Laraba Gambo Abdullahi
Laraba Gambo Abdullahi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria |
| Occupation(s) | Chemist, academic leader, government official |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Known for | Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja (1999–2004), Director-General and CEO of National Board for Technology Incubation (2005–2013) |
Laraba Gambo Abdullahi (born 1951) is a distinguished Nigerian chemist and academic leader who held the position of Vice-Chancellor at the University of Abuja from 1999 through 2004. Throughout her career, she has occupied various political roles, notably serving as the director of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), a governmental program aimed at transforming university research in Nigeria into commercial ventures.
Early life and education
Abdullahi was born in Azare, Bauchi State. Her early education began at Provincial Girls' College in Bauchi, followed by completion of her secondary studies at Queen Elizabeth School in Ilorin in 1969. She pursued biochemistry at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, earning her degree in 1974. In 1976, she started her academic career as an assistant lecturer in chemistry at University of Maiduguri. She obtained a PhD in analytical chemistry from Loughborough University of Technology in 1984, after which she returned to Nigeria to continue lecturing at Maiduguri. By 1985, she had transitioned into governmental service, initially as state commissioner for information and subsequently overseeing education and commerce portfolios.
Career
Following five years within the Bauchi state government, Abdullahi returned to academia in 1990 at the University of Abuja, where she directed the remedial and general studies department until 1998. Between 1998 and 1999, she held the federal post of Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development. Her appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja came in 1999, a role she fulfilled until 2004.
In 2005, Abdullahi was appointed Director-General and CEO of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), a position she maintained until 2013. Presently, she serves as the representative for the North East Zone on the central board of trustees for the Chemical Society of Nigeria.
Abdullahi has been honored as an Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and received the National Merit Award. Her professional affiliations include being a Fellow of the Chemical Society of Nigeria (FCSN), a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC), and involvement with Women’s Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA).