Buhari Bala

In 1997, he was appointed by the then Military Head of State of Nigeria, Late General Sani Abacha as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs until the return to civil rule in 1999. He is the Principal Partner, Buhari Bala and Company a foremost firm of Chartered Accountants. He sits on the board of several companies including Aso Water International, Simtex International Nig Ltd and Buhari Bala Foundation for Youth Empowerment. He was previously on the board of Nigerian Shippers Council and Metropolitan Merchant Bank.

Buhari Bala was born in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State as a tenth child of 24 children. He attended Central Primary School B/Kebbi and obtained the West African School Certificate from the Federal Government College Ilorin in 1977 and thereafter proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in 1981 and thereafter a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in 1984 from the same institution. Bala also has a Diploma in Advanced Accounting from Luton University in the United Kingdom.

Buhari Bala (born 2 July 1958) is a Nigerian Chartered accountant and politician who served as Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1997 until the transition to civil rule in 1999. Bala is a recipient of the Nigerian National Honour- Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) conferred by former President Goodluck Jonathan, and the second highest national honours award of Libya- Medal Of Bravery, in recognition of his numerous contributions in the field of International Politics and Relations and for the promotion of Nigeria – Libya bilateral relations. Prior to working for the Nigerian Government, he served as Director, Finance and Supply at the Ministry of Health in Sokoto State, Nigeria.