The Kanwan katsina Usman Bello Kankara mni was born in kankara, Katsina State on 1st September, 1957 from the Famous Nadabo Family in Katsina State, which produced five District Heads under Katsina Emirate.
He attended the Central Primary School, Kankara from 1963 to 1969. Thereafter, he attended Government Secondary School, Malumfashi, from 1970 to 1974. He later, gained admission into Katsina College of Arts and Science for his Advanced Studies, after which he gained admission into the Famous Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained a Degree in Political Science in 1981.
He served the mandatory NYSC in the old Bendel State in 1981/82 service year. He there after enlisted in the then department of Customs and exercise now Nigeria Customs Service in 1982 as Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Customs and rose steadily due to dedication to duty and hard work to the Apex Rank of Comptroller of Customs in 2009.
He served as Comptroller of Customs in Kano, FCT, Sokoto and Eastern Marine Port Harcourt Commands respectively.
He Excelled in Revenue Collection in all the Commands he served as he attained and surpassed the revenue target given to him in all the Commands he served.
The NUJ nominee attended so many courses while in Service both outside and inside the country. Worthy of mentioned among the numerous courses are the course he attended in United State of America on Ethical, Good Governance and accountability. He also attended the prestigious course in national institutes of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos and obtained the award of Member national institute mni.
A retired Comptroller of customs, Alh. Usman Bello Kankara mni is the present Kanwan Katsina the third and the District Head of Ketare in Katsina Emirate, Katsina State.
Upon his retirement from Nigerian Customs Service in 2017, after serving the nation meritoriously for 35 years, Alh. Usman Bello Kankara Mni, assumed duty fully as Kanwan Katsina the third, District Head of Ketare in Katsina.
The Nominee, Kanwan Katsina’s first contact with the Media was in 1975 after completing his Secondary Education when he took up appointment with the Federal Radio Nigeria Kaduna as News Reporter in the Newsroom.
In 1990, he was appointed as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Nigerian Customs Service Apapa Port, Lagos and he was the pioneer PRO of the Customs Command during which he organized the Public Relations Unit of the Command.
Subsequently, the NUJ nominee was appointed as PRO of the Tincan Island Port, Lagos where he took over from the current Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service Bashir Adewole Adeniyi MFR.
Alh. Usman Bello Kankara mni had for Ten Years manned the PR Unit of the two busy Port Commands in Lagos Apapa and TINCAN Island ports respectively.
During these Ten Years, he vigorously supported the journalists covering port activities to established an association known as Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN).
He also engaged the Association by holding Monthly Press briefing on Customs activities and Federal Government’s Policies on Import and Export at the MARAN Press Center Apapa Port, Lagos.
At that time, Usman Bello Kankara mni was always available and ready to attend Journalists in his office for any follow up or investigation on stories. It is on record that the Kanwan Katsina has won the award as the best PRO in the Nigeria Customs Service in 1999. He was nicknamed as Mr. Welfare by the Journalists covering Maritime beat in Lagos in the period he was the PRO in the Port.
He made the Tincan Island Port Command Lagos to also won the award of the most Covered and reported by the media in those years.
After retirement, the Kanwan Katsina has continued to support the activities of NUJ Katsina State Council as one of its Patrons and attended all functions organized by the Union.
Worthy to note, he renovated the Mosque Located at the NUJ Secretariat to ease the five daily prayers for working Journalists in Katsina. He additionally provided Religious Books in the Mosque and initiated Free Feeding programme during Fasting of the Holy Month of Ramadan each year as Welfare to Journalists.
Recall also that Alh. Usman Bello Kankara mni was Honoured with an award by the Katsina State Council of NUJ in 2019, and today the National Body of the NUJ is Honouring the Kanwan Katsina as Media Supporter as the NUJ Celebrates 70 Years of its Existence in Nigeria.
