Amb. Mohd Jameel Waziri: Celebrating an astute diplomat and technocrat at 67
By Calvin Anadio Lawan.
As Ambassador Mohammed Jameel Waziri turns 67 today June 6, I feel the urge not just celebrating a personal milestone, I am celebrating a national asset, a symbol of quiet competence, and arguably, one of the most prepared men for the serious work of rebuilding Adamawa State.
With 2027 on the horizon, Adamawa cannot afford to repeat old mistakes. We must stop treating politics like a popularity contest or an entitlement game. Leadership must no longer be reserved for the loudest, the wealthiest, or the most connected. We must now place the future of Adamawa in the hands of those who can deliver measurable results, and Amb. Waziri has done so across the world, across systems, and across administrations.
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This is a man who rose through the ranks in Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not by lobbying or lineage, but by sheer competence. He served as Nigeria’s representative in strategic missions in Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Algeria, and Morocco, not as a ceremonial figurehead, but as a man entrusted with real responsibilities, managing Nigeria’s image, protecting our national interest, and attracting foreign partnerships.
In London, he helped drive investment dialogues that opened up British capital to Nigerian infrastructure projects – long before the concept of PPPs became fashionable. In Algeria and Morocco, he was instrumental in developing bilateral channels focused on agriculture, trade, and tourism – sectors that are critical to Adamawa’s development today.
Let’s talk agriculture. Adamawa is blessed with vast arable land, but poor mechanization, lack of processing infrastructure, and non-existent access to export markets have kept our farmers poor. Waziri has negotiated agricultural cooperation agreements and trade linkages in North Africa and the Middle East. He understands how to connect our groundnut, our maize, our rice, our livestock, to global markets. He’s seen how Morocco turned agriculture into an export powerhouse. He knows how to bring that knowledge home.
On the issue of industrialization, we hear a lot of political lip service, but where are the working models? Waziri has interfaced with foreign investors, sat in rooms where decisions are made, and understands how to structure investment incentives to attract real factories – not just ribbon-cutting ceremonies. He has worked with international agencies, development finance institutions, and multinational corporations who won’t even take calls from most of our local leaders.
And this is crucial: he has credibility. In a time when Nigeria’s global perception is in free fall, when investors are wary and donors are cautious, a man like Waziri can still pick up the phone and speak to the right people – in London, in Riyadh, in Brussels. His reputation is currency.
Now consider Adamawa’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). We are stuck in a low-revenue trap because we have not built an enabling environment for SMEs, agro-processing, or even tourism. With his background in Public Administration and real-world governance, Waziri can lead reforms that plug leakages, automate revenue collection, and open up new streams, while still being fair and pro-people.
Our youth are idle, brilliant but bored, energetic but unemployed. This is not just an economic crisis – recently the CSC called for applications for placement of 4,000 vacancies and over 97,000 people applied for it – it’s a security crisis in Adamawa already. Waziri’s career has always reflected his belief in mentoring and capacity building. As a diplomat, he didn’t just sign agreements, he built talent pipelines. He is passionate about vocational training, enterprise development, and tapping into international scholarship and skills acquisition programs to uplift young people.
And let us not forget rural infrastructure, the unspoken backbone of any inclusive economy. Ambassador Waziri understands the centrality of rural access roads, solar electrification, clean water systems, and mobile connectivity. In his role as Chief of Protocol to the Presidency, he worked with MDAs and international partners on key development projects, managing logistics and negotiations with precision.
He is not all theory and titles. He is execution. He is delivery.
Politically, his record is a masterclass in grace and discipline. In 2019, he contested for the PDP governorship ticket and came second, a testament to his grassroots appeal. In 2023, despite the suspicious circumstances surrounding his disqualification, he chose dignity over drama. No noise. No defection. No blackmail. That restraint is not weakness. It is statesmanship.
And that is exactly what we need: not just a politician, but a statesman. Someone who has walked the halls of power without losing his soul. Someone who can match vision with strategy, connect Adamawa with capital, and inspire a generation to believe again.
As he turns 67, it is clear: Amb. Jameel Waziri is not a man whose best days are behind him. If anything, Adamawa’s most urgent needs align perfectly with his lifetime of preparation.
The time has come for us to stop settling. To stop gambling with our future. Adamawa deserves more than slogans and survival politics. It deserves a bridge to the world. A leader who brings competence, credibility, and connections. That leader is Ambassador Mohammed Jameel Waziri.
The question is no longer whether he is ready. He’s been ready.
The real question is: Are we?
Calvin Anadio Lawan is a political economist, development advocate, and writer. He writes from Abuja and believes in a future where government policy meets people where they live and work – not just where cameras are watching.
