Mr. Kashim Shettima

He attended Lamisula Primary School in Maiduguri from 1972-1978. He started secondary school at Government Community Secondary School in Biu in the southern part of Borno State from 1978 to 1980 but later transferred to Government Science Secondary School, Potiskum, where he completed his secondary education.

Mr Shettima studied Agricultural Economics for both his first and second degrees at the University of Maiduguri and the University of Ibadan respectively.

After finishing his first degree in 1989, Mr Shettima worked at the Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative Bank as a youth corp member in Cross River State. He returned to Maiduguri and started lecturing at the University of Maiduguri until 1993.

His banking years

After Mr Shettima left the university, he returned to the Commercial Bank of Africa and was posted to Lagos as the Head of Accounts. In 1997, he joined the African International Bank in Kaduna as deputy manager and rose to the position of bank manager.

In 2001, he joined Zenith Bank where he spent six years. He rose from the head of the Maiduguri main branch of the bank to a senior manager. He was also named the Zonal Head (Assistant General Manager) of the Northeast region. He left the bank as a general manager in 2007 after he was appointed commissioner by the governor of Borno at the time, Ali Modu-Sheriff.

Mr Shettima was first named the Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development but later served in four other ministries, including Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Education, Agriculture and Health.

Accidental governor

Mr Shettima became the governor without setting out to be one. He was brought in as a replacement after the winner of the governorship candidate of the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) Modu Fannami-Gubio was shot dead by Boko Haram insurgents in January 2011.