Profile of His Excellency, Kashim Shettima, Borno Central Representative

Kashim Shettima was born to the family of Shettima Mustafa Kuttayibe, Borno State, on September 2, 1966.
He went to Lamisula Primary School, Maiduguri, from 1972 to 1978 for his primary education. He proceeded to Government Community Secondary School, Biu, In 1978, where he sat for the West African School Certificate Examinations (WAEC) in 1980.
He got into the University of Maiduguri for his first degree in 1983 and obtained a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Agricultural Economics, with a second class upper division in 1989.
He was sent to Calabar for his National Youth Service, where he worked with the Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative Bank from 1989 to 1990.
From 1990 to 1991, he attended the University of Ibadan, where he gained a Masterʼs degree in Agricultural Economics. After which, he was promoted to lecturer II in the department of Agricultural Economics, the University of Maiduguri, in 1993; he started lecturing in 1991.
He worked as an Agricultural Economist at the Lagos branch of the Commercial Bank of Africa from 1993-1997.
Then he became a deputy manager and later manager at the African International Bank Limited, Kaduna office from 1997-2001.
In 2001 he rose to the ranks of deputy manager/branch head of Zenith Bank, Maiduguri and became General Manager five years later.
In 2007, he was appointed the Borno State Ministry of Finance and Economic Development commissioner. Soon after, he became commissioner of the ministries of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Education, Agriculture and later Health Under his predecessor as Borno Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff. In January 2011, during the ANPP primaries, Engineer Modu Fanami Gubio was selected as the candidate for the governorship. However, he was killed by gunmen, and Shettima was the popular choice to replace him, eventually winning the general elections on April 26, 2011.
When his first term as governor ended, he ran again for the position and was re-elected for a second term in April 2015. He was also made chairman of the Northern Governorsʼ’ forum. As governor, he provided outstanding leadership during the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency and led many efforts to combat the problem. His administration focused on the three Rʼs – reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement- setting up a ministry committed to education (particularly of the girl child), agriculture, health care and women empowerment.
He was awarded Governor of the Year in 2014 in recognition of his work in Borno State by the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NewsWatch Times Newspapers and Vanguard Newspapers.
Kashim Shettima is skilled at tennis, a great reader and an eloquent speaker. He speaks Kanuri, Hausa and English fluently.
He is married to Hajiya Nana Shettima, and they share two daughters and a son.
He currently represents Borno Central as a senator under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and is also the chairman of, senate committee on interior.