Board of Director
Dr Maryam Muhammad
Dr Maryam Muhammad is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom. A research expert in bacteriology, food microbiology and molecular epidemiology, she is a technical expert lead in national technical working groups on disease prevention and control developing research concepts and programs, as well as designing strategies targeted at securing public health and improving livelihoods. She began her professional career at NVRI, with the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program in 1984. On completion of the NYSC program, she was employed as a research staff where she began by participating in diagnostic activities for the Rinderpest eradication programme.
Dr Maryam has over 36 years of working experience as a veterinarian, researcher, teacher and as an administrator. She rose through the ranks, earning the post of Director in 2016. She has demonstrable expertise in grantsmanship and project management. As a mentor and teacher, she also provides academic supervision. Dr Muhammad has utilized her excellent technical and people skills to introduce new and bold ideas in departments where she served with good success.
Since taking over leadership of NVRI, she has attracted large grants from investors including the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, regional cooperation, and United Nations Offices. A key philosophy she advocates is that of collaboration and cooperation within and between various professions. Indeed, this has attracted several academic institutions and industry to sign technical cooperation agreements with NVRI. Close to her heart also is connecting Science with the end user and bridging the last mile.
Her research interests include the molecular epidemiology of Salmonella in poultry, public health and environment and development. Dr Muhammad has attended trainings and fellowships in diagnostic laboratory management, molecular and serotyping techniques for Salmonella and Campylobacter.
She is an award recipient of the British Overseas Development technical trainers award, the Chevening Scholarship award and the Rockefeller Foundation award for Leadership in Environment and Development. She is a Fellow of the Leadership for Environment and Development Programme; a global network of professionals working towards a sustainable environment. Dr Muhammad has over forty-five published articles, two training manuals and has supervised ND, HND and PhD student projects.
Dr Muhammad holds a Doctor Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, a Master’s degree in Nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD in Poultry Medicine from the University of Maiduguri. She has a post-graduate Diploma in Agricultural Education from the Wolverhampton Polytechnic, a Fellow of the College of Veterinary Surgeons, Nigeria (FCVSN) and a member of the Board of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria.