Buhari appoints SGF, chief of staff

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Babachir David Lawal, an engineer, as secretary to the government of the federation.

Former MD of UBA, Abba Kyari, was named chief of staff.

Other appointments as announced by his media office are:

• Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd.) – comptroller-general, Nigerian customs service
• Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi – comptroller-general, Nigerian immigration service
• Senator Ita S.J. Enang – SSA to the president on national assembly matters (senate)
• Hon. Suleiman A. Kawu – SSA to the president on national assembly matters (house of representatives)

Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, who announced the appointments, said they take effect immediately.

Lawal, the new secretary to the state government of the federation, hails from Hong local government area of Adamawa state.

He graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979 with a bachelor of engineering degree and worked with the Delta Steel Company, Aladja; Nigerian External Telecommunications Limited; and Data Sciences Limited before establishing his own ICT and telecommunications consulting firm in 1990.

He is also a member of the Nigeria Computer Society, the Nigeria Society of Engineers and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.

Kyari, the new chief of staff to the president, holds bachelors and master’s degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Warwick in Law and Sociology. He has worked with the New Nigeria Development Company, New Africa Holdings, African International Bank, United Bank for Africa, Unilever, and Mobil in various capacities over the years.

Ali, the new comptroller-general of customs, holds bachelors and master’s degrees in criminology. He was military administrator of Kaduna state from 1996 to 1998.

Abeshi, the new comptroller-general of immigration, hails from Nasarawa state. He joined the Nigerian Immigration Service in 1989 as an assistant comptroller. His educational qualifications include a master’s degree in public administration.