Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana mni was born in 1971 into the family of Alhaji Abubakar Kana. He hails from Nasarawa State. Dr. Kana began his educational career in Ahmadu Maikwato Primary School, Keffi before gaining admission to Federal Government College, Odogbolu, Ogun State. He completed his secondary education at Government College, Keffi, after which he obtained the Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) degree from the University of Jos, Plateau State.
He embarked on the mandatory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) at the Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital, Kaduna. He obtained Fellowship in Ophthalmology after completing the Residency Training of the National Post-Graduate Medical College of Nigeria. He further obtained Certificate in Community Ophthalmology from Kilimanjaro Centre for Community Ophthalmology – Arusha, Tanzania. He also had his Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Administration (PGDPA) from the Department of Political Science, Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto.
He attended the World Bank Institute – Budapest, Hungary; Islamic Development Bank funded training on Leadership/Innovation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and later obtained a certificate in KAIZEN from the Malaysia Institute of Technology (MIT) – Kuala Lumpur as well as certificate in Leadership from the John Hopkins University, Maryland, USA. He is a proud Alumnus of the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.
In year 2000, the Permanent Secretary worked in the Department of Ophthalmology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He also held several other National positions in the Federal Civil Service including Head of the Federal Government Staff Eye Clinic, Abuja, Technical Adviser to the Minister of State for Health, Head of Health Desk, Office of Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs under the leadership of Amina Muhammed, the current Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations.
Dr. Kana also served under four different Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Ministry of Health as Senior Special Assistant. During Kana’s tenure in the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) where he represented the Ministry as Commissioner in Charge of Health, he initiated major reform programmes which led to the complete turnaround of healthcare provision for Nigerian Pilgrims from 2011-2019.
He was the National Program Manager, Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results- a 500 Million USD World Bank supported programme, a task he successfully discharged.
Dr. Kana is a recipient of several National and International Awards and has served on many Presidential and Ministerial Committees.
Touted to be exceptionally hardworking and thorough, feelers have it that, his appointment signals a new vista for the emergence of new generation of Permanent Secretaries with a fresh level of thoughts and ideas common to prevailing reality.
As Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kana will deepen and bring to bear sparkling brilliance and excellence that he has expended since joining the Civil Service as a Medical Doctor and Ophthalmologist.
