EDUCATION:
Qualifying Certificate) Nigerian Law School 1986; B.L University of Maiduguri, 1985 LL.B (Hons)
Teachers’ Grade II Certificate 1980
Several continuing education courses at the national and international level especially in the area of arbitration, mediation and dispute resolution. Basket of continuing education capacity development includes training in energy and natural resources, oil and gas, arbitration and conciliation, commercial law and capital markets operations.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986. Enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria the same year. Appointed Notary Public June 1996 and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1998. J.K Gadzama's professional experience started in 1986 as a Legal Trainee in the Attorney-General's Chambers in Kano State. From there he became a Solicitor and Advocate with A. Ismail Gadzama & Co. (Solicitors & Advocates) Kano from 1986-1988. He established the firm of J. K. Gadzama & Partners in 1989 and has remained the founding and Principal Partner to date.

J.K Gadzama's professional experience spans a vast area of adjectival and procedural law. He has been external Solicitor to Merchant, Commercial, Development and Industrial Banks; adviser to major multinational corporations and indigenous companies and organization and network individuals in Nigeria. He is one of the leading counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission one of the key constitutional institutions in Nigeria and the Ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). For his erudition and advocacy skills he was appointed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1998.

He is a partner in the legal consortium Legal Advisory Partnership (LAP), comprising foreign and indigenous lawyers charged with the responsibility of providing legal services to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) Abuja, from April, 2004 to April, 2007. Aside this very important assignment, he is Legal Consultant to Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Secretariat of the National Council on Privatization (NCP).

Other accomplishments in his portfolio include Legal Adviser, University of Maiduguri Alumni Association. (2001 - 2003); Member, Board of Trustees University of Maiduguri Alumni Association 2005 to-date; Member, Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture. (2003 to date); Member, Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, July 2005 to date; Member, Nigeria-Finnish Chamber of Commerce and Industry; founding member Nigerian Italian Chamber of Commerce, Member, Centre for Law and Business , Lagos.

MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES
Active and selfless services to the Nigerian Bar as Member, Nigerian Bar Association 1986 to date; Member General Council of the Bar (Nigeria) - 2004 to date; Member, National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (1998 to date); Member, Council of Legal Education Nigeria. (2002 to 2003), Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja Branch Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2004). Member, West African Bar Association (WABA), Member, African Bar Association (ABA); Member, International Bar Association (IBA); Member, Commonwealth Lawyers' Association (CLA); Member, Pan African Lawyers' Union (PALU), Chairman, 2005 NBA Conference Planning Committee; Pioneer Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association Section on Public interest and development law. Member, Presidential Policy Advisory Committee (PPAC)Judiciary/Legislature Sub-Committee. (1999); Member, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF); Member, IBB Golf and Country Club and Captain 2004-2005; Ikoyi Club 1938, Kaduna Golf Club, Rayfield Golf Club Jos, Kano Club and Lake Chad Club, Maiduguri.

HONOURS AND AWARDS
National Honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR) December 2004; Nigerian Bar Association Merit Award, 2002; Nigerian Bar Association Sponsorship Award 2003 and 2004; Traditional title of Okwuluora of Ukpo and Igboland, December, 2003 and the SARDAUNA OF UBLA EMIRATE in Borno State.

SELECTED PAPERS AND PRESENTATION
1. Keynote Address on Privatization BPE National Workshop, Yola, Adamawa State 2000

2. Cordiality between Judges and Lawyers: It's Desirability and Limitations, NBA, Annual General Conference, 2000.

3. Causes of Communal Conflicts and Crises in Nigeria, NBA General Conference, Ibadan, Oyo State, 2002.

4. The Role of Lawyers in the sustenance of Democracy in  Nigeria, NBA Abuja Branch.

5. The Concept of Judicial Review Nigerian Law School, Abuja, 2003

6. Stay of Court Proceedings Pending Arbitration:International Workshop on Arbitration and ADR in Africa July, 2004, Abuja;

7. Development and Practice of ADR and Arbitration in Nigeria, NBA Annual General conference, Abuja, August 2004.

8. Privatization in Africa IBA Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, 2005.

9. Integration of Arbitration, Mediation and Conciliation in Dispute Resolution in Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2006.

10. ADR and Multi-Door Concept for Judges and Lawyers; Abuja, 2006.

11. Legal Education in Nigeria, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow; Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria July, 2006

12. Attainment of Justice and Equity through effective Census Tribunal Rules of Procedure, Abuja, Nigeria, 2007.