‘World Class Leader, Manager, Educator, Motivator, Visionary and Master Trainer’
AT the beginning, his two year (1982 to 1984) sojourn at Manchester University in the United Kingdom (UK) was to further his education where he acquired an M. Sc in Chemical Technology (Petroleum Chemistry and Hydrocarbon). But the quest for additional knowledge delayed the return to Nigeria of Kabir Kabo Usman, as he remained in the UK for additional four years (1984 to 1988) at his alma mater and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Chemistry.
While in the UK, the British uncovered the exceptional abilities of Kabir to impart knowledge; hence he was engaged as a Lecturer at three different institutions from 1986 to 1990, a Post Doctoral Research fellow at University of Manchester 1988 to 1992, Head of Department at Manchester College of Arts and Technology 1998 to 2001 and as the Director of Curriculum at Manchester College of Arts and Technology 2001 to 2002. He was promoted Assistant Principal at the Manchester College of Arts and Technology (now called the Manchester College) from 2002 to 2008. The College had over 60,000 students and an annual income of over 200 million pounds.
There was an interval from 1994 to 1996 when Dr Kabir Usman attended two courses at Huddersfield University (UK) for a Certificate of Education and a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (Teaching Qualifications). In 1995 he attended a course on “Training and Development Lead Body (TDLB): Qualified Assessment on Monitoring and Evaluation” at Manchester College of Arts and Technology (UK).
However, in 2008 Dr Kabir Kabo Usman responded to his home country’s clamor for an end to the brain drain syndrome, and came back to take an appointment as Technical Adviser to the National Authorising Officer (Minister of National Planning and Deputy Chairman for National Planning Commission) on Social Sector Strategy Coordination of National Vision 20:2020 and the Seven Point Agenda. Dr Kabir Usman was also a Consultant to the European Union (EU) on strategy and policy coordination involving Vision 20:2020 and the National M&E Framework from 2009 to 2010.
As the Technical Adviser to The Minister of Education, Dr Kabir Usman provided advice and guidance on policy matters, plans and implementation, worked with executive secretaries of the 19 parastatals in the ministry, provided training to Director Generals and Executive Secretaries of 5 parastatals, wrote speeches and presentations for the Minister, led the team and initiated the production of the education road map and helped negotiated and averted a planned strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in 2008.
He also participated in the National Council on Education meetings, Provided contacts for collaboration and partnership on quality education by linking up with International Organizations such as UNDP and UNESCO, Advised the Minister of National Planning Commission on policy plan and direction on Skills for Life to enable the country achieve the set targets of Universal Basic Education (UBE) and that of EFA and advised the Minister on Vocational and Technical skills development as a means of stimulating economic development, combating crime and providing employment.
From January 2010 to January 2018 Dr Kabir Kabo Usman was the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of Centre for Management Development (CMD) – a Federal Government Parastatal under the Ministry of Budget and National Planning. He was credited with strengthening institutional capacity building frameworks and promoting professional management standards across public and private sector organizations.
Other achievements of Dr Kabir include the retrieval of CMD allocated land at Abuja worth N1.4 billion. Recovery of the defunct NCEMA building in Old Bodija, Ibadan that now serves as South West Zonal Office. Purchase of a building (the current headquarters of the CMD) at Agadez Street, Wuse II, Abuja (hitherto CMD was a tenant at the building) worth N600 million at that time.
Under his Superintendence, CMD Corporate Headquarters was relocated from Lagos to Abuja and Lands were allocated in Kano and Gombe while the then Governments of Edo, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Yobe, Bauchi, Borno and Jigawa States made pledges. Staff of the CMD were also trained in India, China, UK, USA, Malaysia, Kenya, South Korea, S/Africa, the Netherlands etc.
In February 2018, he was appointed the Director General and Chief Executive of International Centre for Islamic Culture and Education ICICE, (the Custodian of Al-Noor Mosque) Wuse II, Abuja, and since then, worked tirelessly to take the Centre to greater heights through successful painstaking implementation of its Mission, Vision and Core Values. Under his stewardship, the Multi Billion Naira Al-Noor Mosque Expansion which he initiated reached 75% completion. It is a project he regarded as one of his final wishes and a lasting contribution to faith and community development.
In August 2023, the renowned Academic, Dr Kabir Kabo Usman, was appointed Pro-Chancellor of one of the National Universities Commission’s 37 newly approved private Universities, Prime University Abuja. In the same vein, the authorities of another new private University, Elrazi Medical University Kano appointed Dr Kabir Kabo Usman as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees and that of the Governing Council.
Dr Kabir Kabo, was in 2014 appointed a member of the Governing Board and Pro Chancellor of African Business School, ABS. He was installed on at the 15th Anniversary and combined Convocation, Matriculation, Investiture of new Fellows and Call to Hall of Fame celebrations of the School held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
He succeeded Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame (Dr) Patience Jonathan while Dr David Graves replaced the current Chairman of National Universities Commission and one time Nigeria’s Federal Commissioner of Education, Col Dr Ahmadu Ali, whose tenures ended.
Kabir Kabo Usman, was born on the 7th day of March, 1957 in the ancient town of Kabo about 45 kilometers northwest of Kano City, Kano State in Nigeria.He attended Kabo Central Primary School from 1964 to 1970 and proceeded to Government Secondary School Dambatta, Kano State in 1971 for his GCE/O-Level and passed out in 1975.
Kabir Usman was a First year “Advanced Level” Student of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics at Federal School of Arts and Science, Sokoto, from 1975 to 1976 before gaining admission to Bayero University Kano in 1977 and read Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics where he passed out in 1981 with a B.Sc Honors Degree in Chemistry.
The desire to contribute to the educational development of the society, motivated Kabir Usman to take to teaching during his National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme from 1981 to 1982 at Kano State College of Advanced Studies, Kano, where he taught Mathematics & Chemistry. He was employed as a Lecturer and later appointed as the Head of Department (Chemistry) at Gumel Advanced Teachers College (now in Jigawa State) where he worked from 1982 to 1983.
Dr Kabir Usman also held several ad hoc positions and worked at other non statutory organisations. He was a Teacher, Manager and Research Fellow at Manchester University in Petroleum Chemistry; Director, Parent Governor, Board Member of Capital Science Academy, Abuja and Queen Science Academy, Kano Nigeria.
He established Capital Science Academy and Queens Science Academy as an International Consultant; Established Capital College Abuja, as an International Consultant for educational institutions; Advised Education Ministers e.g. Bill Rammell on Strategy for Higher Education on high level skills in the UK and a Consultant on Education Training and Human Capital Development, via a consultancy company – KMS Consultants Ltd.
Aptly described by a Nigerian national Newspaper as a “World Class Leader, Manager, Educator, Motivator, Visionary and Master Trainer” Dr Kabir Kabo Usman assessed himself and wrote the following statement: “I am hard working, flexible, self motivated, transparent and can quickly adapt to diverse environments. I am fully capable of working as an individual or as part of a team and with my high level of determination and commitment;
“I can make a difference as dedicated and resourceful person with high degree of capacity, capability and competence. I am focused, dogged, analytical, and evaluative and can perform under pressure to carry out mandates to a successful conclusion ensuring achievement of goals and targets.
“People’s skills exhibited by my emotional intelligence are critical success factor for achievement of desired results. I was the Amir of Nigerian Muslim Forum (UK and Ireland) for five years after being a life member of Nigeria’s Muslim Students Society since childhood”.
An English proverb says “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Since when I know him from 1969, Kabir Kabo was never a dull boy. An active Sportsman, he loved and played the game of hockey at his Alma maters Government Secondary School Dambatta and Bayero University Kano.
He was also a Footballer and in the 1970s, Young Kabir was the right full back and sometimes central defender of an amateur Football Club called Kwakwatawa Shooting Stars in the present Dala Local Government Area, in Kano City.
Dr Kabir Kabo Usman died on Saturday 20th December, 2025, at a hospital in Manchester after an illness and is survived by One Wife Hajiya Maryam Kabir Usman, Six Children Abdulkadir, Ahmad, Abdur-rahman, Othman, Al-amin and Ashraf and Grandchidren.
- Ibrahim (Kwakwatawa), a veteran journalist and special assistant (media and publicity) to the Late Kabo, wrote from Kano.