President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will, next month December, confer the 2023 Integrity and Public Servant of the Year Award on the Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman.
This is as the awardee dedicates the award to the leadership and staff of the National Assembly, their counterparts in the NILDS and the media.
Presentation of the award, as contained in a letter signed by Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, would be held at the State House Conference Centre.
Dr. Ibrahim is the national coordinator of the award-giving institutions: the Public Service Institutes (PSI), the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPP) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
The director general of the NILDS, as stated in the award letter titled “Nomination as a Public Servant of the Year” (Shehu Shagari Gold Medal), secured the highest number of votes after an extensive three-month consultation and rigorous voting process conducted by a panel of 51 members from the PCI – Technical Advisory Committee, representing five strategic public institutions in Nigeria.
Dr. Ibrahim in the letter added that “the award presentation has received full endorsement from the presidency and technical support from the Public Service Institutes (PSI), the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).”
The letter further explained that the former Minister of National Planning, has been recognized for his exceptional contributions to Nigeria’s democratic institutions, a recognition validated by esteemed national and international organizations.
“This year’s edition of the award will coincide with the Nigerian Regulators’ Conference & Retreat, where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to present plaques and medals to deserving recipients.
“The award is in recognition of Prof. Sulaiman’s transformational leadership style and remarkable accomplishments over the years and in particular, in the NILDS, within the last five years,” Dr. Ibrahim added.
Reacting to the forthcoming conferment of award, Prof. Sulaiman on Tuesday said it was a pleasant surprise to him.
“I never knew that credible public institutions, totalling 51, were observant of my contribution to national development in NILDS.
“I’m elated by the award and see it as a call to do more. I dedicate it to the leadership and members of the National Assembly, management and staff of NILDS and of course the media for the usual coverage and reportage of our activities geared towards deepening democratic governance in Nigeria,” Prof. Sulaiman said.
Personal Achievements
Prof. Sulaiman assumed responsibility as the director general of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in 2019, taking over from Dr. Adeyemi Fajingbesi, who was the acting director general, following the end of tenure of Prof. Ladi Hamalai.
Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, a professor of Political Science and International Relations, is a former Minister for National Planning and a one-time deputy chairman of the National Planning Commission.
A technocrat and an academic with vast experience, he has served as a resource person for the Induction Courses, organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies for new legislators in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.
He served the previous administration at the federal level as deputy chairman, Nigeria Economic Council and Transition Technical Committee, respectively. He was a Nigerian delegate to the United Nations Ordinary General Assembly in 2015.
Prof. Sulaiman holds a BSc degreen in Political Science from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; an MSc in International and Strategic Studies from the University of Jos; and a PhD from the University of Abuja.
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