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Prof. Gafar. T. Ijaiya is a Development Economist, in the Department of Economics, University of Ilorin. Prof Ijaiya was born in Jos in 1961 and had his primary and secondary school education in both Jos and Offa. He also had his First and Second degrees in Economics at the University of Jos and his Ph.D in Economics at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. Prof. Ijaiya joined the services of the University of Ilorin in 1997 from the Federal Polytechnic Offa as an Assistant Lecturer from where he grew to become a Professor of Economics in 2014.

Since joining the University, Prof. Ijaiya has served in different capacities as examination officer, research coordinator, course adviser and Head of Department of Economics in University of Ilorin. Prof Ijaiya had also served as a Member of the Faculty of Social Sciences Examination Malpractice Committee, Secretary of the Faculty Welfare Fund Committee, Chairman of the Faculty Welfare Fund Committee, Coordinator of the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences Professional Programmes, Faculty Coordinator of the Nigerian Universities Research and Development Fair, Coordinator of the Department of Economics Postgraduate Programmes, Representative of the Faculty at the Centre for International Education, Faculty Seminar Coordinator, Faculty Representative at the Business Committee of the Senate, Member of the University Library and Publications Committee, Member of the University Committee on the Review of the 2009-2013 University Calendar, Member of the University of Ilorin Development Committee, Member of the University Senate, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Chairman, University of Ilorin Sports Council, Member, Offa Economic Development Committee, Member, Offa Industrial Truth Fund. Presently, Prof. Gafar Ijaiya is the Director, University of Ilorin Business School.

Prof. Ijaiya was and is still a public affair analyst and consultant to some national and international institutions and organisations that include, some media houses, the Kwara State Planning Commission in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, Oyo State Government on Millennium Development Goals, Policy Analysis and Research Project of the National Assembly of Nigeria among others.

In 2007 Prof Ijaiya jointly with Prof. S.L. Adeyemi were one of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), award winner of a research grant on “Poverty and Human Right in the Informal Sector of Kwara State, Nigeria”.

Prof. Ijaiya hobbies include playing and watching football, walking and reading. His love for football was because he was once a professional footballer, having played for the following football clubs in Nigeria from the late 1970s to the late 1980s (Mighty Jet Football Club, Standard Football Club and Jos International Breweries Football Club all in Jos, and Water Corporation Football Club, Ilorin). Prof. Ijaiya was also a junior international having represented Nigeria in the Under-19 football competitions (with Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria) in Dallas-Texas and Atlanta-Georgia in the USA, Gothenburg in Sweden all in the early 1980s.

Professor Ijaiya is married with four children.