Dr. Maryam Muhammad

Director — Board of Directors, Impact Hub Foundation

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 programmes and designing strategies targeted at securing public health and improving livelihoods.

Dr. Maryam has over 36 years of working experience as a veterinarian, researcher, teacher, and administrator. She began her professional career at NVRI through the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in 1984, rising through the ranks and earning the post of Director in 2016. She has demonstrable expertise in grantsmanship and project management and provides academic supervision as a mentor and teacher.

Since taking over leadership of NVRI, she has attracted large grants from investors including the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, regional cooperation bodies, and United Nations Offices. A key philosophy she advocates is collaboration and cooperation within and between various professions, attracting several academic institutions and industry partners to sign technical cooperation agreements with NVRI.

Her research interests include the molecular epidemiology of Salmonella in poultry, public health, the environment, and development. She is a recipient of the British Overseas Development Technical Trainers Award, the Chevening Scholarship, and the Rockefeller Foundation Award for Leadership in Environment and Development.

Dr. Muhammad holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; a Master's in Nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; a PhD in Poultry Medicine from the University of Maiduguri; and a Postgraduate Diploma in Agricultural Education from Wolverhampton Polytechnic. She is a Fellow of the College of Veterinary Surgeons, Nigeria (FCVSN) and a member of the Board of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria. She has over forty-five published articles and two training manuals.