Abdullahi Baffa Bichi (born 1969) is a Nigerian academic and politician who served as the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) from 2016 to 2019. He was also appointed as the Secretary to the State Government of Kano State in 2023 by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
Bichi was born in Bichi Local Government Area of Kano State. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Education from Bayero University Kano in 1991, his Master's degree in Educational Psychology from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1997, and his PhD in Educational Psychology from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto in 2006.[1]
He started his academic career as a lecturer at the Federal College of Education Kano in 1992. He later joined the Department of Education at Bayero University Kano in 2000, where he rose to the rank of Associate Professor in 2012.[2][3] He also served as the Director of the Centre for Research and Documentation at the university from 2014 to 2016.
In 2016, he was appointed as the Executive Secretary of TETFund by President Muhammadu Buhari. He was responsible for overseeing the funding and development of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. He initiated several reforms and interventions to improve the quality and access of education in the country. He was, however, sacked in 2019 by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, over allegations of corruption and insubordination.[4] Bichi denied the allegations and accused the minister of demanding kickbacks from contractors.[5]
In 2023, he contested for the Kano North Senatorial seat under the platform of the NNPP, but lost to the incumbent Senator Barau Jibrin of the APC. He was later appointed as the Chairman of the Gubernatorial Transition Committee of the Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who won the election under the NNPP. He was subsequently named as the Secretary to the State Government of Kano State by the governor in May 2023.[6][7]
Bichi is married and has four children. He is also a member of several professional and academic associations, such as the Nigerian Psychological Association, the Nigerian Society for Educational Psychologists, and the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology. He has published several articles and books on education, psychology, and politics. He is also an advocate of good governance, social justice, and human rights.