Substantive artistic director and chief executive officer of the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) Ahmed Ahmed formerly assumed office on Wednesday, May 12.
Mr. Ahmed, whose appointment took effect on April 30, succeeds Tar Ukoh whose tenure as artistic director ended on March 31 after four years in office.
He has promised to revitalise the troupe and reposition it for effective service delivery and demonstration of Nigeria’s advancing cultures.
This was contained in his address to management and staff at the troupe’s temporary office at the National Theatre Annex in Lagos.
He had earlier held a similar meeting with staff of the Abuja liaison office of the NTN.
Ahmed holds a master of arts (MA) in theatre arts from the University of Jos and a certified project management certificate (PMD Pro 1).
He served Bauchi State Government until his retirement in 2020 as a director in the ministry of culture and tourism.
While serving with Bauchi State Ministry of Information and Culture and later Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ahmed facilitated many productions and demonstrated skills in presenting cultural practices of the state through performing arts medium including for Bauchi State Festival of Arts and Culture (BAFEST), National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) and the Abuja Carnivals. As a UNICEF trained theatre for development practitioner, Ahmed was able to build capacities of over 40 local theatre groups across northern states of Nigeria including Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Adamawa and Kano.
The Hausa film industry, popularly known as Kannywood, also benefitted from his artistic expertise.
Ahmed contributed to many cultural journals including African Women Drama and Performances published in 2011.
His areas of expertise include community engagement, theatre for development, social behaviour change communication, project management, human resource management, and evidence-based advocacy.
Married with six children, Ahmed holds two traditional titles namely Danmalikin Ubandoman Bauchi and Sardaunan Zandam.
