A powerful vision pulls in ideas, people and other resources. It creates the momentum and will to make change happen. It inspires individuals, complementary organizations and institutions to commit, to persist and to give their best. Enlisting this enduring philosophy, unassuming Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam has demonstrated impeccable professionalism, discipline and persistence to change his life’s trajectory and retain the pride of his parental pedigree.
No less a child of providence, who wields influence and authority with alluring humility and exemplary focus, the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has shown with his life’s trajectory that faith, politics, banking and education fundamentally address transformation of society and the human condition for good. To date, he unabashedly maintains this unique footing.
Kashim Ibrahim-Imam
certainly is not the kind of professional who stays tamely at the receiving end of received policy prescriptions. He covets knowledge-driven innovations, proactive engagements with stake-holders, policy makers, fluid operating environments and sure-footed action. These dimensions have been boldly mirrored in his nimble chairmanship of the strategic Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).
Under his stewardship, TETFUND has covered impressive grounds. According to Kashim Imam, N116 billion has been expended on academic staff training and development while 30,000 scholars in universities, colleges of education and polytechnics were also given support for their Masters and Ph.D degrees programmes between 2008 and 2020.
He disclosed this, recently in Damaturu, Yobe State, while on an assessment tour of higher educational institutions in Borno and Yobe states.
He further disclosed that about 2,789 scholars from Borno and Yobe States bagged masters and doctorate degrees at the cost of about N5.3 billion, clarifying that the scholars completed their degree programmes in the last 12 years in Nigeria and foreign universities. N300 billion was also earmarked for special intervening projects to complement sourced funds from federal and state governments.
Other projects on the cards to be executed with TETFunds included the Centre for Arid Zone Studies, Website, Innovative and ICT centres at the cost of N4 billion.
The position of TETFUND chairman carries considerable weight, especially in charting the course of bold engagements with the critical elements in the strategic education sector mix and especially so when the occupant enjoys the total confidence of his board as Kashim Imam undoubtedly does.
It could be recalled that the Federal Government, through TETFund, has injected more than N2.5 trillion into the development of infrastructure and staff members in public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the last 10 years of the establishment of the Fund.
Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, who made this known recently, also disclosed that the agency is targeting more than N500 billion education tax collection by 2023. He spoke at the third edition of Tax Payers’ Forum with the theme, “TETFUND Intervention: Catalyst for Transforming Tertiary Education in Nigeria,” held in Lagos.
Always the proactive visioner, he promised to ensure that intervention to the beneficiary institutions is increased by 50 per cent next year and 100 per cent in two years. The event, which had Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (represented by his Deputy, Olufemi Hamzat), as guest of honour, was attended by captains of industries, the academia and other stakeholders.
Kashim Ibrahim-Imam was born 8th of May 1962. He was twice the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governorship of Borno State in 2003 and 2007 but gamely losing to the now defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate, Ali Modu Sheriff.
Ibrahim-Imam was born into a political family. His father, Ibrahim Imam was the motivating force of the progressive Borno Youth Movement. He earned degrees in Political Science and International Economic Relations from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the University of Maiduguri. He then entered the banking industry. He was given the title of “Mutawalli Borno”, a senior councillor to the Shehu (traditional ruler) of Borno. He was a childhood friend and business partner of his political opponent in Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff.
During the short-lived Nigerian Third Republic, Ibrahim-Imam was Borno State chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He was removed from this position by Maina Maaji Lawan, the Borno State Governor at that time. Ibrahim-Imam was a member of Hope 93, the political group at the forefront of the MKO Abiola’s campaign in the 1993 elections.
He was appointed Presidential Liaison Officer to the Senate at the start of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. In the February 2003 PDP primaries for Borno State governorship candidate, Ibrahim-Imam easily beat four other contestants to represent the PDP in the gubernatorial elections, gaining 177 of the 185 votes cast.
In the April 2003 elections, Ali Modu Sheriff of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) gained 581,880 votes, Kashim came second with 341,537 votes for the PDP and the incumbent Governor Mala Kachalla, who had moved from the ANPP to compete on the Alliance for Democracy (AD) ticket, gained 336,165 votes. Kashim alleged the election was not fair or free. He competed again in the 2007 elections and lost to Sheriff again.
He had remained focused, plating critical roles in the APC having since moved to the party well ahead of the 2019 geberal elections. In May, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari approved his appointment as chairman, board of trustees (BoT) of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND). Ibrahim-Imam’s appointment was effective from May 14, 2020 and would run for four years consequent upon which it could be renewed.
The enthralling odyssey of Kashim Imam’s life further validates the enduring wisdom that difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. An unwavering sense of duty, rigorous training and professionalism, demonstrable integrity and almost a child-like faith in his beloved Allah form the navigational compass of his life story.
Kashim Imam’s choice as chairman of TETFUND tacitly acknowledges the capacity of focused individuals to upscale their sector, effectively manage new disruptions and hence positively impact society for the better. For many years, he has provided clear, pragmatic leadership in diverse arenas. Today, he has been deservedly transformed into an active, focused national leader; a genuine pathfinder.
Little wonder, the famous American poet and essayist Maya Angelou, once observed that “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” Angelou’s captivating insight into the existential challenges that confront great men in the making, fundamentally captures the life story of TETFUND’s chairman. Kashim Imam has also demonstrated that he is a personality and leader not swayed by extraneous emotionalism and parochial cant.
Higher political responsibility certainly beckons on a nationalist and leader who has diligently paid his dues. He is Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam.
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