Ayodele Williams
Mallam Nasir Danladi Bako, PhD, OON, is a man of many parts: a journalist, sports enthusiast, technocrat, seasoned administrator, lecturer and humanitarian. He rose from a humble background to become an icon in the firmament of broadcasting.
Described by a South African, Mr Lazarus Zim, as a maverick, Mallam Nasir defies so many stereotypes or categorizations, yet he can be described as a thinker, a strategist, an astute communicator and an incurable optimist, whose major pre-occupation in life is how to add value to his community and how to touch the lives of people around him. He has built a strong reputation of deep integrity, dedication and commitment in all his endeavors.
Born on 1st September, 1957 to Mallam Tanko and Mallama Aisha Azumi, young Danladi grew up and schooled in Sokoto, Kaduna and Kano, eventually gaining admission into the pre-degree course of the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in January 1974. He went on to graduate in English in 1978. Not satisfied with a first degree, he pursued and got admitted into the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos and completed the Master of Science program in 1981.
Before embarking on his academic journey, he started work at Radio Nigeria, Sokoto (now Rima Radio) in July 1973 as studio manager and reporter as well as Continuity Announcer. He had colleagues like Garba Shuni, who rose to the position of Head of Service in Sokoto State, Bello Liman, who became Assistant Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service and Ramatu Shuaibu Naibi, who later became Director, Federal Medical Center, Birnin Kebbi.
Bako was among the pioneer staff at NTA Sokoto when it came on air in February 1976 and grew to become one of the station’s most decorated products, getting to become the first NTA Sokoto staff to get a National Honour (Officer of the Order of the Niger) in 2006.
Danladi created, presented and produced numerous award-winning productions like “Take a Chance”, “Behind the Headlines”, and “Softline”. After winning the station’s Best Producer, Best Staff awards consecutively in 1980 and 1981, he was sent to a British Council/BBC training outfit, Aidanvision Broadcast Studios, England, for a one-year Advanced Certificate course in News and Programs production from January 1982 to December 1982.
On his return, he was promoted to Principal Producer and transferred to NTA Victoria Island, Lagos in January 1984, where he continued his career. He went on to produce numerous award-winning programs from “Second Chance” to detective series “SPACS”, crowning his efforts with the creation of the first Breakfast television program in Nigeria and indeed Africa called “Morning Ride” in April 1988 and “MASTERSPORTS” in 1992, both on NTA. He was a member of the Editorial Board of the Independent Newspapers from 2008 to 2014.
In 1994, the then Federal Government appointed him Senior Special Assistant to the Hon Minister of Youth and Sports, Chief Jim Nwobodo. One of the successes of which he was a mastermind was the performance of our football team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the United States, where Nigeria won her first gold medal in football, beating Brazil and Argentina along the way.
Danladi Bako got appointed as Director General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in July 1999 at the age of 41 and left voluntarily in November 2002 to pursue other numerous pet projects. He was turbaned by Sultan Muhammad Maccido on May 12, 2001 as Kogunan Sokoto. The Federal Government appointed him as Member, Cross River Basin Authority Calabar in 2004 and Member/Ag Pro-Chancellor, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi in 2009. Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko later appointed him Commissioner for Information, Sokoto State from 2012 till 2015.
In April 2015, he returned to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Development Communication and was awarded the PhD degree in 2019. He accepted an offer to teach Mass Communication at Umanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto as a Visiting Staff and started lectures in February 2020.
Dr Danladi Bako has attended more than 50 national and international conferences such as National Association of Broadcasters in Las Vegas USA, Sithengi, South Africa and Commonwealth Broadcasters Association in England. He has traveled on the Sultan’s delegation to Clarence House to visit Prince Charles, to Chatham House in London, to the American Congress as guests of Senators Ross Finegold and Hilary Clinton. In 2010, he went with Sultan Saad to deliver lectures at Harvard University, Boston Massachusetts, Columbia University, USA and Council for Foreign Relations and United Institute for Peace, Washington. In 2012, he went with the Sultan to the Wilson Center, Washington DC, United States of America.
Only last year, in 2025, he was among the Sultan’s three-man delegation to the Religion for Peace Conference in Istanbul, Turkey.
Kogunan Sokoto, Dr Nasir Danladi Bako remains one of the finest products of Sabeji, Sokoto South Local Government and indeed one of the most diligent, nationalistic and self-effacing brains to come out of the North and from this great country, Nigeria. He was Co-Director, Strategic Communication, APC Presidential Campaign 2023.
Congratulations on your birthday! I wish you many more years of meritorious service to the fatherland.
*Williams, a journalist, writes from Maitama, Abuja
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