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Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli
By Our Reporter Before he was appointed the Emir of Zazzau by the Governor Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai led administration of Kaduna State, Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli was among the most visible diplomats in Bangkok, and that’s not only because of the elegant traditional outfits that make him stand out, the highly educated Nigerian ambassador had been an active member of the local diplomatic corps since coming to Thailand in November 2017 The new Emir of Zazzau was born on June 8, 1966 in Zaria, Kaduna State, which is one of the oldest provinces in northern Nigeria. “It is an emirate, founded by my great-grandfather around 1804. Prior to that, it was a part of various kingdoms and settlements. But from 1804 there has been an emirate system operating in the whole of northern Nigeria, and it is still in place today. |
His late father, H.E. Nuhu Bamalli, held the princely title of Magajin Garin Zazzau. In the English translation it is much like lord mayor. The title is given to the second most senior royal family member in the Zaria emirate.
His father was an important figure in the struggle for Nigeria independence. He was appointed a junior minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in 1960 and in 1965 became the Foreign Minister. In fact he addressed the UN General Assembly in New York that same year.
When his father died in 2001 at the age of 84, the new Emir took over the Magajin Garin Zazzau title.
He attended his primary and secondary education in Kaduna city and then went to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to study law. He has a Master’s degree in international affairs and diplomacy. He also took courses at a number of educational institutes at home and abroad, mostly for short programs on leadership.He attended Harvard and Oxford universities as well as Northwestern University in Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania.
Although, the new emir studied law and international relations, he worked in the banking sector. He also worked at the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting, which produces our currency as well as security papers for the Nigerian government. He held two positions there: executive director of corporate services and general administration, and subsequently, managing director on the board of directors, where he served for almost two years.
After leaving the minting company, he went back to Oxford University to study. he was at the university when the present government invited him to be a part of the transitional committee in Kaduna State. After the transition period, he was appointed to the Electoral Commission of Kaduna State, and a few months down the line, he was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari to be Ambassador to Thailand.
