Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has once again been spotlighted as a cradle of excellence following the remarkable life and academic journey of Professor Aisha Mahmoud Hamman, one of the institution’s pioneering female Professors of Accounting and a product of ABU from childhood to professorship.
Professor Hamman’s story is a rare narrative of continuity, loyalty, and institutional nurturing. Her entire educational and professional formation—from crèche at Kongo Campus, ABU Staff School, Demonstration Secondary School, undergraduate and postgraduate studies, to the peak of academic achievement—was shaped within Ahmadu Bello University.
“ABU raised me, and ABU made me. From my first day in crèche in Kongo Campus to my last day as a doctoral student, every step of my journey was shaped within this great institution,” she said.
A Childhood Immersed in Knowledge
Growing up within the ABU community, Professor Hamman described her early education as a unique blend of academic discipline and lived intellectual experience. At ABU Staff School and Demonstration Secondary School (DSS), learning extended beyond the classroom into everyday campus life, where teachers, students, and families coexisted in a shared ecosystem of scholarship.
She recalled fond memories of serving as a school prefect under the late Mr. Adeyinka and being taught by the late Mrs. Babarinsa, experiences she said nurtured curiosity, confidence, and leadership. She also spoke of trekking through ABU’s green valleys, an environment that cultivated her love for nature and reflection.
At DSS, she said the culture of hard work, critical thinking, and competitive inter-house sports—where she proudly belonged to Blue House—instilled discipline, teamwork, and resilience.
Academic Excellence Forged at ABU
Professor Hamman earned her B.Sc. in Accounting, Master’s degree in Banking and Finance, M.Sc. in Accounting and Finance, and Ph.D. in Accounting and Finance—all from ABU Zaria. This academic journey positioned her as a living testament to the university’s ability to nurture its own scholars to global standards.
She credited her intellectual growth to outstanding mentors within ABU, particularly Professor M.H. Sabari, whose mastery of Business Mathematics inspired her to later teach the subject, and Professor A.B. Dogarawa, whose rigorous supervision of her Ph.D. thesis instilled in her the highest standards of academic integrity and excellence.
Breaking Gender Barriers in Accounting
In a field historically dominated by men, Professor Hamman emerged as a trailblazer. She acknowledged facing both overt and subtle gender biases, particularly as a Northern Nigerian Muslim woman in the highly competitive field of accounting and finance.
She explained that overcoming these challenges required relentless preparation, confidence, strong mentorship, faith, and family support. She emphasised that competence, consistently demonstrated, was her strongest response to bias.
Leadership, Research and Continental Impact
Within ABU, Professor Hamman has served in several strategic roles, including Deputy Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and the International Centre of Excellence for Rural Finance and Entrepreneurship (ICERFE). She has also chaired business and project committees and represented the ABU Business School at the University Senate.
Beyond Nigeria, her research and policy work spans more than 24 African countries through the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), where she serves on the Scientific Committee and the African Tax Research Network. She is also affiliated with key professional bodies including the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), ANAN, and the TADAT community.
A Historic Family of Professors
Professor Hamman’s achievement is further distinguished by her family’s extraordinary academic legacy. The Hamman family is recorded in ABU’s history as the first family with three Professors serving in the same institution.
Her father, Professor Mahmoud Hamman, was a renowned historian, administrator, and public intellectual who also served as Commissioner for Education and later as Director of Arewa House and the Institute for Development Research. He played pivotal roles in establishing the Aliyu Mustafa Social Centre and the ABU Market, shaping campus life beyond academics.
Her mother, Professor Khadija Mahmoud, is a celebrated Professor of Educational Psychology and Counselling, known nationally for her work in nomadic education, child development, school mental health, and gender advocacy. She has mentored generations of postgraduate students across Nigeria.
The academic tradition continues with Dr. Yusuf Mahmoud, the youngest son, who also began his education at ABU and earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the university at a young age.
In recognition of this rare multi-generational contribution, the ABU Students’ Representative Council (SRC) conferred the Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna Legacy Award on the Hamman family.
Service Beyond the Ivory Tower
Currently, Professor Aisha Mahmoud Hamman serves as Special Adviser on Research and Statistics to the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), bringing academic rigour into national policy formulation and governance.
Message to ABU Students
Advising students, she urged them to master their chosen disciplines, embrace technology and data-driven tools, build resilience and professional networks, and above all, protect their integrity.
“No matter how talented you are, character is the true prerequisite for success,” she said.
An Enduring ABU Legacy
Professor Hamman concluded that her journey affirms ABU’s core mission of mentorship, service, and excellence, encouraging students to see the university not just as a place of study, but as a foundation for lifelong impact.
Her story stands as a powerful reminder that ABU does not only produce graduates—it raises scholars, leaders, and nation-builders.
