An administrator politician, a versatile journalist and publisher was born in March 21, 1952 He hails from Dambatta in Kano State Nigeria. He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1974- 1977) from where he graduated with an honors degree in Economics.
He then joined the New Nigerian Newspapers Limited, in 1979 as the paper’s Economic Correspondent and rose to become Editor of both the Sunday New Nigerian and the Gaskiya tafi Kwabo. While serving with New Nigerian Newspapers, Mallam Abba Dabo was appointed, in 1983, as th Chief Press Secretary to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alh. Shehu Shagari.
He served in that capacity until the coup that toppled the Shagari government in 1984 after which he returned to the New Nigerian briefly before moving to his native Kano where he was appointed the Managing Director of Triumph Publishing Company Ltd, publishers of the Triumph, Alfijir and Albishir newspapers.
With another change of government, Mallam Dabo ventured into politics and was appointed the Secretary to Government (SSG) of Kano State. He was then called to serve at the National level with his appointment as Special Advisor to the Head of State on National Assembly Liaison by the Interim Government of Chief Ernest Shonekan. Mallam Abba Dabo has served on the Boards of many companies and government agencies.
He was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo as the Chairman of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company- a subsidiary of the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) responsible for the production and exploration of oil where he served from 2003 to 2007.
Mallam Abba Dabo was later appointed Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) – a Government Research and Policy Formulation Centre for Foreign Policy in 2006.
He served in that capacity for three years until he was made Chairman of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) in 2006. Mallam Abba Dabo made other significant contributions in the academia and political sector. He served as a member of council for many years in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and also served as an elected member of the Constituent Assembly charged with drafting Nigeria’s constitution.
In active politics he was also elected the Chairman of Liberal Convention, a political association in Nigeria, which along with other political associations became the precursor of the Peoples Democratic Party, the PDP. He served the party in many capacities including becoming the Director, Media and Publicity of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the party. And its Deputy National Chairman,(North). President Goodluck Jonathan appointed him in 2012 as the Special Advisor to the President on political matters in the Office of the Vice President, where he served for four years.
In retirement Mallam Dabo went back to journalism where he established Premier Radio 102.7FM in Kano State and he is now serving as its Chairman. He is happily married with children.
