Her appointment followed the resignation of Kemi Adeosun on Friday, September 14 over a NYSC certificate scandal.
After accepting Adeosun’s resignation, Buhari appointed Ahmed to oversee the ministry with immediate effect.
Before her new appointment, she was the State Minister, Budget and National Planning of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Here are eight facts you need to know about Zainab Ahmed:
1. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed was born 55 years ago in Kaduna State.
2. She obtained a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1981 and an MBA from the Ogun state University, Ago Iwoye.
3. She started work in 1982 as an Accountant in Kaduna State Ministry of Finance in Kaduna state and moved to Nigerian Telecommunication Ltd (NITEL)
4. In 1995, where she worked in various departments and rose to the rank of the Deputy General Manager (DGM).
5. In 2010, she was appointed to serve as the executive secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
6. Before her appointment to oversee finance ministry, she was Minister of State Budget and National Planning.
7. She is a fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), a member of the Nigerian Institute of Taxation and the Nigerian Institute of Management.
8. In March 2009, she was appointed Managing Director of Kaduna Investment Company. She was then appointed a member of the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG).