Zulum Appoints Tijjani Kukawa, Abubakar Mazhinyi as Special Advisers; Maina Gajiram as Assembly Service Commission Commissioner
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the appointment of Hon. Tijjani Lawan Kukawa and Hon. Abubakar Umar Mazhinyi as Special Advisers. In a press release issued by Dauda Iliya, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Spokesperson, the appointments were announced as part of efforts to strengthen governance and service delivery in the state.
By Abubakar Mala Gajibo
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the appointment of Hon. Tijjani Lawan Kukawa and Hon. Abubakar Umar Mazhinyi as Special Advisers.
In a press release issued by Dauda Iliya, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Spokesperson, the appointments were announced as part of efforts to strengthen governance and service delivery in the state.
Hon. Tijjani Lawan Kukawa is a former member of the Borno State House of Assembly who represented Kukawa Constituency during the Third Republic. He previously served as Special Adviser on Education to the Governor from 2020 to 2023.
He has also held several public service positions, including member of the Governing Council of Ramat Polytechnic and member of the Borno State Pilgrims Welfare Board.
A seasoned civil servant, Hon. Kukawa rose through the ranks from Agricultural Extension Officer to Acting Permanent Secretary. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Maiduguri and is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administrators of Nigeria.
Also appointed as Special Adviser is Hon. Abubakar Umar Mazhinyi, the immediate past Executive Chairman of Askira/Uba Local Government Area. He holds a Master’s degree in Disaster Management from the University of Maiduguri and is currently pursuing a PhD in Environmental Studies at the same institution.
Hon. Mazhinyi is a grassroots politician and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration, and a recipient of several awards.
Similarly, Governor Zulum has appointed Hon. Maina Bukar Gajiram as Permanent Commissioner of the Borno State House of Assembly Service Commission, with effect from 17 February 2026, following his confirmation by the Borno State House of Assembly during its sitting on the same day.
The appointment was made pursuant to the powers conferred on the Governor by Section 198 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 5 of the Borno State House of Assembly Service Commission Law, 2005 (as amended).
Governor Zulum congratulated the appointees and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them by serving with dedication, integrity and commitment to the development of Borno State.
