At 51: The Quiet Brilliance of Dr. Ishaya Inuwa Durkwa

By Peter Cheman Koti

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” -  Winston Churchill

Fifty-one is not a milestone; it is a vantage point. From here, the horizon is not simply what lies ahead, but also the grace with which one has journeyed thus far. Today, we celebrate Dr. Ishaya Inuwa Durkwa, a man whose life threads together scholarship and service, conviction and compassion, vision and vigilance.

Many people count birthdays. He counts impact, measured not in awards or applause, but in the lives quietly lifted, the systems strengthened, and the young minds emboldened to dream a size too big for their circumstances. It was Samuel Johnson who said, “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him no good.”.

Those who know Dr. Durkwa will tell you that his brilliance is not loud. It does not announce itself; it arrives where it is needed, in policy rooms that require clarity, in communities that need listening more than lecturing, in teams that need a steady hand and an honest voice. He is that rare blend of intellect and integrity, a man who understands that ideas are only as powerful as the lives they improve.

In a Guinean Proverb, which says, “Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.” Whether shaping better systems, championing equity, mentoring the next generation, or building bridges across divides, he chooses the path of patient, principled progress. His leadership is not performative. It is precise. It is purpose-driven. It is people-centered.

In an age where cynicism can pass for sophistication, Dr. Durkwa chooses hope, not as naïveté, but as duty. He understands that to care is to be courageous: to show up when it’s not convenient, to speak truth when it’s not popular, to stay the course when applause fades. He recognizes that dignity is not a luxury; it is the foundation upon which communities rise.

Emily Dickinson once said, “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” Dr. Durkwa life’s work is a quiet rebuke to everything transactional. Where others see beneficiaries, he sees partners. Where others seek visibility, he seeks viability, systems that last beyond seasons and personalities, centered on the communities they serve.

There is a particular wisdom about Dr. Durkwa’s life: he knows the difference between movement and progress, between noise and nuance. He holds sacred the things that do not trend: family, faith, humility, accountability. Those are his coordinates. They keep him anchored when winds shift and standards wobble.

It was C. S. Lewis that said, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Dr. Durkwa shoulders many – parents, sons, daughters, youths, mentees and teachers who believed in him, long before the world knew his name; colleagues and friends who sharpened his thinking; communities that taught him to listen with the heart as much as with the mind. And he invests that same faith in others, especially the young, because he understands that legacies are built not on monuments but on multiplied capacity.

William James once said, “The greatest use of a life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” To those he mentors, he is more than a teacher. He is a standard. With him, excellence is not a destination; it is a discipline, showing up, staying honest, doing the work, honoring the process, refusing shortcuts that cheapen outcomes and scar communities. His leadership doesn’t overpower; it empowers. It doesn’t dominate; it dignifies.

Dr. Ishaya Inuwa Durkwa is a leader… is best when people barely know he exists; when his work is done, his aim fulfill… HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIR!

Peter Cheman Koti, writes from Koti, Song LGA, Adamawa State, Nigeria.