Sadiya Umar Farouq, born on November 5, 1974, in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Nigeria, is a prominent politician and business administrator. She completed her secondary education at Federal Government Girls College in Gusau, Zamfara State, before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1998. She furthered her education at the same institution, obtaining a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy in 2008 and a Master of Business Administration in 2009.

Farouq began her career at the National Assembly Service Commission in 1999, serving as an Administrative Officer and rising to the position of Principal Administrative Officer by 2003. She also worked with the Senate Committees on Aviation and Appropriation during this period. Between 2001 and 2003, she was the Operations Manager at Pinnacle Travel Tours Ltd, a Nigerian travel agency.

Her political journey commenced with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), where she served as the National Treasurer. Following the merger that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), she continued in her role as National Treasurer from 2013 to 2014. She played a significant role in President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 election campaign as the Director of Election Planning and Monitoring.

In September 2016, President Buhari appointed Farouq as the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, where she served until August 2019. Subsequently, she was appointed as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development on August 21, 2019, becoming the youngest minister in President Buhari’s cabinet at that time. During her tenure, she oversaw various social investment programs and coordinated responses to humanitarian crises across Nigeria.

Farouq’s contributions have been recognized through several awards, including the National Humanitarian Response to COVID-19 Award in 2020, Africa’s Leading Woman in Humanitarian Service Award in 2021, and the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service in 2022. In 2023, she was honored with the Commander of the Order of the Niger by President Buhari.

Throughout her career, Sadiya Umar Farouq has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to public service, focusing on humanitarian efforts and social development to improve the lives of vulnerable populations in Nigeria.