The founder and Board Chairman of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD), Ibrahim Gambari, has been appointed Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Center for Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, United States.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the Executive Director of the centre, Sani Saulawa Bala.
According to the statement, the appointment was conveyed in a letter dated February 13, 2026, by the Director of the centre, Wale Adebanwi, and took effect from January 1, 2026.
The tenure will run until August 31, 2026, subject to renewal.
The University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin, is one of the leading academic institutions in the United States, while its Centre for Africana Studies is recognised for research and scholarship on African culture, history and contemporary development.
As a Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Gambari is expected to contribute to academic discourse on global governance and share his vision for diplomacy, democracy and development, which underpin the mission of the Savannah Centre.
The centre said the appointment reflects global recognition of Gambari’s contributions to academia, peacebuilding, good governance and development.
The statement added that students and scholars from Nigeria and across Africa stand to benefit from his engagement with the university community during the tenure.
Gambari is widely regarded as an expert in diplomacy and international relations, with decades of service in academia and global diplomacy.
He previously served as a lecturer and later professor at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and was also Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.
His public service career also includes serving as Nigeria’s Minister of External Affairs and as Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations. At the UN, he later rose to the position of Under-Secretary-General, working with four Secretaries-General.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier described Gambari’s public service record as “iconic national service”, noting that he served under seven Nigerian Heads of Government across both military and democratic administrations.
The Savannah Centre congratulated Gambari on the appointment and expressed confidence that his experience and reputation for excellence would further strengthen the global reputation of the University of Pennsylvania’s Centre for Africana Studies.
