Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Professor Tijjani Mohammad Bande is expected to take over the presidency of the world body’s General Assembly in June.
This was disclosed by outgoing president of UNGA, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés at a press conference in Abuja after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday. Bande will become the second Nigerian to be considered for appointment as President of UNGA after General Joseph Nanven Garba who held the position between 1989 and 1990. Bande was born at Zagga in present day Kebbi State. He holds M.A in Political Science from the Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA in 1981 and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto, Canada in 1987.
Bande was, from January 2000 to February 2004, the Director-General of the Centre African de Formation et de Recherche Administrative pour le Development (CAFRAD) in Tangier, Morocco. This is Africa’s premier institution with responsibility for training and research in public administration and management.
He was the Vice-Chancellor Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, which ended in February between 2004 and 2009. He served as former director-general of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State. He became the Acting Director General of the National Institute from 2010 till March 2016.