatherland.
Dr. AB Dambazau is also a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Peace, Democracy and Development, University of Massachusetts, Boston. Also, he is a Fellow and Associate of the Weather Head Centre for International Affairs, Harvard University, all in the United States of America.
As Visiting Professor, General Dambazau delivered several lectures including the famous one he delivered at the Department of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Igbinedion University.
As Minister of Interior with the mandate to merge the old Ministry of Interior with the disbanded Ministry of Police Affairs, General Dambazau’s ingenuity was brought to bear as he pioneered the task towards responsibility, accountability, good governance, transparency and respect for the rule of law which Nigerians are not only seeing it but are also feeling it; especially during and after the 2019 general elections.
His capacity building initiatives, retooling and re-equipping of the Federal Fire Service, Nigerian Prisons Service, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps are equal to none since record keeping officially began in Nigeria.
Accordingly, Dambazau’s mark of achievements at the Ministry of Interior cannot be wiped out in centuries to come as his patriotic works at the ministry touches every aspect of our national lives.
For instance, Dambazau stopped the payment of fines paid by Nigerians holding dual citizenship at the nation’s international airports. The intention behind the move is to make movement of Nigerians with dual citizenship easy and convenient for them to enter the country at any time unhindered.
According to the Minister: ”On no account should any Nigerian traveller holding dual citizenship be made to pay fines for the so-called overstay.”
Under this new policy, citizens with dual nationality would only present travelling documents of both countries to the immigration officials upon arrival and departure at the airport regardless of whatever document they are using for the travel.
In similar vein, General Dambazau spearheaded the establishment of the first ever operational border patrol base to effectively police the country’s vast and expansive borders that were hitherto porous and unmanned. This is the most cost effective way of policing our borders since there are no adequate funds to erect walls across the country’s 5,000 kilometre borders that are extensive and porous.
The initiative is in addition to the launching of the National Control Centre for online monitoring of our borders among other things. No doubt, the move has made it possible for immigration officials to monitor our expansive borders in addition to the patrol teams.
According to Dambazau, the responsibility of securing the territorial borders of a vast country like Nigeria is quite enormous and overwhelming. This is why establishing border patrol base is a timely means of supporting border patrol structures by intensifying surveillance along the nation’s routes and enforcing our immigration laws.
The giant move by the Minister has boosted the fight against human trafficking, smuggling, proliferation of small arms and light weapons as well as ending other forms of cross-border crimes in the country and across the continent.
The patrol base is however equipped with modern communication facilities for easy and secure intelligence gathering and sharing.
In similar vein, the revenue generating capacity of the Nigerian Immigration Service has grown from paltry sums to about N38 billion in 2017 alone. The money was generated from passport revenue, address verification fees, non-refundable administration fees, e-passport fees among others.
Another success of the Minister is the establishment of E-Citibiz Automation Call Centre for the ease of doing business in the country. The e-citibiz call centre was established to ensure that the Citizenship and Business Department of the Ministry is electronically configured and automated to ease the delivery of services to Nigerians.
According to Dambazau, the automation call centre would reduce unnecessary contact with people as it hastens service delivery in good times.
His words: ”This is one of the moments I have been waiting for since three years. What this means is that, there would no longer be direct contact with applicants from outside. So, I would not want to see anybody coming to inquire about anything because we have all the necessary platforms for the services needed.”
Dambazau also ensured the extension of the validity period of the Nigerian Passport from five years to 10 years with improved security features and quality on the passport booklet. With this development, Nigerians would no longer have to return home every five years for passport renewal or line-up at the Nigerian Embassies abroad for similar purposes.
Again, Nigerians no longer have to come to Abuja to process their passport needs as the whole thing has been decentralized.
Just recently, the Federal Executive Council approved N7.1 billion for the building of a communication centre for the Nigeria Immigration Service.
According to Dambazau, the centre will help harness the data of NIS which is currently domiciled with various service providers in the country.
“The centre, when operational, will help bring together all the data used by the Nigeria Immigration Service under one roof.
“At the proposed centre to be sighted within the headquarters of the Service, the data will be brought together so that the NIS can be able to interface with other institutions that have to do with internal security matters and border management.”
As part of his drive towards good governance, General Dambazau signed the new Immigration Regulations Policy which has been gazetted and subsequently put to work in the country.
The objective of the Regulation is to drive effective implementation of the Immigration Act of 2015 which replaced the Immigration Act of 1963.
It is also aimed at consolidating on the existing immigration regulations to provide a “one-stop” reference on immigration rules in Nigeria. With these new regulations, Nigeria have taken a bold step forward in dealing with modern immigration challenges as well as improving the ease of doing business in the country.
General Dambazau also introduced some reforms to the country’s visa issuance processes. Under the new visa regime, genuine foreign investors who want to do business in Nigeria can now get visa on arrival. The same thing is applicable to tourists who want to explore the country for leisure purposes.
While the Nigerian Prison Service is not overlooked, General Dambazau spearheaded the construction of six new ultra-modern prisons in the six geo-political zones of the country. This move is due to the fact that prisons in the country are out of fashion and therefore cannot meet the demands of the moment.
According to the Minister, the prisons are in line with the United Nations Minimum Standard for Prisons which was obtained in collaboration with states governments.
Hence, the reformed NPS will boost the welfare of inmates by providing them with humane environment and facilities as the Nigerian Prisons no longer serve as warehouse for inmates but a correctional institution!
The education programme General Dambazau introduced at the service have started yielding results as some students in Jos recently graduated with relevant certifications while 465 inmates are currently undergoing various degree programmes in tertiary institutions with 23 undergoing post-graduate courses while one is currently doing a PhD outside the country.”
Because of the many far reaching reforms introduced by the Minister, Nigeria Prisons Service last year won the 2018 United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization Confucius Award for Literacy and Skills Acquisition for inmates in faraway Paris, France.
Dambazau also repositioned the Federal Fire Service to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It should be noted that the last time equipments were procured for the service was in 1996, while the penultimate one was in 1985.
Accordingly, the sum of N3.9 billion was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council for the procurement of 22 firefighting vehicles for the Service.
According to Dambazau, “In 2016, we procured 21 fire fighting vehicles. In 2017, the procurement was for 22 fire fighting trucks and in 2018, it is a repeat procurement of what we did last year.
Similarly, the Minister ensured the full implementation of the fire building code to guarantee safety and minimize the rate of destruction each time there was fire outbreak in the country. For Instance, every building is now expected to have water sprinkler, fire extinguisher among others.
Besides the fact that General Dambazau empowered staff of the Federal Fire Service, he also replaced the broken down and obsolete equipment at the service with new ones as he also upgraded and renovated old facilities of the service like the Staff Quarters, Fire Service Academy and Libraries to modern standards.
Others include, the building of new hostel facilities, tarring of roads as well as the payment of insurance cover for all staff of the service.
It is also on record that under General Dambazau, the National Fire Academy got affiliated to the Nigerian Defence Academy for the training of staff and award of Degrees, Postgraduate Degrees and Masters in disaster management.
Similarly, in line with the constitutional mandate of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps which includes, mounting surveillance on the nation’s infrastructures, sites and projects for the government, General Dambazau subsequently directed the establishment of Agro-Rangers from the Corps. Agro-ranger is a 3,000 capacity NSCDC personnel unit established by the government to protect farmers and their farm land from armed banditry and kidnapping in the country.
As it is today, the NSCDC is now properly placed to assist in the maintenance of peace and order as well as the protection of critical infrastructures among others in Nigeria.
Therefore, I am joining the Minister’s well-wishers to wish him a very warmed and memorable birthday anniversary as he turn 65 on March 14.
Happy Birthday to the people’s General!
Comrade Edwin Uhara writes from Abuja
Human Rights Day often centres on themes of dignity, equity, and freedom. Yet for many Nigerians, these rights are not debated in courtrooms they are expressed in the ability to access nutritious food, build meaningful livelihoods, and secure a healthy future for their families. Nutrition, in this sense, becomes a fundamental human right.
Despite a growing population and rising nutrition needs, Nigeria faces a pressing dairy reality. The country remains heavily dependent on dairy imports, leaving nutritional access vulnerable and local capacity underdeveloped. This is not just an economic concern; it is a human one. When families cannot easily access affordable, high-quality dairy, the foundations of health and development are weakened.
It is within this context that Arla Nigeria operates not merely as a dairy company, but as a nutrition powerhouse committed to nourishing a nation. Our ambition extends beyond selling products. We are working to build the foundations of a stronger, more resilient local dairy sector that supports food security, economic participation, and national progress.
At the heart of our efforts is the Damau Integrated Dairy Farm in Kaduna Statea fully operational modern farm designed to demonstrate what responsible, efficient, and scalable dairy production can look like in Nigeria. Arla Nigeria produces its own milk on-site, ensuring quality, safety, and consistency as we continue building the systems required for a sustainable local value chain. In fact, until our yoghurt factory launches, the reverse is true: some stakeholders purchase milk from us.
But infrastructure alone is not the story. What truly matters is the human impact surrounding the farm.
Arla Nigeria has been intentional about engaging and empowering the communities around Damau. By creating employment opportunities for local residents, providing skills development, and contributing to community growth, we are ensuring that the benefits of dairy development extend beyond production lines. This is development rooted in people where progress is measured in livelihoods improved and opportunities created.
As Arla Nigeria continues to expand operations, our long-term commitment remains clear: to contribute meaningfully to local milk sourcing and value chain development, strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to feed itself. Backward integration is not a slogan for Arla Foods; it is a structured pathway with building responsibly and sustainably. From farm systems to future household milk initiatives, the goal is to create a model that supports farmers, enhances productivity, and drives economic inclusion in the years ahead.
On Human Rights Day, the conversation often revolves around preventing harm avoiding exploitation, ensuring fair labour, and upholding ethical standards. These are essential, but they are only the beginning. True respect for human rights means creating enabling systems that allow people to thrive.
With Arla Foods, that begins with nutrition. Milk is a super food, rich in essential nutrients that support growth and development. Ensuring access to such nutrition contributes directly to national well-being and productivity. When we help secure a healthier population, we strengthen the foundation for education, economic participation, and long-term prosperity.
This is why Arla believes that dairy is not just food it is nutrition, livelihood, and progress. By investing in sustainable production, community development, and future local sourcing capabilities, Arla Nigeria is contributing to food security and economic growth in a tangible, measurable way.
Ultimately, ethical business is not defined by corporate language or labels. It is defined by the stability, nourishment, and dignity it brings to people’s lives. As Nigeria celebrates Human Rights Day, let us recognise that the right to nutrition and the opportunity to build a better future are among the most powerful rights we can help protect.
By Busayo Cole
There’s an unacknowledged marvel in Nigeria, a national institution so revered and influential that its very mention invokes awe; and not a small dose of amnesia. I’m speaking, of course, about the glorious Memory Loss Clinic for the Elite, a facility where unsolved corruption cases go to receive a lifetime membership in our collective oblivion.
Take a walk down the memory lane of scandals past, and you’ll encounter a magical fog. Who remembers the details of the N2.5 billion pension fund scam? Anyone? No? Good. That’s exactly how the clinic works. Through a combination of political gymnastics, endless court adjournments, and public desensitisation, these cases are carefully wrapped in a blanket of vagueness. Brilliant, isn’t it?
The beauty of this clinic lies in its inclusivity. From the infamous Dasukigate, which popularised the phrase “arms deal” in Nigeria without actually arming anything, to the less publicised but equally mystifying NDDC palliative fund saga, the clinic accepts all cases with the same efficiency. Once enrolled, each scandal receives a standard treatment: strategic denial, temporary outrage, and finally, oblivion.
Not to be overlooked are the esteemed practitioners at this clinic: our very own politicians and public officials. Their commitment to forgetting is nothing short of Nobel-worthy. Have you noticed how effortlessly some officials transition from answering allegations one week to delivering keynote speeches on accountability the next? It’s an art form.
Then there’s the media, always ready to lend a hand. Investigative journalists dig up cases, splash them across headlines for a week or two, and then move on to the next crisis, leaving the current scandal to the skilled hands of the clinic’s erasure team. No one does closure better than us. Or rather, the lack thereof.
And let’s not forget the loyal citizens, the true heroes of this operation. We rant on social media, organise a protest or two, and then poof! Our collective short attention span is the lifeblood of the Memory Loss Clinic. Why insist on justice when you can unlook?
Take, for example, the Halliburton Scandal. In 2009, a Board of Inquiry was established under the leadership of Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro, to investigate allegations of a $182 million bribery scheme involving the American company Halliburton and some former Nigerian Heads of State. Despite Halliburton admitting to paying the bribes to secure a $6 billion contract for a natural gas plant, the case remains unresolved. The United States fined the companies involved, but in Nigeria, the victims of the corruption: ordinary citizens, received no compensation, and no one was brought to justice. The investigation, it seems, was yet another patient admitted to the clinic.
Or consider the Petroleum Trust Fund Probe, which unraveled in the late 1990s. Established during General Sani Abacha’s regime and managed by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, the PTF’s operations were scrutinised when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo assumed office in 1999. The winding-down process uncovered allegations of mismanagement, dubious dealings, and a sudden, dramatic death of a key figure, Salihijo Ahmad, the head of the PTF’s sole management consultant. Despite the drama and the revelations, the case quietly faded into obscurity, leaving Nigerians with more questions than answers.
Then there is the colossal case of under-remittance of oil and gas royalties and taxes. The Federal Government, through the Special Presidential Investigatory Panel (SPIP), accused oil giants like Shell, Agip, and the NNPC of diverting billions of dollars meant for public coffers. Allegations ranged from falsified production figures to outright embezzlement. Despite detailed accusations and court proceedings, the cases were abandoned after the SPIP’s disbandment in 2019. As usual, the trail of accountability disappeared into thin air, leaving the funds unaccounted for and the public betrayed yet again.
Of course, this institution isn’t without its critics. Some stubborn Nigerians still insist on remembering. Creating spreadsheets, tracking cases, and daring to demand accountability. To these radicals, I say: why fight the tide? Embrace the convenience of selective amnesia. Life is easier when you don’t worry about where billions disappeared to or why someone’s cousin’s uncle’s housemaid’s driver has an oil block.
As World Anti-Corruption Day comes and goes, let us celebrate the true innovation of our time. While other nations are busy prosecuting offenders and recovering stolen funds, we have mastered the fine art of forgetting. Who needs convictions when you have a clinic this efficient? Oh, I almost forgot the anti-corruption day as I sent my draft to a correspondent very late. Don’t blame me, I am just a regular at the clinic.
So, here’s to Nigeria’s Memory Loss Clinic, a shining beacon of how to “move on” without actually moving forward. May it continue to thrive, because let’s face it: without it, what would we do with all these unsolved corruption cases? Demand justice? That’s asking a lot. Better to forget and focus on the next election season. Who knows? We might even re-elect a client of the clinic. Wouldn’t that be poetic?
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a new scandal to ignore.
Busayo Cole is a Branding and Communications Manager who transforms abstract corporate goals into actionable, sparkling messaging. It’s rumored that 90% of his strategic clarity is powered by triple-shot espresso, and the remaining 10% is sheer panic. He can be reached via busayo@busayocole.com.
By Kehinde Ogundare
Artificial intelligence is everywhere–in polished social media posts, in the recommendations that guide our viewing habits, and in the bots that handle customer queries before a human agent steps in. On LinkedIn, AI-assisted writing has become standard practice.
A year ago, more than half of English long-form posts that went viral were estimated to have been written by or assisted by AI. If that’s the norm on the world’s biggest business network, it’s no surprise that AI is driving conversations in Nigerian boardrooms as companies move from experimentation to embedding AI into their daily operations.
Part of the package
The Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), modelled on the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, together with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, requires companies to build privacy into their systems from the outset rather than adding it later. This clear regulatory framework has evolved alongside a rapid rise in AI adoption.
New research from Zoho on responsible AI adoption highlights the impact of the regulations. As per the report, 93% of Nigerian companies have already started using AI in their daily operations; 84% have tightened their privacy controls after adoption, and 94% now have a dedicated privacy officer or team, which is well above global averages.
The survey, conducted by Arion Research LLC among 386 senior executives, shows just how deeply embedded AI has become in Nigeria. One in four companies already uses it across several departments, and nearly a third report advanced integration. Financial services firms are pioneers in this sector, using AI to automate client interactions, streamline operations and sharpen their marketing, while staying compliant with data protection rules.
The NDPA has helped make privacy part of business planning. Four in ten companies now spend more than 30% of their IT budgets on privacy. Regular audits, privacy impact assessments and explainability checks are becoming standard practice.
Skills, compliance and capacity
Rapid adoption brings challenges. More than a third of businesses say that their biggest obstacle is a lack of technical skills, and another 35% cite privacy and security risks. Instead of outsourcing, most are building capacity in-house: nearly 70% of companies are training staff in data analysis, more than half are improving general AI literacy, and 40% are investing in prompt engineering for generative tools.
The understanding of the NDPA regulation, which came into force in 2023, has also improved. 65% of organisations see compliance as essential. Many voluntarily apply data-minimisation and transparency standards even when not required to do so, aligning more closely with international norms and easing collaboration with global partners.
Privacy is increasingly influencing business decisions — from investment priorities to system design. Companies are asking tougher questions: is specific data essential? How can exposure be limited? How can fairness and transparency be proven?
Trusted systems
As privacy becomes part of how technology is built, companies are being more cautious about the tools they use because they now want systems that protect customer data, with clear boundaries between data and model training, straightforward controls, and reliable records for compliance teams.
Demand for business software that balances productivity with privacy is also growing. Zoho, among others, has seen strong customer growth as more organisations are looking for platforms that support responsible data handling.
The study identifies three main reasons behind AI adoption: to make work more efficient by automating routine tasks, to support better decision-making by identifying patterns sooner, and to improve customer engagement through faster, more relevant interactions. But none of this can succeed without trust. Nigeria’s experience shows that privacy and innovation can reinforce each other when they’re built together.
There’s still work to do because some industries are moving faster than others, and smaller businesses often face the biggest hurdles in time, cost and skills. Enforcement is also patchy; while the law is clear, application across sectors and geographies is a work in progress.
The next steps are more practical, requiring investment in skills – from data analysis and AI literacy to sector-specific training – and for governance to be put in place, with clear responsibilities, written policies, and a plan for managing errors or breaches. Privacy impact assessments should become part of every new system rollout, enabled by technology.
As AI becomes fundamental to doing business, Nigerian companies that build it carefully and responsibly will be better able to compete at home and abroad.
Kehinde Ogundare is the Country Head for Zoho Nigeria
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