The newly appointed Director of Studies of the National institute, Prof Oluwafunmilayo Josephine Para-Mallam, mni, assumed duty on Monday 15 February 2021.

Professor Para-Mallam is a Professor of Gender and Development with vast research experience and has served as a policy and leadership trainer, development consultant and principal investigator on a number of collaborative projects with national and international agencies.
She obtained BA in French/Portuguese in 1984 from University of Ife. In 1995, she graduated from University of Jos with an MA in Law and Diplomacy. In 2001, she became a Ford International Doctoral Fellow at University of Leeds, UK and obtained PHD in Development Studies in 2006.

Prof Para-Malam’s research interests include gender & development, culture & development, peace & security, and democracy & governance. She was Ford Foundation Scholar at Columbia University, New York in 2016 and a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, USA, in 2020.