By Tunde Akanbi, Ilorin
Former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, has been named a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Perry World House, the global affairs centre of the University of Pennsylvania, United States, for the 2026–2027 academic year.
The appointment recognises Gambari’s extensive experience in diplomacy, conflict resolution, peacekeeping and international governance.
According to a statement issued by Amb. Sani Bala, Executive Director of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, the appointment forms part of the university’s 10th-anniversary fellowship cohort, which brings together distinguished diplomats, policymakers and international thinkers.
Gambari is expected to engage with faculty members and students through lectures, workshops, conferences and public programmes, drawing on his decades of experience in African affairs and international relations.
He joins a cohort of distinguished fellows, including former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla Miranda, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Médecins Sans Frontières Chief Executive Officer Tirana Hassan and former United States Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth.
The appointment follows his selection earlier in 2026 as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the university’s Center for Africana Studies.
Born in Ilorin, Kwara State, in 1944, Gambari has served in several key national and international positions spanning academia, government and multilateral diplomacy.
He was Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in 1983 before his appointment as Minister of External Affairs, a position he held from 1984 to 1985.
He subsequently served as Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 1990 to 1999, becoming the country’s longest-serving representative in that capacity.
At the United Nations, Gambari served as Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Africa from 1999 to 2005. He later headed the Department of Political Affairs from 2005 to 2007 and served as Joint African Union-United Nations Special Representative for Darfur from 2010 to 2012.
He also served as Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2020 to 2023.
Beyond public service, Gambari is the founder and chairman of the Abuja-based Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, a think tank established in 2014 to promote research, training and policy analysis on conflict prevention, democratisation and sustainable development.
His new fellowship is expected to contribute to discussions on global governance, international security, human rights and contemporary diplomatic challenges, while providing students and researchers with opportunities to learn from his diplomatic experience.
The statement described the appointment as another international recognition of Nigeria’s contributions to scholarship and diplomacy, as well as a source of pride for Ilorin Emirate and Kwara State.
It added that Gambari’s participation in the fellowship would strengthen engagement between academic research, diplomatic practice and policy solutions to global challenges.