Ka cika wannan magana: An haifi Gardiner a shekara ta 1914 a Kumasi, Gold Coast, a cikin iyalin 'yan kasuwa masu nasara. Bayan ya halarci Kwalejin Adisadel, ya sami karatunsa a Saliyo da Ingila. Bayan kammala karatunsa, Gardiner ya zama farfesa a fannin tattalin arziki a Kwalejin Fourah Bay. Daga 1946 zuwa 1948 ya yi aiki a matsayin masanin yanki na Majalisar Dinkin Duniya. A shekara ta 1949 an ɗauke shi aiki a matsayin Daraktan Farko na Nazarin Extramural a Kwalejin Jami'a a Ibadan, Najeriya. Shekaru huɗu bayan haka ya koma Gold Coast don ya yi aiki a manyan mukaman gwamnati. Bayan samun 'yancin kai a matsayin Ghana a 1957, Firayim Minista Kwame Nkrumah ya nada Gardiner ya zama Sakataren Kafa. Su biyun suna da kyakkyawar alaƙar aiki yayin da akidar Nkrumah ta ci karo da salon gudanarwa na Gardiner. Bayan korar sa a 1959, Gardiner ya amince da nadin sa a matsayin Mataimakin Sakataren zartarwa na Hukumar Tattalin Arzikin Majalisar Dinkin Duniya don Afirka (UNECA). A shekara ta 1960
Yaƙin basasa ya ɓarke a cikin sabuwar Jamhuriyar Kwango mai zaman kanta kuma Gardiner ya shiga cikin ƙoƙarin Majalisar Dinkin Duniya don warware matsalar, yana aiki a matsayin mai shiga tsakani tsakanin ɓangarori daban-daban kuma a matsayin babban mai ba da shawara ga Sakatare Janar na Majalisar Dinkin Duniya U Thant kan batun.