Nigeria: Celebrating a Legacy – Jibrin Ibrahim At 70

As a prolific writer, Professor Ibrahim has authored numerous books, monographs, and journal articles on democratisation.

Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, a towering figure in Nigerian academia and civil society, marks his 70th birthday today, capping over three decades of distinguished service in scholarship, advocacy, and public discourse. Known for his incisive intellect and unwavering commitment to democratic ideals, Mr Ibrahim currently serves as the Chairman of the Editorial Board at Premium Times and as a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), where he previously held the role of Executive Director for nearly a decade.

Born in 1954 in Kano State, Mr Ibrahim’s academic journey began at the Roman Catholic Primary School in Sabon Gari, Kano, and continued at the esteemed Barewa College in Zaria. He advanced his education at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1977 and a master’s degree in 1983. His formative years at ABU were shaped by the mentorship of notable scholars, including Bjorn Beckman, the late radical Swedish political scientist, and Ibrahim Gambari, a former Nigerian foreign minister who later became the country’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Mr Ibrahim’s pursuit of knowledge took him beyond Nigeria’s borders. He earned a Diploma in French from Vichy, France, in 1983, and a postgraduate diploma in International Economic Relations from Paris in 1985. His academic journey culminated in an M. Phil and a Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Bordeaux, France, completed in 1987 and 1990, respectively.

His doctoral thesis, titled L’Accès à l’État. Classes sociales, élites, factions: une étude du ‘National Party of Nigeria’ (Access to the State: Social Classes, Elites, Factions–A Study of the National Party of Nigeria), offered a penetrating analysis of Nigeria’s political landscape during the Second Republic (1979-1983). Exploring the dynamics of social classes, elites, and factions within the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), his work remains a critical resource for understanding the intricacies of political power and party systems in the country.

Mr Ibrahim’s academic career flourished at Ahmadu Bello University, where he rose from Graduate Assistant in 1978 to the rank of Reader. His tenure at the institution included roles as Acting Head of the Department of Political Science and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. After years of activism, he returned to academia in 2011 as a professor of international relations at Babcock University in Ilisan.

Outside the classroom, Mr Ibrahim, famously called Jibo by friends and compatriots, has been a tireless advocate for democracy, human rights, and economic reform. His professional journey includes pivotal roles such as Director of Research and Documentation, Country Director for Global Rights: Partners for Justice, and Director of the CDD. His influence extends across the continent, having chaired the West Africa Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) and contributed as a member of Nigeria’s Electoral Reform Committee under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Mr Ibrahim has also served as an election observer in several African nations, championing the cause of democratic integrity.

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As a prolific writer, Professor Ibrahim has authored numerous books, monographs, and journal articles on democratisation, governance, and Africa’s political economy. His weekly column, Deepening Democracy, published in Premium Times and Daily Trust, offers thoughtful analysis on pressing political issues and governance challenges in Nigeria.

To honour his milestone birthday, the family, led by his Brazilian spouse, Charmaine Pereira, a writer and feminist scholar in Abuja, is hosting his friends and intellectual collaborators to drinks at the family home. Ms Pereira’s own intellectual and political work is rooted in feminist thought, focusing on sexuality, gender education, civil society, and the relationship between individuals and the state. She also serves, according to Wikipedia, as a coordinator for the Initiative for Women’s Studies in Nigeria and is a member of Tapestry Consulting, an organisation dedicated to fostering gender equality in African workplaces.

Kole Shettima, Africa Director of the MacArthur Foundation, is also leading Mr Ibrahim’s political and professional associates to a symposium scheduled to take place on 2 December in Abuja — a fitting tribute to a life dedicated to scholarship, democracy, and the relentless pursuit of justice. A two-volume book, Deepening Democracy in Nigeria, co-published by the Premium Times Books and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) will be launched at the event.

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