Afakriya Aduwa Gadzama mni OFR (22 November 1953) is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

security officer who is the Chairman of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies. He previously served as Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) under President

Umaru Yar'Adua Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (16 August 19515 May 2010) was a Nigerian politician who, was the President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010. He was declared the winner of the Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 20 ...

from August 2007 to September 2010.

Background and education

Afakriya Aduwa Gadzama was born on 22 November 1953 at Lassa in

Askira/Uba Askira/Uba is a Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Askira. It has an area of 2,362 km and a population of 138,091 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 601. One of the villa ...

Local Government Area of

Borno State Borno State is a state in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Yobe to the west, Gombe to the southwest, and Adamawa to the south while its eastern border forms part of the national border with Cameroon, its northern border ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. He attended the prestigious Barewa College,

Zaria Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria which at the present time lies within four (4) local government areas in Kaduna state; it happens to be the capital city to the Zazzau Emirate Council, and one of the original seven Hausa city-states ...

from (1968–1972), then School of Basic studies Zaria

Kaduna State Kaduna State ( ha, Jihar Kaduna جىِهَر كَدُنا; ff, Leydi Kaduna, script=Latn, ; kcg, Sitet Kaduna) is a state in northern Nigeria. The state capital is its namesake, the city of Kaduna which happened to be the 8th largest city in ...

. He later proceeded to the

Ahmadu Bello University Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is a federal government research university in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. ABU was founded on 4 October 1962, as the pioneer university in Northern Nigeria. It was founded and named after the Sardauna of Sokoto, Al ...

Zaria, where he obtained his bachelor's degree (BA) in Political Science (1977). In 2001, Gadzama attended the Senior Executive Course at the

National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Nigeria is a policy formation center for bureaucrats, private sector leaders, Army officers, and medium-rank and senior civil servants, which was founded in 1979. Most policymakers ...

(NIPSS)

Kuru Kuru may refer to: Anthropology and history * Kuru (disease), a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy associated with the cannibalistic funeral practices of the Fore people * Kuru (mythology), part of Meithei mythology * Kuru Kingdom, ...

, Jos.

Early career

Gadzama started his career in 1978 with the Ministry of Finance in Borno State and transferred to the

National Security Organization The National Security Organization (NSO) of Nigeria, or Nigerian Security Organization, was created under Decree number 27 of 1976 by the military regime of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, after the failed Dimka coup which claimed the life of former ...

as a Principal Officer in 1984. He rose through the ranks of the NSO and the subsequent State Security Service which was carved out of the NSO when it was dissolved.

State Security Service

His postings at the State Security Service include: *Director of Security,

Plateau State Plateau State is the twelfth-largest Nigerian state. It is in the centre of the country includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau, its capital, and the entire plateau itself. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and To ...

(1989–1991) *Director of Security,

Federal Capital Territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

(1991–1993) *Director of Security,

Kaduna Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Region, Nigeria, Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade Centre and a major transportation hub as the ...

(1993–1997) *Director of Operations, SSS National Headquarters (1997–1998) *Director of Programmes, SSS National Headquarters 1999 *Director of Intelligence (2001–2002) *Director of Operations (2002–2003) *Director of Administration and Logistics, National Headquarters (2004–2005) *Director of Corporate Services, National Headquarters (2006–2007). In August 2007, President Umaru Yar'Adua appointed Gadzama as Director General of the State Security Service. Gadzama was instrumental in President

Umaru Yar Adua Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (16 August 19515 May 2010) was a Nigerian politician who, was the President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010. He was declared the winner of the Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 20 ...

's Niger Delta Amnesty Program. In September 2010,

Ita Ekpeyong Ita Esien Ekpeyong mni (or Ekpenyong) is a Nigerian security officer who served as Director General of the State Security Service from September 2010 to July 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan. Background Ekpeyong was born in Cross River St ...

replaced Gadzama as Director General of the SSS after President

Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957)Lawson Heyford, ''The Source'' (Lagos), 11 December 2006. is a Nigerian politician who served as the President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to fo ...

's mass dismissal of security chiefs.

Later career

On December 16, 2019, Nigeria's President

Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015. Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 Au ...

appointed Gadzama as the Chairman of the

National Institute Security Studies National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gadzama, Afakriya Living people 1953 births People from Borno State Ahmadu Bello University alumni Barewa College alumni Directors General of the State Security Service (Nigeria) Nigerian security personnel National Security Organization staff Members of the Nigerian National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies Marghi people