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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Shettima took over Borno at the height of Boko Haram insurgency, former minister says

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Former planning minister Abubakar Sulaiman said Kashim Shettima became Borno governor in 2011 while Boko Haram was disrupting communities and economic life.
  • Sulaiman praised Shettima’s focus on reconstruction, education, healthcare, agriculture and human capital development during the crisis.
  • The tribute marked Shettima’s 60th birthday and reviewed his path from banking and public service to the vice presidency.

Kashim Shettima entered Borno’s Government House when Boko Haram was tearing through communities and placing the state under intense pressure, according to a tribute marking his 60th birthday.

Abubakar Sulaiman, a former minister of national planning and director-general of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, described Shettima’s career as a progression through banking, public administration, executive leadership, the Senate and the vice presidency. Shettima, born in Maiduguri on September 2, 1966, turned 60 on Wednesday.

There are birthdays that are marked with celebration, and there are birthdays that invite reflection. The 60th birthday of Vice President Kashim Shettima belongs to both.

· Abubakar SulaimanSulaiman opened his birthday tribute by framing Shettima’s milestone as both a celebration and an occasion for reflection.

Sulaiman said Shettima inherited one of the gravest security crises in Borno’s history when he became governor in 2011. The insurgency had devastated communities and disrupted the foundations of social life, but his administration continued to pursue reconstruction and investment in key sectors.

Kashim Shettima’s is a story of preparation meeting providence.

· Abubakar SulaimanThe former minister summarized Shettima’s career in the tribute.

“Schools were built. Healthcare facilities were developed. Agriculture received attention,” Sulaiman wrote. He said the decision to invest in the state’s future during the crisis stood out among Shettima’s years in office.

“There are birthdays that are marked with celebration, and there are birthdays that invite reflection. The 60th birthday of Vice President Kashim Shettima belongs to both,” Sulaiman said. After two terms as governor, Shettima became senator for Borno Central in 2019 and was later selected by President Bola Tinubu as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

Schools were built. Healthcare facilities were developed. Agriculture received attention.

· Abubakar SulaimanSulaiman cited areas in which Shettima’s administration invested during the Boko Haram crisis.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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