Abubakar - Nigeria

Abubakar was one of the first team members on our North East Nigeria program, which means he weathered the early days of startup challenges, in addition to the challenges of helping his state recover from the ravages of Boko Haram. For over a year, he and his team worked out of a hotel room with unreliable internet, finicky printers and scanners, and insufficient space to meet with partners. Through it all, he exhibited impressive forbearance and professionally and calmly provided his team the guidance they needed to succeed. His office in Yola, Adamawa State, was the first of our offices I was able to visit, and for that reason, it will always hold a special place in my heart. I always received a warm welcome from Abubakar, despite the fact that my visits were often disruptive to the team's normal schedule and tasks. Some of my best memories with Abubakar are going with him to brief the State Governor and State Assembly on his team's work to counter Boko Haram, and when he helped to organize a visit by the former U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Samantha Power, to his city. Abubakar is married with one young son and currently works at Centre for Social Change & Economic Development in Nigeria, serving the states in the North East affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.