Gambari, Ibrahim Agboola (1944- )

Nigerian diplomat and political scientist, the country's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) from 1985. He was director general of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs 1983-84, and minister of foreign affairs 1984-85. In 1988 he chaired the national seminar commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity (OAU; later African Union).

Gambari was born in Ilorin, Kwara state. He was educated at King's College, Lagos, the London School of Economics, and Columbia University, New York. He held a number of lectureships and research positions at universities in the USA, Italy, and China.