Background Summary
Born: August 2, 1952 in Zaria
Alma mater: Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Qualified and well-practiced Architect
Elected Kaduna state governor May 2007 - 19 May 2010
Currently 13th Vice-president of Nigeria (since 19 May 2010)
Married with six children
No personal political power base
Nigeria's new Vice-President Alhaji Mohammed Namadi Sambo has a good head for business, which might serve well for the country if properly harnessed.
People who have worked with him, both in the private and public sector attest to his unassuming and easy going ways, assuring that he does not believe in do or die to get things, and is good at team work to achieve results.
Nigeria truly needs such politicians - with no do or die spirit.
He is a qualified architect and owns three companies, but is yet to prove himself as a political heavyweight.
Indeed, many believe this is precisely why he was chosen as President Goodluck Jonathan's deputy.
He is not seen as a great political threat should Mr Jonathan decide to run for president in elections in 2011.
Education and Public Service
Mohammed Namadi Sambo started his educational career in 1959 at Baptist Primary School, Kakuri, Kaduna; Kobi Primary School in Bauchi and Towns School No. 1 in Zaria.
Between 1967 to 1971, he attended Government Secondary School now Alhuda-Huda College in Zaria.
He later went to the School of Basic Studies at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1972, after which he gained admission into the famous Department of Architecture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1973 and graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree Honours in Architecture (B. Sc. (Hons)).
He holds a Masters degree (M. Sc.) in Architecture 1978; and served with the Oyo State Ministry of Works and Housing for the National Youth Service Corps up to August 1979.
In 1988 he was appointed Honourable Commissioner for Works, Transport and Housing, Kaduna.
In 1990, Namadi Sambo left the service of the Kaduna State Government and went back into private practice where he excelled as one of the country's most prominent architects.
The Governor
On becoming Kaduna state governor, Mr Sambo made several ambitious promises, but was criticised for not managing to keep some of them.
For example, he failed to make much progress on plans to improve the state's health and education facilities, water supply and roads by the time he was chosen as President Jonathan's deputy.
His main success was in the area of security - a big issue in Kaduna, which has suffered in the past from ethnic violence.
Mr Sambo presided over Operation Yaki, a task force which brought together the police, the military and other security services to deal with crime in the state.
Political Future
It has been said that he may have been picked as the vice-president because he is not a great political threat, but even so, he might still be a strong presidential candidate for other reasons.
Mr Sambo is a northerner - and a practising Muslim, while Mr Goodluck Jonathan, is a Christian southerner.
Their ruling political party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), has said its candidate will be a northerner - continuing its practice of alternating power between north and south after two four-year terms.
Although there are talks and insinuations of the PDP discontinuing this rotational zoning formula, which by the way is not recognized by the Constitution, it is yet to materialize.
Former President Umaru Yar'Adua, whom Mr Jonathan succeeded when he died in May before his first term had ended, was a Muslim northerner.
So the spotlight is now on Mr Sambo - which is a first for a quiet man whose political aspirations are not immediately apparent.
But after three modest and relatively obscure years as a state governor, there is still a lot to learn about Mr Sambo's political skills and his motivation to use them as a possible future president.
It would be true to say that after an understated political career, Namadi Sambo is now in the spotlight.
In a country where the line between politics and business is often quite blurred, and politicians use their positions for personal aggrandizement, Alhaji Sambo would do well to keep his companies outside of politics.
Born: August 2, 1952 in Zaria
Alma mater: Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Qualified and well-practiced Architect
Elected Kaduna state governor May 2007 - 19 May 2010
Currently 13th Vice-president of Nigeria (since 19 May 2010)
Married with six children
No personal political power base
Nigeria's new Vice-President Alhaji Mohammed Namadi Sambo has a good head for business, which might serve well for the country if properly harnessed.
People who have worked with him, both in the private and public sector attest to his unassuming and easy going ways, assuring that he does not believe in do or die to get things, and is good at team work to achieve results.
Nigeria truly needs such politicians - with no do or die spirit.
He is a qualified architect and owns three companies, but is yet to prove himself as a political heavyweight.
Indeed, many believe this is precisely why he was chosen as President Goodluck Jonathan's deputy.
He is not seen as a great political threat should Mr Jonathan decide to run for president in elections in 2011.
Education and Public Service
Mohammed Namadi Sambo started his educational career in 1959 at Baptist Primary School, Kakuri, Kaduna; Kobi Primary School in Bauchi and Towns School No. 1 in Zaria.
Between 1967 to 1971, he attended Government Secondary School now Alhuda-Huda College in Zaria.
He holds a Masters degree (M. Sc.) in Architecture 1978; and served with the Oyo State Ministry of Works and Housing for the National Youth Service Corps up to August 1979.
In 1988 he was appointed Honourable Commissioner for Works, Transport and Housing, Kaduna.
In 1990, Namadi Sambo left the service of the Kaduna State Government and went back into private practice where he excelled as one of the country's most prominent architects.
The Governor
On becoming Kaduna state governor, Mr Sambo made several ambitious promises, but was criticised for not managing to keep some of them.
For example, he failed to make much progress on plans to improve the state's health and education facilities, water supply and roads by the time he was chosen as President Jonathan's deputy.
His main success was in the area of security - a big issue in Kaduna, which has suffered in the past from ethnic violence.
Mr Sambo presided over Operation Yaki, a task force which brought together the police, the military and other security services to deal with crime in the state.
Political Future
It has been said that he may have been picked as the vice-president because he is not a great political threat, but even so, he might still be a strong presidential candidate for other reasons.
Mr Sambo is a northerner - and a practising Muslim, while Mr Goodluck Jonathan, is a Christian southerner.
Their ruling political party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), has said its candidate will be a northerner - continuing its practice of alternating power between north and south after two four-year terms.
Although there are talks and insinuations of the PDP discontinuing this rotational zoning formula, which by the way is not recognized by the Constitution, it is yet to materialize.
Former President Umaru Yar'Adua, whom Mr Jonathan succeeded when he died in May before his first term had ended, was a Muslim northerner.
So the spotlight is now on Mr Sambo - which is a first for a quiet man whose political aspirations are not immediately apparent.
But after three modest and relatively obscure years as a state governor, there is still a lot to learn about Mr Sambo's political skills and his motivation to use them as a possible future president.
It would be true to say that after an understated political career, Namadi Sambo is now in the spotlight.
In a country where the line between politics and business is often quite blurred, and politicians use their positions for personal aggrandizement, Alhaji Sambo would do well to keep his companies outside of politics.
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