Zainab Usman

**Zainab Usman** is a Nigerian public policy expert, author, and academic, widely recognized for her extensive work in governance, natural resource management, and economic development in Africa. Her career spans influential roles in major international development institutions and think tanks. **Early Life and Education** Zainab Usman was born in Nigeria. She completed her higher education with a focus on development economics and public policy. She holds a Doctorate (DPhil) from the University of Oxford. Prior to her doctoral studies, she also worked at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. **Career Progression and Major Achievements** Usman has built a distinguished career combining academic research with practical policy advice. She previously served as a consultant for the UK's Department of International Development (DFID). Her expertise is often sought in the areas of institutional change, natural resource management, and industrial policy in Nigeria and other African nations. **Notable Works and Current Status** Zainab Usman is currently a Senior Fellow and Director of the Carnegie Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where her research focuses on governance and economic development issues in Africa. She is the author of *Economic Diversification in Nigeria: The Politics of Building a Post-Oil Economy* (2022), a seminal work on Nigeria's economic challenges and pathways to sustainable growth. She also holds the role of a Fellow at the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), where she works on issues concerning extractives and resource governance.