Ramatu Umar-Bako is an alumnus of the UK Chevening leadership and UK Common Purpose Executive programmes. She has an LLB (Hons) in Law from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, BL from the Nigerian Law School, Abuja and an MSc Global Conflict and Peace Processes from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. Ramatu also has numerous qualifications including a PGD Certificate in War, Conflict and Development from the UK Open University, Certificate in Gender Equality from the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa among others.

Ms. Bako has over 18 years of experience in international development with a focus on good governance through human rights, gender equality, and youth empowerment. She has expertise in organizational development, project management, grant administration, institutional capacity building, audit and diagnostic review of governance structures, internal processes and financial management of private and public sector. She has delivered high level trainings and presentations across Nigeria, the UK and across Africa.

She has worked as a legal practitioner under a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), G. Offodile Okafor SAN and with various local and international organizations: League for Human Rights, International Human Rights Law Group, the British Council Nigeria as a Governance Manager and later, Portfolio Manager Public Diplomacy and the Country Director, Speakers’ Corner Trust Nigeria, a UK Charity organization promoting freedom of expression, public debate and active citizenship. She is a former Executive Director of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Mrs Bako is a member of several local and international organizations namely: Association of Project Managers (APM) UK, Institute of Customer Service (ICS) UK, Nigerian Institute of Public Management and the Nigerian Portfolio Management Institute among many others. She is an Adjunct lecturer and Associate Editor of the Capital Law Review, has contributed to many other publications and is a regular contributor to public discourse.

She is currently the Head of Influencing, Advocacy and Public Engagement at Oxfam in Nigeria leading on the campaigns, advocacy, strategic partnerships and communications in country.