The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with concurrent accreditation to Belarus

His Excellency, Professor Abdullahi Yibaikwal SHEHU   

Brief Profile: 

 Born 15 October 1963 in Nigeria; Married with children.

Education:

  • Professor of Criminology, National Open University of Nigeria, 2015.
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Criminology, University of Hong Kong (2003)
  • M.Sc. International Relations – University of Abuja, Nigeria, 1997
  • B.Sc. International Studies – Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, 1988

Professional Training:

  • 2011 – 2012 – Programme for Leadership Development, Harvard Business School
  • 2011 – International Anti-Corruption Professional Certificate Course, International Centre for Parliamentary Studies, London.
  • 2007 – Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Assessors’ Training, Hong Kong.
  • 2008 – Prince 2 (Programmes and Projects Management Course), RIPA International, London, UK.

 

Relevant Appointments:

  • June 2021 – to present time – Ambassador Extra-Ordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Russian Federation with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Belarus.
  • 2019 – Senior Anti-Corruption Policy and Advocacy Advisor, UNODC.
  • 2016 – Special Advisor to the Executive Governor of Plateau State (Nigeria) on Inter-Governmental Relations.
  • 2015 – Pioneer Director of the Olusegun Obasanjo Good Governance & Development Research Centre at the National Open University of Nigeria
  • 2006 – 2014 – Pioneer Director General, ECOWAS Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) with accreditation to West Africa countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo. 
  • 2000 – 2003 – Member, UN Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of the Convention against Corruption.
  • 2003 – 2005 – Programme Expert (Anti-Corruption/Money Laundering), UNODC, Vienna
  • 2006-2015 – Director, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria.
  • 1998 – 2000 – Member UN Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
  • 1995 – 2003 – Deputy Director/Special Assistant to the Special Advisor to the President on Drugs and Financial Crimes.
  • 1990 – 1994 – Pioneer Secretary of the Presidential Task Force on Financial Crimes that metamorphosed into the EFCC.
  • 1989 – 2003 – Defence Intelligence Officer – Defence Intelligence Agency, Nigeria.
  • 2005 – 2020 – Consultant/Advisor on Governance to several International Organizations, including the UNDP, UNODC, Commonwealth Secretariat, European Commission, IDLO, WAIFEM, ECOWAS, etc.

Achievements

  • Professor Shehu is a famous philanthropist in West Africa and educator of no mean repute, he is passionate in the delivery of humanitarian services to uplift indigent students, affording them education at all levels. Since 2009, through the Yibaikwal Foundation, he has provided scholarships to over 150 indigent students to pursue higher education in Nigerian universities.
  • Professor Shehu has specific country experience in the following countries: West Africa (15 countries), Middle East/North Africa (Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Tunisia), Southern Africa (South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Kenya), Asia and Far East (Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, India, Hong Kong, China), Europe (Western, Eastern European countries: Austria, France, UK, Russia), USA, Canada, Latin America (Argentina and the Caribbean).
  • Professor Shehu is a prolific writer and has published extensively, with 6 books to his credit; about 56 articles published in learned and professional journals, as well as monographs. He is also a renowned public speaker and has presented over 40 papers at international conferences, seminars, and workshops.
  • Professor Shehu was keynote speaker and member at number of International conferences around the world: at OECD Global Forum on Governance: Fighting Corruption and Promoting Integrity in Public Procurement in Paris, France, 2004; Transnational Organized Crime Conference in Hong Kong 2002; 2nd INTERPOL Conference on Corruption in Lyon, France 2000; at 44th Session of Commission on Narcotic Drug in Vienna, Austria 1999, G-15 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina 1995, Cambridge Symposium on Economic Crime, 1995-2014, etc.

Foreign languages

  • English and French.

Awards:

·       He was conferred with the awarded of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by President of Nigeria in recognition of his excellent service – 2014.