Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno state is to deliver a public lecture to mark the 60th anniversary of the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) on Friday, 9 February, 2024.
Governor Zulum’s lecture titled “Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts: Issues and Challenges,” is to be delivered to invited guests, staff, PG students and cadets at the academy auditorium, NDA permanent site Afaka, Kaduna.
Prof. Zulum is eminently qualified to talk on the chosen topic, having been the Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR) of Borno state under former governor, Kashim Shettima’s second tenure (2015-2019), during which he witnessed firsthand the carnage and destructions caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Gov Zulum risked his life while working on rebuilding homes and public infrastructure throughout the state. In 2019, he was elected as the executive governor and chief security officer of Borno state, and in 2023, he was re-elected for a second term.
As the sitting governor, Gov. Zulum oversees the Borno Restoration Project which involves the resuscitation of peace, security and development in the state.
Zulum is a Professor of Agricultural Engineering, a Registered Engineer and Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE). He is a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (mni); a Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON); and recipient of honorary doctor of Leadership and Management of Atiba University Oyo; Fellow of Yaba College of Technology Lagos; and Ambassador-Extraordinary of the University of Ibadan at 75. Gov Zulum has acquired substantial experience in governance, leadership and administration over the past three decades.
In addition to Zulum, the UN Deputy Secretary General, Mrs Amina Mohammed, will present a second paper titled “Weaponisation of Sex and Protection of Rights of Women in Conflict.”
Mrs Mohammed is expected to address the gendered dimension of conflicts, and the challenges of protecting women and the vulnerables who are trapped in war zones.
Mrs Amina Mohammed’s paper will complement that of Prof Zulum, and she will bring a blend of local and international perspectives, having served as Nigeria’s Minister of the Environment, and presently serving as UN Deputy Secretary General.
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