Professor Aishetu Umar Makes History as First Female Professor of Mathematics at Ahmadu Bello University, ZariaChairman Bala Usman Chamo
The academic community and Kakanda Land are celebrating a landmark achievement with the recent appointment of Professor Aishetu Umar as the first female professor of Mathematics at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
Clare Ijeoma 
The academic community and Kakanda Land are celebrating a landmark achievement with the recent appointment of Professor Aishetu Umar as the first female professor of Mathematics at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. This historic event marks the first time in the university’s sixty-two-year history that a woman has achieved this prestigious position within the Mathematics Department.
Professor Aishetu Umar’s career has been marked by excellence and dedication over the past two and a half decades. Her elevation to professorship not only breaks a significant gender barrier at ABU but also marks her as the first female professor in Kakanda Land and the first female professor of Mathematics in Kin-Nupe.
Throughout her eighteen years of teaching at ABU, the largest university in West Africa, Professor Aishetu Umar has inspired and guided thousands of students. Her commitment to nurturing new generations of mathematicians and scientists is evident, with fifteen students having completed or currently undergoing PhD and MSc supervision under her mentorship.
Her international recognition includes a nomination for the 2021 L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Awards, where she proudly represented Nigeria. Professor Aishetu Umar continues to follow in the footsteps of her father, Dr. Umaru Sandah Ahmadu, the first PhD holder in Kakanda Land, and her mother, Hajiya Amina Sandah Ahmadu, a princess of the Kakanda Kingdom.
Professor Umar’s scholarly contributions include thirty-eight peer-reviewed journal articles, one book, and sixteen conference and seminar papers. Her work in mathematics continues to expand our understanding of the universe and serves as a beacon of knowledge and inspiration.
RECOMMENDED: Federal College of Education, Zaria, Announces New Key Appointments
In her personal life, Professor Aishetu Umar is married to Professor Abdullahi Mohammed, a professor of Anatomical Pathology. Together, they are blessed with six children, who are excelling in fields such as engineering, computer science, and medicine. She is also part of a family distinguished by academic and religious achievements, including numerous PhD holders and Hafidh-I-Qur'an.
The Sumasu Ahmadu Dynasty, represented by Jummai Umar-Ajijola, PhD, praised Professor Aishetu Umar’s hard work, resilience, and faith in Allah (SWT), which have culminated in this momentous achievement. They expressed pride in the excellence that Kakanda Land continues to demonstrate.
The celebration of Professor Aishetu Umar’s appointment is not a personal milestone but a proof of the potential for excellence in academia and the breaking of barriers for future generations of women in mathematics and science.
