Professor Nafiu Abdu a Fellow of Pan-African Scientific Research Council was born in the mid-70s. He obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture with Second Class Honours (Upper Division) at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in 2000. He also received a Master of Science Degree in Soil Science from the same University in 2006. He studied at the University of Kassel, Germany for his PhD from 2007 to 2010 and obtained Dr Agrar (Dr of Agriculture). He joined the services of the Department of Soil Science, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria as Assistant Lecturer in October 2002. Shortly after his PhD, he was awarded a Postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Kassel, Germany where he worked as a scientist under the UrbanFood Plus Project. He also won the highly competitive COMSTECH-TWAS, Joint Research Grants Programme for Young Scientists under the Academy of Science for Developing World, Italy in 2012. He was one of the 41 young scientists across the globe that won participation in the Winter School “Limits to Growth Revisited” at Hannover, Germany in 2012.
Prof Abdu rose steadily from Assistant Lecturer in 2002 to Professor of Soil Science in 2018. Within 12 years of obtaining his PhD, he has mentored and graduated 22 MSc and PhD students with over 10 currently working under his supervision.
Prof. Abdu has published over 80 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, seminar papers and technical reports. He has co-authored publications on almost all the continents of the world. He is a reviewer of numerous scientific Journals in Nigeria and the world over. He has served as the Managing Editor of the Nigeria Journal of Soil and Environmental Research and is currently the Managing Editor of the Nigerian Journal of Soil Science. He has attended many national and international seminars, symposia and conferences in other countries like Ghana, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali, Tanzania, Senegal, Belgium, Spain, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Aside from his academic and research activities, Prof. Abdu has a great flair for administration. He is currently the Head of the Department of Soil Science, at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and the National President of the Soybean Farmers Association of Nigeria. He was the Undergraduate student Coordinator of the Department of Soil Science from 2010 to 2012 and Postgraduate Students Coordinator from 2014 to 2019. He served as the Faculty of Agriculture Registration Officer from 2014 to 2016. He was the National Coordinator, in Nigeria for the The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Cowpea Outsacling Project from 2015 to 2018. He is currently the Co-Principal Investigator, Nigeria; Analysis of sociocultural and/or economic motivators or barriers to cowpea utilization at various stages and scales within production and market systems.
During his undergraduate years, he was the President of the Muslim Students Agriculturist in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and the President of the Bauchi state branch of the Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria from 2001 to 2002. He is a member of numerous scientific Societies including the New York Academy of Science, United States, Society of Chemical Industry, United Kingdom, International Union of Soil Science, Nigerian Institute of Soil Science, Soil Science Society of Nigeria, Agricultural Society of Nigeria and Academic Staff Union of Universities, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Branch. He is a recipient of Kaduna State Government Scholarship for undergraduate studies, the Federal Government of Nigeria Postgraduate Scholarship, the Volkswagen Foundation, Hanover, Germany, Fellowship for Doctoral Studies, African Credibility Gold Award, the most Promising Young Scientist for the Year 2012/2013, Department of Soil Science, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. His biography has been cited by Marquis Who’s Who in The World; Lifetime Achievement Award, 2018, Marquis Who’s Who in The World in 2013; 2000 He is happily married and blessed with children.