Alhaji Hamza Damboa, a member of Borno Emirate Council, (from 1985 to date), a veteran teacher and administrator of wide ranging experiences, was born in 1925 in Damboa town. His father, Mallam Yusuf Kanembu, was a renowned Islamic scholar of his times.
Before his enrolment into Damboa Elementary School in 1933, the little Hamza was sent to a Qur’anic School where studied for one year. Upon completing the Elementary School, he proceeded to the famous Borno Middle School and studied there from 1938 to 1942. From the Middle School he proceeded without break to Bauchi Teachers’ College where he was a student from 1942 to 1945. Between 1951 and 1952, he was at the Higher Teachers’ Training College, Katsina where he obtained the Grade 11 Teachers’ Certificate.
Alhaji Hamza Damboa has also attended several professional courses, the first of which was in 1960 when he participated in a British Council sponsored Study Tour on Schools Management which took him to Cumberland and Scotland. He also attended a UK assisted Teachers’ Vocation Course at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1970. Furthermore, he attended a course for Promoting Rural Development at the Institute of Development Studies (I.D.S) at the University of Sussex, Southern England in 1979.
Alhaji Hamza Damboa started his civil service career in April 1945, when he was appointed Class Teacher by the defunct Borno Native Authority (Borno N.A.) and posted to Gashua Primary School. In 1947 he was promoted headmaster and posted to Yusufari Primary School. From Yusufari he was transferred to Geidam Primary (1949 to 1950). In 1951, he proceeded to Higher Teachers College, Katsina. In 1953, when he returned from the Higher Teachers College, Katsina, he was posted to Borno Middle School (his alma mater), as a class teacher. He was transferred to Bama Senior Primary School in 1957. From 1958 to 1961, he served as Headmaster, Day Senior Primary School, Yerwa. In 1962 he became the Chairman, Northern Teachers’ Association Borno State, a post he held for four years.
From 1960 1970, he was the substantive Headmaster, Yerwa Boarding Senior Primary School. His former pupils include two former civilian Governors of Borno State, namely Alhaji Mohammed Goni and Alhaji Asheikh Jarma.
In 1971, Alhaji Hamza Damboa transferred his services to Borno State Government as Community Development Officer in charge of Borno Province. From 1973 to 1975 he served as the Emergency Relief Officer for, Maiduguri, Gubio and Mafa Districts. About the same time, that was from 1974 to 1976, he had also served as Auxiliary Price Control Inspector.
In 1975, he was elevated from the post of Community Development Officer to Higher Community Development Officer. Three years later (1978) he was promoted Senior Community Development Officer. And in 1980, he got another promotion and became Principal Community Development Inspector. With the creation of Local Governments in the country in 1976, he was appointed Chairman of Damboa Local Government Caretaker Management Committee, a post he held for one year.
From 1980 to 1981, he served as the substantive the Secretary of Nguru Local Government. In 1982 he was transferred to Gujba Local Government. The following year (1983), he voluntarily retired from the Civil Service after having served successfully for 38 years: 26 years in Education and 12 years in Community Development.
During his active years, Alhaji Hamza Damboa has attended a number of courses, seminars and workshops. Some of these are as follows:
1960 United Kingdom (U.K) British Council Study Tour on Schools Management in Cumber Land and Scotland (U.K).
1970 - Attended (U.K) Assisted Teacher’s Vocation Course at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
1979 - Attended Institute of Development Studies (I.D.S) at the University of Sussex, Southern England, Promoting Rural Development
Alhaji Hamza Damboa has served on a number of Boards and committees, as follows:
1986 - Member, Boundary Dispute Committee.
1987-89 - Member, State Emergency Relief Committee
1987 - Member, Local Government Council of the Year Award Committee.
1987 - Member, Grazing Reserve Committee.
1986-90 - Member, Environmental Sanitation Board.
1987-88 - Member, Borno Local Education Authority Committee.
1989-91 - Member, Borno State Primary School Management Board.
1984 - Member, Specialist Hospital Management Committee.
1994 - Member, Borno State Local Government Pension Board.
1996 - Member Committee on Fostering of relationship between Borno State Government & the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
1997 - Member, M.M.C Revenue Improvement Committee
1998 - Member, Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Jajel Communal Clash Member.
2001 - Member, Judicial Commission of Inquiry into disturbances between Police and Vigilante Group at Benisheikh Kaga Local Government.
2003 - Member, Borno State Boundary Committee.
In 2003, 2003, he was bestowed Merit Award by the Borno Sate Branch of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), tagged ‘’2003 World Teachers’ Day Contribution towards Growth and Development of education in Borno State.
Alhaji Hamza Damboa is blessed with children.

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