Engineer Babachir David Lawal: new SFG

President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to unveil his cabinet in September. But with the latest appointments into key positions in his unfolding government, it may be right to speculate that the cabinet list may soon follow.

With the bunch of technocrats announced today, it may also be right to speculate that President Buhari may be signalling to the nation the kind of men and women that will fill his cabinet.  Rather than appointing politicians as being expected, Buhari chose technocrats.

Alhaji Abba Kyari, who  was named as chief of staff has held posts at United Bank for Africa, Unilever, and Mobil, as his chief of staff.

Unlike his recent predecessors, Kyari is not a politician. “Chief of staff might not appear as high profile as some of the top ministerial posts but is probably the key appointment in terms of defining an administration and how effectively it operates,” said Antony Goldman, of Nigeria-focused PM Consulting.

“Abba Kyari is not a politician, but that is probably part of his attraction,” Goldman said.

Kyari, holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Warwick in Law and Sociology. He has worked with the New Nigeria Development Company, New Africa Holdings, African International Bank, United Bank for Africa, Unilever, and Mobil in various capacities over the years.

The position of secretary to the government of the federation, which involves coordinating activities across government departments, was filled by  Engineer Babachir David Lawal.

Engr. Lawal, the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation hails from Hong Local Government Area, Adamawa State. He graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979 with a Bachelor of Engineering Degree and worked with the Delta Steel Company, Aladja,  Nigerian External Telecommunications Limited and Data Sciences Limited before establishing his own ICT and Telecommunications consulting firm in 1990. He is also a member of the Nigeria Computer Society, the Nigeria Society of Engineers and the  Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.

Hameed Ibrahim Ali, a retired colonel, who was named as head of the Nigerian Customs Service was a former military administrator of Kaduna state , from 1996 to 1998.

Apart from his military background and his friendship with Buhari,  Ali holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Criminology.

The Nigerian Immigration Service is to be headed by Kure Martin Abeshi, who has worked in the department since 1989.

He joined the Nigerian Immigration Service in 1989 as an Assistant Comptroller. His educational qualifications include a Masters Degree in Public Administration.

*With reports by Reuters