Prof. Maxwell M. Gidado, SAN, OON
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Adamawa State University, and Chairman of the Advisory Board, HURRAFORUM.
Professor Maxwell Michael Gidado is recognized as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished legal scholars and administrators whose rise to prominence reflects hard work, discipline, and excellence. Born on February 11th, 1960, in Sugu, Ganye LGA of Adamawa State, he charted an early path toward academic and professional distinction.
His educational journey began at St. Martin's Primary School, Ganye (1966), after which he moved to Hassan Primary School, Jalingo (1969–1972). He studied at St. Peter's Minor Seminary, Yola (1973–1977), then proceeded to the University of Maiduguri in 1978, where he earned an LL.B (Hons.) Second Class Upper in 1983. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984 and served with the Legal Aid Council in Port Harcourt before joining the Ministry of Justice, Yola, as State Counsel II (1985).
He began his academic career as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Maiduguri in 1985. He later earned an LL.M (1987) and a Ph.D. (1992) from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom. His academic progression advanced through Lecturer II, Lecturer I, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor (2008), and full Professor of Law (2011).
Professor Gidado has served in various high-level capacities: Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adamawa State (1995–1997); Acting Head, Department of Private Law, University of Maiduguri (1997–1999); Deputy Dean and later Dean, Faculty of Law, Nasarawa State University, Keffi (2008–2014). He also held advisory roles with the National Assembly and served as Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Professional Memberships & Achievements
- Member, Nigeria Bar Association (1984–present)
- Member, West African Bar Association (1984–present)
- Member, African Bar Association (1986–present)
- Member, International Bar Association (1996–present)
- Member, National Association of Nigerian Law Teachers (1985–present)
- Legal/Expert Team Member, Cameroon vs. Nigeria ICJ Boundary Case (1999–2002)
- Member, Oil & Gas Reform Sector Committee (2000–2007)
- Member, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities (2024–present)
- Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), 2015
- Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), 2022
- Officer of the Order of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (ORG), 2004
- Knight of the Order of St. Mulumba (1998–present)
Contributions & Legacy
Professor Gidado has supervised 21 Ph.D. candidates, 186 LL.M students, authored six books, and published over 100 scholarly works. His influence extends through thousands of law students he has mentored, many of whom now occupy distinguished positions in government, academia, and the legal profession.
He played a significant role in the development, accreditation, and growth of several law faculties across Nigeria. His contributions to constitutional development, electoral reforms, and national legal policy remain widely acknowledged.
He currently serves as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, Adamawa State University, Mubi, and is a Governing Council Member of the American University of Nigeria, Yola. He is married to Dr. Rose Maxwell Gidado, and they are blessed with a daughter, Barrister Fatima Su’ugari M. Gidado.
HURRAFORUM proudly presents Professor Maxwell Michael Gidado, SAN, OON — Scholar, legal icon, academic leader, administrator, and mentor — as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Adamawa State University, and Chairman of the Advisory Board, Human Rights Research and Advocacy Forum.