Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah

Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah
Born	Yendi, Ghana
Occupation(s)	Banker, business executive, politician
Years active	2017–present
Known for	Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC)

Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah hails from Yendi and is the daughter of Alhaji Shanni Mahama, who previously served as the Member of Parliament for the Yendi Constituency and held the position of Deputy Minister for Agriculture during the tenure of former Prime Minister K. A. Busia. In 2017, she was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), ascending to the role of Chief Executive in September 2021 following the departure of her predecessor, Stephen Amoah, who left to pursue a career in parliament.

Personal life and education

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Ghana and further obtained a Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), specializing in Economic and Political Development. Abibata is married and has four children.

Career

As a Ghanaian professional, Abibata's expertise encompasses banking, policy formulation, business development strategy, and politics. Her career includes roles at both domestic and international institutions such as Agricultural Development Bank (Ghana), the Millennium Cities Initiative in partnership with Columbia University’s Earth Institute, UNDP’s Capacity Development Group, Merchant Bank Ghana Limited, and Jospong Group of Companies.

Prior to the 2020 general elections, she sought to become the parliamentary candidate for Yendi under the New Patriotic Party but was defeated by Farouk Aliu Mahama, son of the late former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama. In January 2024, she once again vied for the party’s parliamentary nomination for Yendi; however, violence interrupted the primaries, preventing the Electoral Commission from announcing a victor. Subsequently, the NPP National Executive designated incumbent MP Farouk Aliu Mahama as the party’s candidate for the 2024 election cycle. Although Abibata voiced her disagreement with this appointment, she committed to honoring the decision in the interest of party unity.