Born, moulded in ABU: The story of Prof Aisha Hamman

The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria is not just a place of learning for her, it is home and everything she has learnt and become in life. Prof Aisha Mahmud Hamman was born, bred and educated in the university community.

The classrooms, staff quarters, sports fields and shaded walkways of the campus formed the backdrop against which her character was quietly shaped.

Aisha began formal education at the ABU Staff School crèche, Kongo campus and proceeded to Demonstration Secondary School. The institution, which was mere feeders for many, was the opening chapters of a lifelong bond with an institution that would remain engraved on almost all her educational certificates.

She moved up the educational ladder to become a professor, all within the four walls and gates of the Ahmadu Bello University.

Dr Yusuf Mahmud Hamman, a brother to Prof Hamman, recalled the early life of his sister, saying she always excelled in her academics and Islamic knowledge (Maddrassa).

“She has got this insatiable taste for knowledge, which she is known for till date. This was recognised since her early days as a pupil who was always given supervisory roles by her Muslim community in Islamiyya.

“This did not go unnoticed, even in her secondary school days, as her activities in the Muslims Students Society (MSS) were second to none. She was nominated the Ameerah of her set until her graduation from Demonstration Secondary School, ABU, Zaria.

Her sibling recalled moments their father, Professor Mahmoud Hamman, who also taught in ABU, always cited Aisha’s excellent grades as a yardstick for her siblings.

“Whenever any of us did not do well in any subject, he never excused us; he would immediately say, “Aisha does not have two heads.

“People who know her from afar refer to her as an introvert, but getting closer, you would realise that she has the gift of addressing issues in the softest of ways, yet very thorough. She is actually one of a kind,” her brother said.

On her relationship with other siblings, he said although his sister was a perfectionist, she didn’t often have any problem with them. “In fact, we were the ones always troubling her while she simply smiled and avoided us.

“Prof Aisha has since taken the role of a mother to us right from the start as she is always ready to accommodate our problems and foster solutions,” he said.

She is generous, to the extent that even her friends run to her for their needs; and she is always ready to give.

ABU made me – Prof Hamman

Speaking to Weekend Trust about her experiences she said, “I was raised by the ABU. The ABU, Zaria made me. From my first day in crèche to my last day as a doctoral student, every step of my journey was shaped within this great institution.”

She recalled long treks across the university’s expansive landscape while growing up, lessons learned beyond the classrooms and the discipline of teamwork forged through inter-house sports as a proud member of Blue House.

Those experiences, she said, instilled values no textbook could fully teach: resilience, confidence and a quiet belief that excellence was attainable.

Prof Aisha Hamman said her father played a great role in influencing her stay at ABU because he didn’t want her to be far from him.

Why ABU? “This question takes me back to when I was registering for JAMB in 1999. I went to ABU Staff School and Demonstration Secondary School, so I wanted to change places, so I made my second choice University of Abuja, but my dad discouraged me, saying he didn’t want me to go far.

“This was because at one point I was the only girl among seven boys in the house. The same thing happened when I was going into Senior Secondary School 1. I tried to convince him to allow me go to FGGC, Zaria because many of my friends were there, but he insisted that Demonstration Secondary School was good and he wanted me to continue there; so, I obliged him.

“My dad had a great influence on my decisions; and I always agreed with his points because he always gave me reasons I couldn’t reject.

“He believed in ABU because he has been there too since his NYSC days and was automatically retained in the Department of History as a lecturer.

“Although my father attended Kings College, Lagos while my mum attended Queens School, Enugu, I didn’t get the chance to go through a boarding school. However, I enjoyed every bit of my time at DEMOSA,” she recalled.

Prof Hamman noted that her husband also encouraged her to stay in ABU for all her degrees for convenience purposes since she had young children to cater for.

On the choice of course of study in the university, the accounting don said, “Economics was my first choice of course while Accounting was the second. However, destiny took me to Accounting at Kongo campus. And I eventually married after my first year.

“Actually, I wasn’t good at calculation when I was young; and my teachers in secondary school always asked, ‘Aisha, you pass all your subjects except mathematics, why?’ That challenged me to say that I would love Mathematics and it must love me.

“My dad enrolled me in extra lessons for Mathematics; and that was how I picked up. Surprisingly, I ended up marrying one of my mathematics teachers because I promised to love the subject.

“Naturally, Accounting was a course for those who fell in love with calculations. However, it was difficult because I had a family after my first year. But with the support of my husband, who is a mathematician, my esteemed lecturers and tutorials, I had a beautiful journey in the Department of Accounting. They are my second family. She earned all her academic degrees – BSc in Accounting, master’s in Accounting, MSc in Accounting and Finance, and ultimately, a PhD in Accounting and Finance – at the Ahmadu Bello University,

In a field dominated by men, her rise was neither accidental nor easy. Accounting and finance, particularly at a senior academic and policy levels, often present subtle and overt barriers to women, yet Professor Hamman confronted the challenges with preparation, competence and an unwavering sense of self.

As a northern Nigerian Muslim woman, she navigated biases and expectation with faith, confidence and strong family support, especially from her husband, Malam Abdulrahman Abdul.

Her excellence eventually placed her among ABU’s pioneering female professors of Accounting, a milestone whicH significance extends far beyond personal achievement.

Over the years, she has served the university in key leadership and governance roles, including as deputy director of ICERFE, membership of major academic committees, and representation of the ABU Business School at the University Senate.

Her influence, however, stretches beyond the university gates. Through her work with the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), Professor Hamman’s research has contributed to shaping tax and public finance policies in more than 24 African countries.

Bridging theory and practice, she has become a respected voice in both academic and policy circles, engaging actively with professional and regulatory bodies, such as CITN, TADAT, ANAN and global accounting networks that strengthen Nigeria’s presence in international financial discourse.

Mentored by distinguished scholars, including Professor M. H. Sabari and Professor A. B. Dogarawa, she has embraced the academic tradition of paying knowledge forward. Today, she is deeply committed to mentoring young academics—particularly women—helping them navigate the demanding but rewarding world of research, teaching and leadership.

Classmates, colleagues speak

In a telephone interview with our Zaria correspondent, Fati Lami Mohammed, a former classmate and colleague at the Nigeria Revenue Service said that Prof Hamman as a student was focused, dedicated and well oriented.

She described her as a “normal  northern woman, silent, intelligent, calm and not outspoken,  although not outwardly expressive of her abilities, fitting the stereotype of a “calm, hard-working northern woman.”

Fati, an assistant director, foresaw Prof Hamman going far in life due to her intelligence and background. She said, “Although I did not specifically foresee her entering academia, she was considered the “most outstanding” among her peer group back then.

She said she was not surprised at her becoming a professor later in life. “Aisha was, and remains a social person. She mingles with everyone regardless of religious disposition. I attribute her success to her background and parents, whom I knew well.

“While many northern women are intelligent, they are often not outspoken, which might have led classmates to underestimate her potential for such a high academic position.

“Apart from being classmates, we currently work as colleagues in the same establishment, the Nigerian Revenue Service, where Prof Aisha Mahmud Hamman is now the special adviser, research to the executive chairman,” Fati Mohammed said.

Similarly, another schoolmate of Prof Aisha, Mr Danjuma Makama,  who works at the International Fertiliser Development Centre, having known her  for over 30 years since primary and secondary school (1993-2000), said he knew her as a well-trained and mannered person with exceptional character amongst her peers.

“Hamman is honest and always straight to the point. She is an upright person and a good Muslim.

“She has always exhibited passion for accounting right from the start. She was appointed as treasurer for our 1999 set. And all through, she proved to be accountable and often went out of her way to help others, sometimes even spending her own money.

“In fact, I recall always reminding her to ensure that she wasn’t using her personal funds for group activities,” Makama said.

Prof Suleiman Karwai, a lecturer in the Department of Accounting, who taught her at master’s level, described Professor Hamman as hardworking and determined, noting that she became a professor ahead of many of her peers.

Prof Karwai attributed her success to concentration on primary assignments (lecturing, teaching, research) and consistent publication of papers.

He noted that she initially considered an economics course due to a perceived weakness in calculation, but he encouraged her to pursue accounting, recognising her potential in the academic section.

“That led to her successful conversion from a non-academic to an academic role.

“On her kind of personality, I will say Prof Hamman exhibits both traits of an introvert and extrovert – being extremely extroverted in class but introverted in other settings,” he said.

The lecturer expressed pride in her achievements and emphasised the importance of will and passion in achieving one’s desired goals in life.

Prof Ahmed Bello Dogarawa of the Department of Accounting, ABU, who supervised her at PhD activities, said Prof Haman was a committed student who was always dedicated to her studies.

He noted that she was the first to venture into Islamic finance for her PhD in the department, performing “excellently.”

The professor referred to her as a “very good researcher” and “the mother of Islamic finance.”

On her personality as a student, he described Prof Hamman as an extrovert who contributed actively to discussions.

“In class, she actively participated to ensure understanding and correction if needed. And she has a good relationship with lecturers. She is humble and respectful,” she said.

Prof Dogarawa also noted that Hamman always avoided causing discomfort to anyone or anything; and is free with students; and most of the time called “Mama” in the department.

“Till this date, I am unaware of any incident of conflict or serious argument involving her,” he noted.

The Hamman family legacy

Professor Hamman’s story is also inseparable from the remarkable academic legacy of the Hamman family, a name etched into ABU’s institutional history.

The family holds the unique distinction of producing the first three professors from one household at the Ahmadu Bello University, namely, Professor Mahmoud Hamman, the renowned historian and former director of the Arewa House; Professor Khadija Mahmoud, an educational psychologist and leading advocate for inclusive education; and Dr Yusuf Mahmoud, a political scientist and ABU PhD graduate.

This extraordinary contribution earned the family the Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna Legacy Award from the ABU Students’ Representative Council, an honour symbolising continuity, service and intellectual impact across generations.

In her role as the special adviser on research and statistics to the executive chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Professor Aisha Mahmoud Hamman continues to bridge academia and public policy, ensuring that data, research and rigorous analysis inform national decision-making.

Asked what advice she offers students, her counsel is simple: Master your craft, embrace technology and data, build resilience and strong networks, and protect your character.

Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5 million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25 million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, click here to find out how it works.

Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.