Professor Salamatu Idris Isah

Professor Salamatu Idris Isah is a distinguished scholar of Economics at the Department of Economics, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where she has served as a Professor since October 2017. She previously held the position of Head of Department from 2014 to May 2018 and also served as Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences between 2014 and 2016. Professor Isah holds B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Economics and has published extensively in reputable, peer-reviewed journals. Her doctoral dissertation, “An Empirical Analysis of Vertical and Horizontal Income and Non-Income Inequality in Nigeria: A Case Study of Kaduna State,” earned multiple accolades, including research grants from the MacArthur Foundation (ABU Research Grant), the French Institute for Africa Studies (IFRA), and the Nigeria Economic Society award for the Second-Best Ph.D. Thesis in 2012. A member of the Development Policy Research Network at ABU Zaria, Professor Isah’s research focuses primarily on development economics. She has led and collaborated on numerous national and international policy-oriented research projects. Her recent studies include: A collaborative survey and data collection on “Learning Poverty in Kaduna State, Nigeria” with the Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics and the Kaduna State Ministry of Education (2023). A policy impact evaluation of the Minimum Pension Implementation in Kaduna State (2022). A TETFund-sponsored project (2021–2024) on “Building Value Chain Systems for Balanced and Sustainable Development in Nigeria.” Participation in the All-In Project (2022–2025) on “Weather Index Insurance for Adaptation to Climate Risks in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Nigeria: Evidence from a Framed Field Experiment.” A continuing study (2023–present) on “Root Causes and Contributory Factors of Learning Poverty in Nigeria” using the Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) model, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board and the Kaduna State Ministry of Education. Her notable publications include “Determinants of Learning Outcomes in Nigerian Primary Schools” (SAGE Journals, 2023), available here . Professor Isah has also led impactful applied policy research such as “Evaluating and Improving the Adequacy of the Micro Pension Scheme’s Benefit Levels for Self-Employed Workers in the Nigerian Informal Sector,” commissioned by WIEGO, in collaboration with FIWON, the International Labour Organization (ILO), TUC-Africa, and ALREI. Beyond academia, she has contributed significantly to public service and economic policymaking. She served as a Member of the Economic Advisory Board in the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the Vice President, Presidency, Abuja (2017–2019). In September 2018, she was appointed Special Adviser on Economic and Investment Matters to the Governor of Kaduna State, a role she held until May 2021. She simultaneously served as the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Pension Bureau from July 2020 to April 17, 2025. Following her tenure in public service, Professor Salamatu Idris Isah resumed her academic duties at the Department of Economics, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, on June 2, 2025, where she continues to teach, mentor, and advance research in economic development and policy analysis.