Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. Its capital is Maiduguri. The state was formed in 1976 from the split of the North-Eastern State. Until 1991 it contained what is now Yobe State.

The state is dominated by the Kanuri and Shuwa Arabs while few Babur^{[citation needed]} ethnic groups are found. Shuwa Arabs are mainly the descendants of Arabized Fulani people and is an example of the endurance of traditional political institutions in some areas of Africa. There, the emirs of the former Kanem-Bornu Empire have played a part in the politics of this area for nearly 1,000 years. The current dynasty gained control in the early 19th century and was supported by the British, who prevented a military defeat for the group and established a new capital for the dynasty at Maiduguri or Yerwa (as referred to by the natives) in 1905, which remains the capital to this day. After Nigerian independence in 1960, Borno remained fairly autonomous until the expansion of the number of states in Nigeria to 12 in 1967. Local government reform in 1976 further reduced the power of the emirs of the former dynasty, and by the time of Nigeria's return to civilian rule in 1979, the emirs' jurisdiction has been restricted solely to cultural and traditional affairs. Today, the emirs still exist, and serve as advisers to the local government.

Kashim Shettima (b. 2 September 1966) is a Nigerian agricultural economist who was elected Governor of Borno State, Nigeria in the 26 April 2011 national elections, running on the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) platform.

Kashim Shettima was born on 2 September 1966 in Maiduguri, Borno State. He attended Government Community Secondary School, Biu (1978–1980) and then Government Science Secondary School Potiskum, Yobe State (1980-1983). He studied Agricultural Economics at the University of Maiduguri, graduating in 1989. For his National Youth Service he worked with the Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative Bank in Calabar (1989–1990). He then attended the University of Ibadan (1990-1991), gaining a Masters Degree in Agricultural Economics. From 1991 to 1993 he was a lecturer in Agricultural Economics at the University of Maiduguri.

Shettima worked with the Commercial Bank of Africa as an Agricultural Economist at its Ikeja Office, Lagos State (1993-1997). He then became a deputy manager, later manager, at the African International Bank Limited, Kaduna Branch (1997–2001), and was appointed Deputy Manager/Branch Head of the Zenith Bank's Maiduguri Office in 2001, becoming General Manager five years later. In mid 2007, Shettima was appointed Commissioner of the Borno State Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. Later he became Commissioner in the Ministries of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Education, Agriculture and later Health under his predecessor as Borno Governor Ali Modu Sheriff.

The Kanuri people (Kanouri, Kanowri, also Yerwa and several subgroup names) are an African ethnic group living largely in the lands of the former Bornu Empire: Bornu state in northeastern Nigeria, southeast Niger, western Chad and northern Cameroon. Those generally termed Kanuri include several subgroups and dialect groups, some of whom feel themselves distinct from the Kanuri. Most trace their origins to ruling lineages of the medieval Kanem-Bornu, its client states or provinces. In contrast to neighboring Toubou or Zaghawa pastoralists, Kanuri groups have traditionally been sedentary, engaging in farming, fishing the Lake Chad basin, and engaged in trade and salt processing.

Kanuri peoples include several subgroups, and identify by different names in some regions. The Kanuri language, which derived from Kanembu, was the major language of the Borno Empire Kanuri remains a major language in southeastern Niger, northeastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon but in Chad it is limited to handfuls of speakers in urban centers.

Mr Femi Falana is a Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist. He was the former president of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers and he is also a former chairman of the West African Bar Association, WABA. He contested and lost the governorship election of Ekiti State in 2007 on the ticket of the National Conscience Party; as of 2011 he was the national chairman of the party.

Mr Falana was born on 20 May 1958 at Ilawe, Ekiti state, Nigeria. He had his primary schooling at St. Michael’s Primary School, Ilawe, between 1963 and 1968, his secondary education was at Sacred Heart Catholic Seminary between 1971 and 1975. Mr Falana enrolled at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University to study law in 1977 and he completed his studies there in 1981. He proceeded to the Nigeria Law School, Lagos in 1981 and was called to the bar in 1982. In 1983 after his youth service, he joined the Chambers of Alao Aka-Bashorun, a renowned legal activist. In 1991, Mr Falana started his own Chambers, Femi Falana, which later became Falana and Falana Chambers.