Dr Lawan Ahmed Mohammed, son of the late Emir of Gumel, HRH Alhaji (Dr) Ahmed Muhammad Sani II, has been appointed the 17th Emir of Gumel Emirate in Jigawa State.
The appointment was approved by Governor Umar A. Namadi following the recommendation of the Gumel Emirate Council kingmakers and the Jigawa State Council of Chiefs.
Secretary to the Jigawa State Government, Bala Ibrahim, announced the decision while briefing journalists after the conclusion of the selection process.
He explained that the kingmakers had conducted extensive consultations among nine contenders for the traditional stool before arriving at their recommendation.
Three of the aspirants subsequently withdrew from the contest, leaving six candidates to participate in the selection process.
Following the first round of voting, three contenders emerged — the Chiroman Gumel, Tafidan Gumel and Sarkin Dawaki.
Their names were then submitted to the Jigawa State Council of Chiefs, which forwarded the three candidates to Governor Namadi for the final decision.
The governor subsequently approved Dr Lawan Ahmed Mohammed, who until his appointment was known as the Chiroman Gumel, as the successor to his late father.
The new emir brings a strong academic and technology background to the traditional institution.
He currently serves as Director of Cyber Security at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and is an internationally recognised scholar in computing and cybersecurity.
Dr Lawan holds a PhD in Computer and Communication Systems Engineering from Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Also Read: FRSC announces traffic diversion on Kaduna-Zaria highway
He also obtained an MSc in Computing from De Montfort University, United Kingdom, another MSc in Operations Research from Universiti Putra Malaysia, and a BSc in Mathematics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Before returning to Nigeria, he spent more than 12 years as Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Hafr Al-Batin in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He has authored more than 40 research publications covering areas including computing, cybersecurity and digital identity.
His professional engagements have also included contributions to cybersecurity initiatives involving AfricaCERT, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), OIC-CERT, ECOWAS and ANCA.
Dr Lawan succeeds his father, who died on Thursday, September 3, 2026, after spending 46 years on the throne.
His emergence as the 17th Emir follows the conclusion of the selection process involving the emirate’s kingmakers, the State Council of Chiefs and the final approval of the Jigawa State governor.