By Editorial Staff 
Prof. Adamu Ahmed collected the baton of leadership as the new Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, from Prof. Kabiru Bala on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at the Senate Building of the institution and resumes office the second day (May 1, 2025).
Summary
- Full name: Adamu Ahmed
- Date of Birth: April 2, 1964
- State of origin: Bauchi State
- Alma mater: Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaira
- Attainment of professorship: 2012
- Area of specialisation: Urban and Regional Planning
- Current position: Vice-Chancellor, ABU
- Assumption of office: May 1, 2025
- Predecessor: Prof. Kabiru Bala
- Previous political position: Commissioner of Lands and Survey, Bauchi (2019-2021)
Adamu Ahmed, who hailed from Bauchi State, isn’t just an academic who theorizes in class; he is a core practical academic scholar, having put his research in urban and regional planning to test as a commissioner in Bauchi State, where he once served as the Commissioner for Lands and Survey. He made his marks and is now back to steer the affairs of one of the largest higher institutions in Nigeria—occupying 70,000,000 square meters (m²) by landmass.
Education
Born on April 2, 1964, Prof. Adamu Ahmed—after completing his primary and post-primary education—was offered admission by Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Geography in 1985.
He completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and returned to ABU for his postgraduate studies, earning an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning in 1990. In 2000, he successfully defended his thesis and was awarded a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the same institution.
In 2006, Adamu Ahmed received an Advanced Certificate in Real Estate Development and Finance from the Urban Land Institute, Florida, United States.
Academic Career
In 1991, he began his academic career as an Assistant Lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, where he rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning in 2012.
At ABU and on the international stage, some of the leadership roles he has held include, but are not limited to:
- Director, Directorate of University Advancement
- Director, Centre for Spatial Information Science (CSIS)
- Head of Department, Urban and Regional Planning
- Coordinator, United Nations University – Institute for Advanced Studies (UNI-IAS), Nagoya, Japan
- Regional Coordinator, Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development, a position he has held since 2013
At the departmental level, he played a remarkable role in curriculum reform and is credited with the establishment of the Centre for Spatial Information Science (CSIS). He has led and participated in several collaborative projects with institutions both within and outside Nigeria.
He has served as a member of various notable committees, including:
- Committee on the Implementation of White Paper Reports to the University of Maiduguri
- Presidential Visitation Panel to the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun
- Federal Government Needs Assessment Team to Osun State University (2012)
On May 1, 2025, he officially assumed office as the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.
Political Appointments
Prof. Adamu Ahmed has been tapped multiple times by political leaders to inject his academic expertise into governance and urban planning.
In 2015, the then-Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, appointed him as Chairman of the State Committee on Land Administration System.
While in Bauchi, he worked with notable town planners such as Shehu Aliyu Musa, Nasir Shehu, and Abdullahi Dabo, among others, to review town planning-related contracts involving the Bauchi Land and Geoinformation System (BAGIS).
In 2019, Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammad appointed him the State’s Commissioner of Lands and Survey, a position he held until 2021.
On June 15, 2024, President Bola Tinubu appointed him as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Education, Kano.
Academic Works
Some of his publications, which have appeared in both local and international journals, include:
- “Enabling Slum Upgrading: The Triple Therapy Approach in the Hayin Danyaro Community-Based Project, Samaru – Zaria”
- “Affordable Housing Supply as a Sustainability Strategy for the Federal Capital City Abuja”
- “Beyond the Classroom: Inter-phasing ESD Learning with Actionable SDG Programs – Lessons from a Graduating Class Legacy Project at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – Nigeria – RCE”, among others.
Join EdubaseNG WhatsApp Channel to get the latest education & student loan tips
Join our Telegram Channel to get the latest news about Student Loans & Education News.
Are you a stakeholder in education? You can become our guest writer. Write to us using our our email address here
Opeyemi Quadri