Ex-Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Ambassador Gambari Bags US Varsity Role
Former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, has been appointed as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Center for Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania, United States.
The appointment which adds to his decades-long career in diplomacy, academia and public service, approved by the university’s School of Arts and Sciences, will run from January 1 to August 31, 2026, according to an official letter issued by the Center.
Director of the Center for Africana Studies, Wale Adebanwi, in a correspondence released on Friday and obtained by this reporter, said the institution was pleased to host the veteran diplomat as Distinguished Visiting Scholar.
“I am delighted to inform you that the School of Arts and Sciences has approved our request to appoint you as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Center for Africana Studies for the period of January 1, 2026, through August 31, 2026,” the letter stated.
The Center added that the appointment may be renewed and that Gambari will receive a Penn Card as well as access to the university’s libraries and academic resources. It is also understood that with the new appointment, the Center would facilitate the writing and completion of Professor Gambari’s long-awaited Memoir.
A seasoned scholar-diplomat, Gambari previously served as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and later as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, where he handled conflict mediation and international diplomacy across several regions.
He also held positions as Minister of External Affairs and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, while maintaining a strong academic footprint as a professor of political science and international relations.
In Nigeria, Gambari founded the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, Abuja, a policy think-tank focused on governance, peacebuilding and democratic development across Africa.
He served as Chief of Staff to the President between 2020 and 2023, coordinating federal government operations during a period marked by security, economic and public health challenges.
The University of Pennsylvania said it looked forward to his scholarly contributions to Africana Studies and global policy discourse during the tenure.
As Nigeria’s longest‑serving Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, holding that position from January 1990 to October 1999, nearly a decade. During that time he served under five different Nigerian Heads of State/Presidents.
During Nigeria’s tenure as a non-permanent member, he served as President of the UN Security Council (rotational), presiding over deliberations on global peace and security issues.
He oversaw diplomatic initiatives aimed at preventing conflicts and managing political crises, contributing to negotiations, election support missions and peace processes in several countries.
He was appointed the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Myanmar, where he led sensitive diplomatic missions to engage the military government and opposition, including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, during periods of political repression.
