Turbaned by Tradition, Crowned by Mentorship: What Zannah Yuroma title says about service, human relations, leadership – Abdulmumin Kolo Gulani

By: Abdulmumin Kolo Gulani

Machina was unusually animated on Saturday, 31 January 2026. From the early hours of the morning, the ancient oasis town known affectionately in Kanuri as “Machina Karabi kau-wa” welcomed an extraordinary mix of royalty, scholars, policymakers, civil society leaders, students, and community members.

They came from within Nigeria and far beyond its borders, drawn not just by pageantry, but by purpose.

At the heart of the gathering was the turbaning of Dr Kole Ahmed Shettima as Zannah Yuroma of Machina, an honour conferred by His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Bashir Albishir Bukar Machinama, the Emir of Machina. Yet beyond the symbolism of flowing turbans and royal drums, the ceremony stood out as a powerful meditation on mentorship, humility, and the enduring value of good human relations.

A Title Earned Through People, Not Power

Traditional titles often recognise lineage, wealth, or political influence. Dr Shettima’s turbaning told a different story. It celebrated a life built around ideas, institutions, and people, especially younger people.

From Machina Central Primary School to the University of Maiduguri, Ahmadu Bello University, and later the University of Toronto, Dr. Shettima’s journey has been defined by learning and teaching. As a scholar and later as an international development practitioner, he has mentored students, activists, academics, and policymakers across continents. Many of them were present in Machina, former students now professors, civil society leaders who once sought his guidance, and young professionals who see in him a model of principled leadership.

What struck many observers was not just the calibre of guests, but the nature of their relationship with the honouree. This was not a gathering of political loyalists, but a reunion of mentees, colleagues, and collaborators, people whose lives and careers had been shaped by quiet counsel, open doors, and generous listening.

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When Mentorship Becomes Legacy

In his various roles, academic, African Director of the MacArthur Foundation, Honourary Adviser to the Yobe State Governor Hon. (Dr) Mai Mala Buni, and community leader, Dr Shettima has consistently invested in others. His philosophy of mentorship is simple but demanding: excellence without arrogance, authority without intimidation, and success without severing one’s roots.

That ethos was reflected in the presence of distinguished Nigerians such as Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Governor of Ekiti State and former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, who joined traditional rulers, senior academics, and international development partners at the ceremony. Their attendance underscored a rare quality in public life: the ability to build enduring relationships across regions, professions, and ideologies.

In an era marked by polarisation and transactional politics, the Machina gathering offered a counter-narrative. It showed that respect travels, and that genuine human connection can draw people thousands of kilometres to a desert town not for spectacle, but for solidarity.

Machina’s Values, Reflected in a Son

The choice of Machina as the setting amplified the ceremony’s deeper meaning. More than a local government headquarters, Machina is a symbol of resilience and coexistence. Its cultural reverence for snakes, believed to share royal ancestry with the Emirate, speaks to a worldview that prizes tolerance, history, and balance with nature.

In many ways, Dr Shettima embodies these same values. Despite global recognition, he has remained closely tied to Machina, serving as Secretary General of the Machina District Development Association and Patron of the Machina Emirate Development Association. His work reminds younger generations that global relevance and local loyalty are not opposites.

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Tradition Meets Modern Leadership

The turbaning of the Zannah Yuroma was therefore more than a personal honour. It was a statement by the Machina Emirate that knowledge, mentorship, and humane leadership deserve the highest recognition.

By honouring a scholar-practitioner whose influence is felt in classrooms, communities, and policy spaces, the Emirate reaffirmed the relevance of traditional institutions in shaping modern values.

As the ceremony drew to a close, one thing was clear: those present had not merely witnessed a cultural ritual. They had witnessed a lesson on how lives are best measured not by titles alone, but by the people one uplifts along the way.

In turbaning Dr. Kole Ahmed Shettima as Zannah Yuroma of Machina, the Emirate did more than honour a son. It reminded Nigeria that mentorship is leadership in its most enduring form, and that good human relations remain the strongest bridge between tradition and progress.

Tradition, Honour, and a Personal Tribute

As the drums faded and guests gradually departed the Machina Emirate Palace, what lingered was a shared sense that something meaningful had taken place. The turbaning of Dr. Kole Ahmed Shettima as Zannah Yuroma of Machina reaffirmed the power of tradition to recognise excellence, character, and service in its purest form. It stood as a reminder that leadership anchored in mentorship and humane relationships leaves footprints far deeper than titles alone.

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Meanwhile, I extend my warm and heartfelt congratulations to the newly crowned Zannah Yuroma of Machina. Your life of scholarship, humility, and service continues to inspire generations within Yobe State and beyond Nigeria’s borders. Your ability to nurture minds, build bridges across cultures, and remain steadfastly rooted in your community sets you apart as a model of purposeful leadership.

May this well-deserved honour further strengthen your commitment to mentoring the next generation, promoting unity, and advancing knowledge, justice, and development. As you assume the revered responsibility of Zannah Yuroma, may wisdom guide your counsel, compassion shape your service, and history remember your name kindly among those who lived not for themselves alone, but for humanity.

Once again, congratulations, Zannah Yuroma of Machina, a crown earned through intellect, integrity, and enduring human relations.

Gulani, is the Yobe State Focal Person on Cyber and Information Technology.