Malam Isa Gusau is potentially the only government spokesperson in Nigeria who combines undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in Public Relations, a discipline that specializes in creative and strategic reputation management through planned and spontaneous publicity activities.sa
Nigerian Universities do not offer undergraduate programmes in public relations as a specialized area, but offer such courses in Mass Communication which broadly touches on multiple areas, rather than graduate specialization available in the UK and other developed countries.
Isa Gusau holds a Bachelors Degree in Public Relations, Media and Advertising with First Class Honours from Middlesex University in London, United Kingdom.
Isa Gusau also holds a Masters Degree (MA) in Public Relations and Media with the highest classification of Distinction from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.
Unlike Nigerian Universities which only classify graduate degrees, UK Universities classify Masters degrees starting with ‘Pass’, ‘Merit’ and ‘Distinction’.
Gusau holds another Masters Degree and Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial and Labour Relations from the University of Maiduguri.
Isa Gusau also holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from Kaduna Polytechnic and remains one of the most outstanding graduates of the department.
Isa Gusau also holds certificates from campus-based courses on Leadership and persuasive communication at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States; he holds another certificate from campus-based programme on Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education in Cambridge, UK; he holds another on Reputation Branding, Media Relations and Political Campaigns and Communication from Thompson Reuters in New York, United States.
He has at different times undertook intensive online certificated courses organized by Harvard University on Communication Strategies, and Crisis Communication.
Gusau also attended dozens of other media relations, communication and journalism courses within and outside Nigeria.
Malam Isa Gusau is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, UK; the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations; the Public Relations and Communications Association, PRCA, UK; the International Public Relations Association, UK and the African Public Relations Association.
Gusau has attended several conferences, summits and bilateral meetings across 18 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa as for purposes of media relations for government delegation, for professional networking, trainings and journalistic reporting.
Isa Gusau has at different times visited 16 states across the United States for similar purposes.
Gusau also practised as a journalist for years before moving into PR.
At the Daily Trust, Gusau was the first to win the Board Chairman’s star award and cash prize for integrity in the journalists’ category.
He was also recipient of the Editor-in- Chief’s letter of commendation and cash reward for integrity.
He also received series of commendations from the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer for prudence, transparency, accountability and productive management of regional offices in the Niger Delate and the Northeast, Nigeria.
He also received performance-based incentives and accelerated promotions.
Gusau resigned from Daily Trust in March, 2012, the same week he was promoted to the rank of Deputy Editor, to venture into public relations activities following his appointment by Governor Kashim Shettima as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
Gusau was media strategist to then Governor Kashim Shettima from March 2012 to May 2019 (throughout the two tenures). Gusau did an outstanding job.
After the 2019 Governorship in Borno State, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum in June 2019, appointed Malam Isa Gusau as his media strategist, a position Gusau held until May 2023 when Zulum terminated all political appointments ahead of second term.
Now in his second term, Governor Zulum has just reappointed Isa Gusau as his media strategist with effect from June 2023.
Isa Gusau has since 2012 been mentoring more than 300 Borno youths on aspects of public relations using the social media. Gusau organizes workshop at which he personally trains and evaluates participants and has also engaged services of academic and professional institutions to train the youths within and outside Borno State.
Malam Isa Gusau is a retired football player and coach, who owned a football team in Maiduguri with dozens of youths.
Gusau plays table tennis and was a track runner in 100 meters, 200 meters and 4×100 meters relay. He holds medals from secondary school games.
Gusau is a reader and prolific writer, who always argues that “no single write-up is perfect”, hence the need for second eye on every write up as such, because of which he often subjects his own write ups to corrections by those he teachers and mentors.
Gusau has memorized many portions of the Qur’an and he is happily married with children.
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