By Muhammad Abubakar
Born in Bakori in the early 1960s, Malam Ahmed Tijjani Abdulkadir is a seasoned journalist, broadcaster, media administrator, educator, entrepreneur and public servant whose career spans more than three decades in journalism, broadcasting, media regulation and public communication.
His appointment as Director of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Katsina State APC Tinubu–Dikko 2027 Campaign Council brings extensive professional experience to an assignment that will require strategic communication, effective media engagement and a sound understanding of the relationship between public information and political messaging. He previously served as Director of Media for the Katsina State APC campaign that secured the victory of the Dikko Umaru Radda–Faruk Lawal Jobe ticket in the 2023 governorship election.
Abdulkadir’s career has taken him from the newsroom and production studio to broadcasting management, regulatory administration and institutional leadership. This breadth of experience offers useful context for understanding what he brings to the campaign council and the responsibilities that lie ahead.
From the Newsroom to Broadcasting Management
Abdulkadir began his professional career as a teacher before moving into broadcasting. At Katsina State Television (KTTV), he worked in current affairs, reporting, news editing and programme production, eventually rising to become Manager of News and Current Affairs before his appointment as General Manager.
His work at KTTV included current affairs discussions, phone-in programmes and documentaries. He also developed experience in scriptwriting and features production, earning recognition as KTTV’s Best Features Writer in 1995.
He subsequently joined the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Nigeria’s broadcast industry regulator, where he served in several senior capacities. These included Head of Public Affairs and Zonal Director of the Kaduna, Sokoto and Maiduguri zonal offices. He retired from the commission in 2018 as a substantive Director after more than three decades of professional and public service.
His progression from journalism and programme production to executive management and broadcast regulation gave him an understanding of both the practical demands of media operations and the professional standards governing broadcasting in Nigeria. That combination is particularly relevant to a campaign communication role involving traditional broadcasters, online publications and social media platforms.
Abdulkadir also holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from Bayero University, Kano, and a Bachelor of Education in Language Arts from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. His professional training includes qualifications in journalism, broadcasting and digital journalism. He is an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.
A Different Approach to Hajj Media Coverage
One assignment that brought Abdulkadir’s media coordination experience into focus was his role as Media Representative of the 2026 Katsina State Hajj Delegation.
Rather than concentrating exclusively on the movement of pilgrims and routine Hajj operations, the coverage adopted a broader perspective, drawing attention to pilgrims’ experiences, welfare concerns and the efforts made by the state government to support them.
The approach placed the practical challenges confronting pilgrims alongside the interventions intended to address those challenges. It also highlighted the importance of providing journalists with suitable working conditions so they could carry out their responsibilities effectively.
The experience illustrated how purposeful media coordination can extend beyond the routine transmission of information. By documenting pilgrims’ experiences, public interventions and operational challenges, coverage can offer audiences a fuller account of a major public undertaking.
Abdulkadir subsequently compiled his experiences and observations into a book, Witness to Hajj. The work combines personal memoir, travel narrative, practical guidance and a documentary account of the pilgrimage, reflecting his perspective as both a journalist and a pilgrim.
The assignment is relevant to his new role because it involved coordinating communication around a complex public exercise, balancing institutional information with human experiences and documenting issues of public interest. These skills may prove useful in organising a campaign media operation, although the political context will present its own demands.
From Media Administration to Board Leadership
Abdulkadir’s appointment as Chairman of the Board of Management of Katsina State Radio and Television Services (KTRTV) further reflects his continued involvement in the state’s broadcasting sector.
The position places him at the governance level of a major state-owned media organisation. His background in journalism, programme production, broadcasting management and regulation provides a foundation for engaging with institutional policy, operational priorities and the responsibilities of public broadcasting.
Board leadership, however, is distinct from the day-to-day management of a media organisation. Assessing his contribution in this capacity requires attention to specific policies, institutional decisions and measurable outcomes rather than assumptions based solely on his professional background.
Nevertheless, his experience across different levels of the broadcasting industry gives him a perspective informed by newsroom practice, management responsibilities and regulatory oversight.
The Tinubu–Dikko 2027 Assignment
His emergence as Director of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Katsina State APC Tinubu–Dikko 2027 Campaign Council presents a new professional challenge.
Political communication has evolved considerably beyond conventional television and radio. Campaigns now operate across online newspapers, social media, multimedia platforms and real-time public engagement. Effective coordination requires not only the ability to produce and distribute information but also the capacity to respond to questions, assess emerging issues and maintain consistency across communication channels.
For Abdulkadir, the assignment will involve coordinating the campaign council’s media activities, facilitating engagement with media organisations and communicating information about the candidates, their records and their policy proposals.
A central responsibility will be to present the candidates’ records in office and the arguments they advance for seeking another term. This will require clear explanations, verifiable information and a willingness to address legitimate public questions.
The committee will also need to distinguish documented achievements from campaign claims that require independent verification. Credible political communication depends on accuracy, context and transparency. Professional experience can help establish the processes needed to meet these standards, but the quality of the committee’s work will ultimately depend on how consistently they are applied.
For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the communication task will involve presenting his record as President and the case advanced for a second term. For Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, it will involve explaining his administration’s record in Katsina State and the commitments he presents to voters in seeking re-election.
The committee’s responsibility is to communicate these records and proposals clearly and effectively while respecting professional standards and the public’s right to accurate information. It must also recognise that campaign communication takes place in a competitive environment where claims may be challenged and public expectations may differ.
Experience Meets Expectation
For observers of Katsina State’s media landscape, Abdulkadir’s appointment represents the deployment of an experienced broadcasting professional to a demanding political communication assignment.
His career has covered several major areas of the media profession: journalism, current affairs, programme production, broadcasting management, regulatory administration and board leadership. His experience coordinating media coverage of the 2026 Hajj exercise has also provided an example of how structured planning can broaden the scope of public-interest reporting.
His educational background and professional training add to this experience, while his involvement in journalism and media administration has kept him connected to the changing demands of public communication.
However, experience alone cannot guarantee success. The effectiveness of his leadership will depend on his ability to build a coordinated team, maintain productive relationships with media organisations, communicate campaign positions consistently and respond professionally to issues raised by the public.
The committee’s performance should ultimately be judged not by the volume of publicity it generates but by the accuracy and quality of its communication, the effectiveness of its coordination and its capacity to address public concerns without confusing advocacy with independently verified fact.
For Ahmed Tijjani Abdulkadir, the Tinubu–Dikko 2027 assignment offers an opportunity to bring decades of broadcasting and media management experience to one of Katsina State’s most consequential political communication exercises. How effectively he translates that experience into a professional, responsive and credible campaign media operation will determine the significance of his contribution.
Muhammad Abubakar
Arabian Quarters Phase III, Katsina
Email: mammanabu65@yahoo.com
