Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman (rtd)

Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman (rtd), mni fnipr fapra fnarc FIOARM fspsp, (Sarkin Yakin Kanwan Katsina), is the Consultant Director, Corporate Affairs and Information at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja. Before his voluntary retirement from the Nigerian Army in February 2019, he was the Director of Army Public Relations and Spokesman for the Nigerian Army. While in service, he promoted hard work, dedication, professional excellence and transformed public relations practice and strategic communication in the Nigerian Army.

Brigadier-General SK Usman (rtd), mni, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication and a Master of Arts degree in Media, Peace and Conflict Studies from Bayero University Kano, Nigeria, and the United Nations Mandated University for Peace (UPEACE), San Jose, Costa Rica, respectively. He also attended the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, as a member of Senior Executive Course 40, 2018.

 

While in the military, he served in various units and formations of the Nigerian Army and had two tours of duty on United Nations Peace Keeping Operations in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Eritrea. He also held several command and staff appointments in various formations and units of the Nigerian Army, the last of which was, Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR).

He has attended several professional courses, seminars, and workshops both within Nigeria and abroad in his impeccable military career. These include Senior Officers’ Spokesman’s Course at Joint Information Activities Group, Royal Air Force, Halton, London, the United Kingdom in 2015, Journalists Protection in Conflict Zone course at Hellenic National Defence General Staff Multinational Peace Support Operations Training Centre, Greece in 2016 and a 6-month Basic Arabic Course at the Nigerian Army School of Education (NASE), Ilorin in 1994. Other courses include the prestigious Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji for Junior Course in 2002 and Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre, Accra Ghana for Media Operations Course in 2005 and Professionalizing Protocol, Information and Press Duties for Efficient and Effective Administration – African Business School Johannesburg, South Africa, amongst others.

A prolific writer and resourceful person, he has written many articles published in newspapers, magazines and journals. He has also delivered papers at strategic military institutions and seminars and workshops in Nigeria and other African countries on leadership, crisis, and strategic communication. In addition, Brigadier General SK Usman (rtd), mni, is a regular guest on many prime-time television and radio station programmes in Nigeria. He discusses national security, policies, and strategic communication.

He belongs to various professional bodies among which includes, member of the prestigious National Institute (mni), a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (fnipr) and member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Fellow African Public Relations Association (fapra), Fellow, Nigerian Army Resource Centre (fnarc), as well as Fellow Institute of Organisational and Administrative Risk Management of Nigeria (FIOARM) and Fellow, Society for Peace Studies and Practice (fspsp). He also holds the traditional title of Sarkin Yakin Kanwan Katsina. A well-decorated retired senior military officer, Brigadier-General SK Usman (rtd), mni, has received many honours and awards from the military, civil organisations and institutions.

He is also a member of the Editorial Board of African Leadership Magazine and member of the Board of Trustees of Security Watch Africa Initiative, Chairman, Board of Trustees of Confederation of African Journalists (CAJ), Member of Board of Trustees of and NGO, Female Advocacy Mentoring Empowerment (FAME), and Secretary, Finance and Fund Raising Committee of Nigerian Prize for Leadership. He is also the National Publicity Secretary of the Alumni Association of the National Institute and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Governing Council. A very resourceful retired senior officer, Usman is bringing his great wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise in public relations practice, strategic communication, and policy formulation on board the NARC team.

Brigadier General Usman (rtd), mni, is happily married, and the marriage is blessed with children. At his leisure, he enjoys reading and listening to music.