PR TIMES AFRICA PRTimesAfrica (March 2016)

A PROFILE IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND REPRESENTATION Ambassador Ayuba Jacob Ngbako is the quintessential grass to grace story, rising to the point of rep- resenting Nigeria as the High Commissioner to the Gambia, from humble beginnings in the undeveloped underbelly of Abuja where education wasn’t given priority and the peoples’ aspiration didn’t exceed the bounds of their small villages. Still the epitome of humility, a dedicated Christian father and husband, a patriotic Nigerian with an unmistakeable passion for Africa. He shared his story with PR Times Africa and his thoughts on how young Africans can pursue personal development for relevance in today’s world. BACKGROUND My name is Ayuba Jacob Ngbako, a native of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. I attended my primary school in Garki village, Abuja and then I proceeded to the only secondary school in the entire FCT at the time, Government Secondary School Abuja (Now Government Secondary School Suleja, Niger State). My quest for higher education took me to the University of Sokoto (now Usman Dan Fodio University). I have also been trained in several professional courses both locally and internationally such as International business, International trade and management. I am an associate and member of professional bodies such as Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Institute of Commercial Management of the United Kingdom, Nigerian Institute of Business Development and a fellow of African Business School. ENCOURAGEMENT TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION Every parent wants their children to prosper and fulfil their God-given potentials, and being born in Abuja at a time when the natives were predominantly farmers, my father wanted me to be a farmer. My suc- cess in academics at the primary school level encouraged me to pursue secondary education while my performances at the secondary level also encouraged me to go on to the university. Doing well in aca- demics helped me to see that there is something in getting educated and this encouraged me to pursue education as far as possible. PROFESSIONAL LIFE I have occupied several positions both in public and private sector. After my national service, I taught 37 | PRTIMES AFRICA MARCH 2016

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