Tijjani Mukaddas

Tijjani Mukaddas of Nigeria joins the Humphrey Fellowship as a passionate educator intent on using education to improve his community and address national security challenges. He is currently a Principal Education Officer and is responsible for overseeing curriculum development and monitoring education programs in the impoverished satellite towns of Nigeria’s capital. Additionally, he is the founder of the Transition to School Initiative, an NGO with the goal of reducing the number of out-of-school children.

Mr. Mukaddas earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science education from the University of Abuja, where he is now enrolled in a doctorate program. Some of his published research articles focus on the impacts of intervention programs and the effect of foreign aid on educational development. In addition to having represented Nigeria at international education conferences, Mr. Mukaddas was featured on the Voice of America, the BBC, and Deutsche Radio for his work with vulnerable youth. His Transition to School Initiative has grown to include over 100 centers in Nigeria and has been adopted in neighboring Niger and Cameroon. To date, his work has helped over 20,000 youth escape life on the streets.

To aid in his efforts, Mr. Mukaddas hopes to improve his understanding of educational administration, policy, and leadership. In doing so, he plans to develop a national framework for Universal Basic Education that will help Nigeria achieve its target of education for all by 2030.