Saidu Samaila Sambawa

Sambawa (centre) with his wife (right) and Elizabeth II (left), 2003

Saidu Samaila Sambawa headed the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Sports and Social Development until the June 2006 cabinet reshuffle, when he was replaced by Bala Bawa Ka'oje.

Educational pursuits

From his very early age, Dr. Sambawa demonstrated an avid appetite for learning. He had his primary education at Sambawa primary school between 1968– 1974 and post-primary school education at the Sultan Abubakar College, Sokoto in the present day Sokoto State where he passed out in 1979 with flying colours. Even in those early years, it was obvious to his teachers that young Saidu was destined for greater things due to his outstanding academic performs and social skills.

So, between 1979 and 1980, Dr. Sambawa taught mathematics briefly at the Government Secondary School, Bukkuyun, now in Zamfara State. After just one year in the school, Dr. Sambawa proceeded to the School of Basic Studies Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where he did his Interim Joint Admission Matriculation course between 1980– 1981. He remained in at Ahmadu Bello Zaria Nigeria to obtain his Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy between 1981 and 1984.

Dr. Sambawa’s quest for knowledge and learning did not stop there. Having acquired his Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy, his drive for professional excellence led him to consolidate his academic accountancy qualification with the highly priced Certificate and membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) which, at a time, was regarded as the preserve of special people.

In 1987, Dr. Sambawa passed the Finals of the Institute of Chattered Accountants of Nigeria examinations and thus qualified as one of the few chartered Accounts in Nigeria at a time when only a handful of Nigerians could boast of that qualification. Statistics shows that he is the first among the indigenes of the present day Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States to write at home in Nigeria and qualify with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria despite his background. In 2001, Dr Saidu Samaila obtained his joint master's degree in Business Administration from the Universities of Wales, Bangor and the University of Manchester, Manchester in the United Kingdom after finishing the programme in 1998. And to crown his academic aspiration, Dr. Sambawa received the award of his doctorate degree in Management from St. Clement University, St. Vincent and The Grenadines in 2001. His area of study is Banking Crisis in Emerging Economies – The Nigerian experience (1988–1998)

Professional experience

From 1984 to 1986, Dr. Sambawa worked with the Audit firm of AYE ANENI & CO. Chartered Accountants, Ibadan in the present day Oyo State Nigeria. He later joined the Savannah Bank Plc (former Bank of America NT & SA) in 1986 and rose to the position of an Assistant Manager and, in 1989 he moved to the Commercial Trust Bank of Nigeria Limited, Lagos where he served as Manager and Financial Controller.

Between 1990 and 1992, Dr. Sambawa joined the Gamji Bank of Nigeria Plc (formerly International Trust Bank ;) and now part of Oceanic International Bank Group. During this period, he was the Bank’s Area Manager, Lagos and head of the Treasury and Foreign Exchange Dealing Services. These departments accounted for over 70% of the Bank’s total assets and income.

It is to Dr Sambawa’s credit that during his years in Gamji Bank of Nigeria Plc, he was able to turn the fortunes of the bank around due mainly to increased volume of returns. By the time Dr Sambawa resigned from the bank in 1992, the bank’s monthly profit profile had risen by almost 5000% in Treasury alone. On leaving the Gamji Bank, Dr Sambawa joined the management team of Inland Bank of Nigeria Plc (now part of the FINBANK group), Plc www.finbank.com.ng as a Manager, rose to Deputy General Manager. He subsequently rose to become the Deputy Managing Director/Chief Operations Officer of the bank before he resigned in 2002 to join full-time partisan politics.

During his years at the Inland Bank, Dr Sambawa accomplished another feat, just   as he had done with the Gamji Bank.  He worked closely with his colleagues to reposition the Inland Bank from a State-owned enterprise to a public liability company.  Besides, the banks’ net profit increased progressively between 2000–2001 by 500%.

Other ventures

Dr. Saidu Samaila Sambawa is a successful and accomplished investor and entrepreneur. Like all gifted people, he sees opportunity where others would see obstacle. Whether in the private sector or in his own business interest, Dr Sambawa applies the same enthusiasm and determination to make a difference. For him, service is the keyword.

Guided by a culture of self-confidence and a passion for success and excellence, Dr Saidu Samaila Sambawa has created a good number of thriving businesses spanning a wide range of industrial sectors, including the Media, Information Technology sector, Hospitality, Engineering and Construction, Real Estate Development, Agriculture, Water production, food processing and Financial Services to name but a few. These investments provide jobs directly and indirectly and also help to improve the living standards of thousands of Nigerians and non Nigerians alike, regardless of their ethnic origins, sex or beliefs.

Accordingly, Dr Sambawa is the Chairman of News Africa (UK) Limited, www.newsafrica.net publishers of the African’s premier weekly English news magazine, ‘News Africa’ which enjoys a large readership among Africans at home and in the Diaspora. The idea behind NewsAfrica is to reduce the negative reporting by international news media on the continent, which then sees nothing good in Africa except famine, sickness, disease, war and conflicts, poverty, corruption and backwardness. Dr Samaila Sambawa believe the continent do have problems but has also unlimited potentials. That is why back in late 90s and he worked with a number of friends to lobby the United States Congress to pass the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act which President Clinton Signed into law in 2000.He believe that what Africa need today is not aid but level playing field in trade and investment. He is a major owner and of the foundation Directors of All Africa Global Media Inc.—All Africa.com www.allafrica.com headquartered in Washington DC USA. The award winning media web site today post daily over 1000 stories in English and French, educating and informing the global audience about Africa, its people, diversity, problems, potentials and unlimited opportunities.

In addition, Dr Saidu Samaila Sambawa is the Chairman of Sigma Engineering and Construction Limited www.sigmaengineeringconstruntion.com , Chairman Sigma Apartments limited, www.sigmapartments.com Chairman of Sigma Trust and Investments (Nigeria) Limited—a Financial Consultancy and Advisory Firm; Chairman of Sambawa Firms Limited www.sambawafarms.com ; former Director, former Inland Bank Plc, (now FCMB Plc. www.fcmb.com.ng ), Alternate Chairman, former IBN Securities Limited, Chairman National Interest Group and had been Licensed to practice Accountancy and Audit in Nigeria as far back as 1990.