Jerry Gana, is a Nigerian scholar, politician and one time senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1983 then Director for the Directorate of Food, Roads and Infrastructure (DFRRI).He was the director of the Mass Mobilization for Social Justice and Economic Recovery, popularly known as

MAMSER MAMSER was an acronym for Mass Mobilization for Self Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic recovery, Economic Recovery. It was an exercise in political orientation in Nigeria undertaken by President Ibrahim Babangida, Babangida as one of the recom ...

under

Ibrahim Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born 17 August 1941) is a Nigerian statesman and military dictator who ruled as military president of Nigeria from 1985 when he orchestrated a coup d'état against his military and political arch-rival Muhammadu ...

,2007 - PDP's Emerging Presidential Queue, Weekly Trust, 22 October 2006 then Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, in the Interim National Government under

Ernest Shonekan Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan (9 May 1936 – 11 January 2022) was a Nigerian lawyer and statesman who served as the interim head of state of Nigeria from 26 August 1993 to 17 November 1993. He was installed the Abese of Egbalan ...

. Later he became Minister of Information and Culture under General

Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (; (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military dictator and statesman who ruled Nigeria with an iron fist as military head of state from 1993 following a palace coup d'état until his death in 1998. Abacha's seiz ...

, then Minister of Corporation and Integration in Africa under

Olusegun Obasanjo Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo (; ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian former army general, politician and statesman who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its president from 1999 to 200 ...

as well as being Minister of Information and national Orientation. He also served as Political Adviser to Olusegun Obasanjo, before announcing plans to run for president in June 2006.

Background

Gana was born on 30 November 1945 at Busu near Bida, in

Niger State Niger State is a state in the North Central (Nigeria), North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory, to the north by Kebbi State and Zamfara State, ...

. He obtained the West African School Certificate from Government College, Bida in 1964, and proceeded to Okene Secondary School for the Higher School Certificate (H.S.C.) from 1965 to 1966, passing out with distinctions as the best results in 1967. Gana proceeded to

Ahmadu Bello University The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) is a public research university located in Zaria, Nigeria, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. It was opened in 1962 as the University of Northern Nigeria. The university has four colleges, three schools, 18 faculties, ...

(ABU), Zaria and graduated in 1970 with a B.A. (Hons) degree (Upper Division) in Geography. He then attended Kings College of the University of

Aberdeen University The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in post-nominals; ) is a public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland, petitioned Pope Al ...

, Scotland.for an M.Sc Course in Rural Resources Planning, leading to a PhD in Market Place Systems and Rural Development in 1974. He obtained a Certificate of Education from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

and taught a t Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1974 to 1986, rising to the post of a Professor in 1985. He was Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos until 2017

Political career

He was elected Senator in 1983, serving briefly until the military coup that brought General

Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A retired Nigerian army major general, he was the military head of state of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 Augu ...

to power. He was appointed chairman of Mass Mobilisation for Social and Economic Recovery under General

's government. He subsequently became a cabinet minister for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Information and Culture, Cooperation and Integration in Africa and again for Information and National Orientation. Gana ran unsuccessfully for president in 1992 on the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...

platform.

Fourth Republic

Gana was the founding national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998. In June 2001, President

appointed Gana Minister of Co-operation and Integration in Africa. In January 2001, Obasanjo reassigned his cabinet. In the new cabinet announced in February 2001 Gana was Minister of Information. Gana was also secretary of the PDP Board of Trustees. Gana resigned in July 2006 as special advisor to President

, and in August 2006 announced he would contend for the PDP candidature for the 2007 presidential elections. In 2018 Gana announced he would be running as a

(SDP) candidate for president in the 2019 Elections.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gana, Jerry Living people 1945 births People from Niger State Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Ahmadu Bello University alumni Academic staff of Ahmadu Bello University