Dr. Habiba Muda Lawal, OON, is a distinguished public servant, scholar, and development leader with over three decades of experience spanning academia, national policy coordination, public administration, and institutional reform in Nigeria.
A trained Inorganic Chemist with a Ph.D. from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, she began her professional career in academia, rising to the rank of Senior Lecturer before transitioning into public service. Her career reflects a rare combination of intellectual depth, strategic leadership, and practical governance experience.
Dr. Lawal has served as Permanent Secretary in several key federal institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ecological Project Office under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. She also served as Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation and later as Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, where she played a central role in national policy alignment, inter-ministerial coordination, and transition management at the highest levels of government.
Her expertise spans development planning, gender policy, environmental governance, human resource management, macroeconomic policy analysis, and institutional strengthening. Her stewardship at the Ecological Project Office culminated in the publication of her book, Account of My Stewardship in the Management of Ecological Emergencies in Nigeria (2022), documenting reform processes and lessons in environmental governance.
A Fellow of the Chemical Society of Nigeria and the Nigerian Institute of Management, Dr. Lawal is also a British Chevening Scholar and an alumna of the United States International Visitors Leadership Program. Her contributions to national development have been recognised with the conferment of the national honour, Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
As Chair of the Board of Trustees of UHAF, Dr. Lawal provides strategic oversight and governance leadership, ensuring that the Foundation operates with integrity, transparency, and disciplined institutional standards. Her leadership anchors UHAF’s mission in accountability, impact, and long-term sustainability.
