By BASHIR MAIDUGU

It is a rare privilege in life to witness a childhood friend ascend to the high office of Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and rarer still is the privilege of observing that, despite the weight and prestige of that office, he remains fundamentally unchanged in character.

I write this article as a brief reflection on my solemn interactions with my friend, brother, and boss, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an interaction shaped by over four decades of brotherhood. This long association has afforded me a uniquely intimate vantage point from which to observe his character, convictions, and enduring commitment to service and humanity.

From modest beginnings to the second-highest office in the land, his journey has been defined not merely by public achievement but by deeply rooted virtues. I can attest that he is a man whose path has been guided less by ambition than by humility, intellect, hard work, excellence, and an unwavering loyalty....to his family, to the institutions he has served, to his clients in his earlier career as a banker, to his friends, his constituents, his colleagues, his state, his party, his principals, and ultimately to the Nigerian nation.

Power, as history repeatedly reminds us, has a curious way of altering men. Titles can intoxicate....authority can distance; and the trappings of office often create barriers between leaders and the people who once knew them. Yet, in Vice President Shettima, one encounters a rare and reassuring consistency of character, a man who has carried the burdens of high office without surrendering the humility, warmth, and humanity that defined him long before the corridors of power beckoned.

He treats aides, colleagues, and citizens with equal courtesy. He retains the approachable warmth of the young man that loves humour many of us knew decades ago. Humility, for him, is not weakness. It is strength under control. It allows him to build bridges across divides, to command respect without demanding it, and to carry the burdens of state without losing his humanity. Those who had close interactions with him will easily understand my assertions here.

Again, those of us who interact with him closely know that beneath his calm demeanor lies a formidable intellect. He is widely read, (almost a book worm) analytically rigorous, and deeply reflective. In policy discussions, he demonstrates a rare ability to grasp both the macroeconomic implications of national decisions and the micro-level realities affecting ordinary Nigerians.

He listens. He is a Solicitor’s dream client. And obviously an asset to his colleagues and bosses any day.

This exhibits itself not merely in public gestures, but in quiet attentiveness without prejudice to the subject.

Having navigated the complexities of leadership in challenging circumstances in Borno, he relates to people not as distant constituents, but as fellow citizens whose struggles and aspirations he genuinely comprehends. Whether engaging with displaced communities, civil servants, political colleagues, or longtime friends, he displays a rare capacity to make each person feel special, heard and valued.

The empathy of Kashim is unparalleled. He has personally adopted and supported numerous children through the Kashim Shettima Foundation, which operates schools, a kidney support Centre and a midwifery clinic. Thousands of lives continue to be positively impacted by his remarkable generosity. With his little resources, he has funded and facilitated specialized medical care for thousands of individuals, many of whom he scarcely knows personally, demonstrating a rare depth of compassion and selfless commitment to humanity.

His intellectual depth is a revelation to many. Most people are unaware of his deep intellect and sagacity. He is a fast learner. This is also complemented by practical governance experience. Whether in matters of security, economic reform, or intergovernmental relations, he approaches issues with clarity of thought and structured reasoning. He possesses a remarkable memory, effortlessly recalling the correct names of individuals he encountered even two decades ago. Many people can attest to this.

His competence is not loud, but it is evident, in execution, and in results. Public service demands commitment and sacrifice. Vice President Shettima’s patriotism is not rhetorical, it is live. He understands the ephemeral nature of office and the fragility and promise of the Nigerian project. His decisions and counsel are consistently guided by one central question. And that is “What serves the long-term interests of Nigeria”?

He has demonstrated time and again that personal comfort, political convenience, or wild popularity must never override national stability and progress.

His unwavering commitment to political propriety can, at times, be mildly frustrating to those of us who are close to him, as we are often ourselves set aside in favour of broader fairness and inclusivity when political considerations arise.

In our political climate where shifting allegiances are often mistaken for strategy, Vice President Shettima stands out for his complete and unambiguous loyalty to our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

Loyalty, in his case, is not blind submission. It is principled alignment. It is the recognition that leadership at the highest level requires cohesion, trust, and shared vision. He understands the gravity of the mandate entrusted to the administration and works diligently to ensure that the President’s agenda is implemented faithfully and effectively. In that, he doesn’t look back. He is focused on the ball. He consistently rises above deliberate provocations and orchestrated media attacks intended to sow discord between him and his principal or the party, choosing instead the path of measured restraint, loyalty and unwavering commitment to the larger mission. On this his loyalty is steady, not transactional and not opportunistic. It is but grounded in mutual respect and shared conviction about Nigeria’s future.

If you know him long enough before politics and high office, one quality stands above the rest: he has not forgotten where he came from, nor the people who walked the early paths of life with him.

In a nutshell, his success has not erased his memory. He values friendship deeply. He keeps old ties alive, not out of obligation, but out of genuine affection and gratitude. In private moments, away from cameras and protocol, he remains the same thoughtful companion, reflective, generous, humorous and grounded.

Another sterling quality of the Vice President is that despite the demands of office, he remains deeply devoted to his family. His simplicity at home contrasts with the grandeur of state functions. He values quiet moments, family bonds, and as a true African, the moral compass that family life provides. This grounding, perhaps more than anything else, sustains his balance amid the pressures of national leadership. His life demonstrates that one can hold great office without losing personal authenticity.

Even in tense policy meetings or high-stakes negotiations, he retains a subtle but disarming sense of humour. It is not frivolous; it is measured and intelligent. Perhaps because of the considerable pressures he bears each day, he has developed a deep appreciation for humour, particularly in his private moments, where it serves as a welcome relief and source of balance.

His wit lightens heavy rooms and reminds those around him that leadership need not be devoid of warmth.

Humour, in his hands, becomes a tool of connection, breaking tension, encouraging candour, and humanizing authority.

I need to conclude that in Kashim Shettima, Nigeria has a Vice President who embodies rare balance, humility with strength, intellect with empathy, loyalty with independence of thought, and authority with simplicity.

To have known him as a childhood friend and to now serve under him in high office is both a personal honour and a profound testament to the possibilities of character driven leadership. His journey affirms that true greatness lies not merely in the height of one’s office, but in the steadiness of one’s virtues.

In an era hungry for principled leadership, he stands as a reminder that competence, patriotism, loyalty, and humility can indeed coexist, and that power, when anchored in character, becomes service in its highest form.

•Barr. Bashir Maidugu is the Senior Special Assistant to the President in the Office of the Vice President on Legal and Compliance Matters, can be reached on: bashirmaidugu@gmail.com

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