Saudatu Mahdi has been a member of the HCM Ltd Board of Directors since its inception. She is a renowned women’s rights advocate, development expert, and educator with more than four decades of service across Nigeria’s public sector and civil society. Since 1999, she has served as Secretary General of the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), leading transformative programs that advance women’s legal rights, civic literacy, and economic empowerment nationwide.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Mahdi held senior administrative roles in the Bauchi State education system, including Acting Registrar of Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic and Principal of Government Girls Secondary School, Bauchi, where she successfully reformed institutional management and championed female education Saudatu Mahdi. She has also served as a consultant to numerous organizations—including the UNDP, UN Women, British Council, INEC, and the Commonwealth Foundation—on gender policy, legal reform, voter mobilization, and social inclusion.

She has contributed to multiple national assignments, including service on Nigeria’s Constitutional Review Committee, the National Study Group on the Death Penalty, the Committee on the Reform of Discriminatory Laws Against Women, and the Vision 20:2020 Special Interest Group on Women.

Ms. Mahdi was awarded the national honor of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the promotion and defense of women’s rights. She also serves on the Technical Working Group and Advisory Board of the Nigeria Women’s Trust Fund and on international platforms focused on women’s empowerment.

She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration from the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) and a B.A. (Hons) in Industrial Design (Textiles) from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.