PROFILE – A.B Mahmoud SAN

PROFILE – A.B Mahmoud SAN


Ed’s Note – The learned silk, A.B Mahmoud SAN is currently
contesting for the Presidency of the Nigerian Bar Association and won our
poll by 71% when we asked our readers who they had rather have lead the
Nigerian Bar.
Mr. Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud graduated from Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria in 1979. He holds a master’s degree from the same
university specializing in Company and Labour Relations Law. He worked for 15
years with the Kano State Ministry of Justice rising from pupil state counsel
to the position of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and
co-founded the law firm of Dikko & Mahmoud in 1993, the same year he was
elected as Chairman of the NBA, Kano Branch.

AB, as he is popularly known has considerable
experience and specialized training in various fields of law and has broad
experience in various aspects of lawyering skills. He has at various times
acted as advocate, a solicitor and also as Arbitrator. He has considerable
experience locally and internationally in dispute resolution and complex
transactions. AB has advised various public sector clients and has at various
times acted on behalf of Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Water
Resources, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Bureau of Public
Enterprises, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigerian
National Assembly and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as well as several
other private sector clients.
AB served on various bodies both at Federal and
State levels. He was member of the National Committee on Crime Victims Rights.
He served as a member of the Presidential Committee on Incentives, Waivers and
Concessions (for Investments and Businesses) in Nigeria. He served as member of
the Board of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Centre for Democratic
Research and Training Mambayya House (Bayero University Kano). He has also
served as a member of the National Advisory Council of Nigeria Stability and
Reconciliation Programme NSRP (a DFID supported programme aimed at reducing
violent conflicts in Nigeria). AB also chaired the National Committee on the
review of the Nigeria’s Code of Corporate Governance for public Companies. He
is also a member of the Vision 2020, Business Support Group and was on the
Board of Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI). He is
currently the pro-Chancellor Kano State University of Science and Technology and
Vice-Chairman of the Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
AB has trained at various times at the
International Development Law Institute in Rome, where he obtained a
certificate in Law and Development in 1987, and in Legal Aspects of
Privatization in 1990. He also holds a Diploma in Sociology of Law from Onati
Institute for the Sociology of Law in Spain (1990) and another certificate in
techniques of privatization from the Institute of international Development at
Harvard University (2000). He was at North Western University Chicago where he
obtained a Certificate in Corporate Law and Business (2002). He also obtained a
Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration of the Chartered Institute
Arbitrators UK from Keble College University of Oxford. He was admitted as a
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2008. He was recently a
participant at the Yale University jointly run leadership programme with
Nigeria Leadership Initiative.
AB has maintained active engagement with Civil
Society Groups, the Academia and public interest organizations. He has appeared
in many cases before the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and the Nigerian
Supreme Court and has acted as special prosecutor in various high profile cases
including the CBN initiated Banking Prosecution. He has participated and
presented papers in various conferences both in Nigeria and abroad. He was
elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2001. He is a life member
of the Body of Benchers, Nigeria’s highest body for regulating the legal
profession. AB holds the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the
Niger (OON). He is also a Senior Fellow of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative
(NLI).
AB is married to Hon. Justice Patricia Mahmoud and
they are blessed with five children and a grand-child.
HIS ACTIVITIES AT THE BAR
– Chairman, Kano Branch of NBA 1993 – 1994
– Member, Committee for Chairmen and Secretaries
– Member, Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC)
– Chairman, Criminal Justice Reform Conference
– Member, Body of Benchers
– Life Bencher
VISION:
TO REINVENT THE NBA INTO A BRAVE NEW BAR DRIVEN BY
THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF ITS MEMBERS AS A VERITABLE AGENT FOR NATIONAL
TRANSFORMATION, WHILST SAFEGUARDING THE INTERESTS OF ITS MEMBERS.
 MISSION STATEMENT: (3Rs-P)
  • REGULATION
  • REPRESENTATION
  • RE-ENGINEERING
  • PUBLIC INTEREST