Imrana Alhaji Buba’s biography, net worth, fact, career, awards and life story

Imrana Alhaji Buba (born 6 August 1992) is a Nigerian social entrepreneur and activist who founded Youth Coalition Against Terrorism (YOCAT), a volunteer-based organization in northern Nigeria working to unite youth against violent extremism through peace education programs in schools and villages. He was awarded the Queen’s “Young Leaders Award” by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2016 and rewarded as one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World” in 2017 by the Junior Chamber International.

Early life and education

Buba was born in Jakusko Yobe State on 6 August 1992 and grew up in Potiskum, Yobe state. He is an alumnus of the University of Maiduguri, Borno state where he graduated with a first-class honours degree in Political Science in 2015 and holds a master’s degree in Africa and International Development from the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom in 2018.

Career and activism

Buba had a traumatic experience with Boko haram in June 2010 while he was travelling to the University of Maiduguri as an undergraduate when his bus was stopped by the terrorists and passengers were kidnapped, he survived and also had friends and family who were killed by the Boko haram insurgency. As a result of this he founded the Youth Coalition Against Terrorism (YOCAT) in August 2010 to offer counselling services to victims of terrorism, as well as providing peace education and skills training for unemployed youths.

He has provided employment opportunities for over 2000 youth in north-eastern Nigeria through partnerships with local government agencies and private organisations and the organization has recruited over 600 volunteers and partnered with many local bodies to organize different beneficial programs for young people in north-eastern Nigeria.

In 2016, he was selected as one of 3 Nigerians and 21 African changemakers in the Commonwealth for the Queen’s Young Leaders Award by her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of England in recognition of his work around peace building in northern Nigeria and also became a fellow of Generation Change Fellowship of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) as a result of his works in combating terrorism.

He was selected for the 2017 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World, in recognition of his effort to counter violent extremism and promote a culture of peace in Nigeria and was part of the 2017 Mandela Washington Fellowship program for Young African leaders in Washington D.C. He is also a fellow of LEAP Africa SIP and YALI West Africa.

His work and public accolades made him an expert and speaker, particularly regarding political instability in Nigeria. He was a speaker/panelist at the 2016/2017 International Day of Peace events at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), speaker at the 2017 Wage Peace event at the American University, speaker/panelist at the 2017 United Nations International Youth Day event, speaker at the 2018 United Nations International Day for the Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism and the 2018 One Young World Summit.

Buba’s vision is to promote a culture of peace and tolerance that can break the cycle of conflict, violence, and terror that plague Nigeria.

Awards and recognitions

• 2016, Nominated for Future Award Africa award Prize for Advocacy
• 2016, Generation Change Fellow of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
• 2016, Policy Specialist on CVE and DDR with the Global Alliance for Youth Countering Violent Extremism
• 2016, Queen’s Young Leaders Award
• 2017 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World
• 2017, Mandela Washington Fellow

Links

• Age is not a limit to making a difference –Imrana Alhaji Buba
• Interview with Nigerian recipient of 2016 Queen’s Young Leader award