Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, PhD was the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (2019 – 2023).
A recipient of the Wada Waziri Prize for the Best Graduating Students of Journalism of Bayero University Kano (2007/2008 Session), Umar also won Media Trust’s Automatic Employment for the Best Graduating Mass Communication Students of Universities in Nigeria. Dr. Gwandu also got a first-class division Diploma in United Nations and International Understanding from the Institute of UN Studies, New Delhi.
In 2011, Gwandu served as the Kebbi state correspondent of one of the leading national private newspapers in Nigeria, Daily Trust. He meritoriously secured an all-expense paid scholarship by the India Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). He received three awards for completing Masters Studies. He got a Gold Medal award and recieved Bipin Chandara Pal as well as Amit Kumar Memorial Achiever Awards for securing First Class (First Position) during his Masters studies in Mass Communication in India in the year 2014. He capped it off with a PhD degree in Mass Communication specializing in Political Communication at the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano – Nigeria.
Dr. Gwandu served as the Director, Research and outreach of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), Nigeria Office, Kano. Gwandu was the
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Pioneer Coordinator of the Abuja Winter School when West African Office of the International Institute of Islamic Thought organised the first winter school in December, 2017.
He is widely travelled and attended International academic conferences and presented scholarly papers. Some of the countries he visited included Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, United States of America, Egypt, India, Pakistan, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Netherlands, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Chad and Turkey among others.
Dr. Gwandu was a Fellow of the US-based Centre for International Media Ethics (CIME) and a Fellow of West African Society for Communication Administration (WASCA). He is a Member of many professional bodies including African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals in Nigeria (ACSPN), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), among others.
Dr. Gwandu has keen interest in promoting religious understanding, peaceful co-existence and mutual harmony among diverse people which spurs him making presentations of related talks at national and international fora. His research interests include Media and Islam, Political Communication and Journalism Ethics. A media and communication expert with over a decade of professional experience in university lecturing, journalism practice and media management. Also a developer of innovative reputation management, image building and corporate communication techniques with great passion for result-oriented public relations practice.
He was a lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano and on leave of absence as a Senior Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.