Nenadi Esther Usman; Nigerian federal minister under President Obasanjo, who succeeded celebrated Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in the ministry of finance. Usman under Iweala was part of the brains of the economic reforms of Olusegun Obasanjo government. Her focus in the finance ministry as stated by her was to bring the effect of past reforms to the people, pay local contractors and pensioners.
Born November 1966, in Jos Plateau State:, her primary education started at Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) Elementary School, Jos from 1972 to 1975 and later, she left for the Local Education Authority School, Kukuiri Kiriji, where she completed her primary education.
She was at the Federal Government College, Jos from 1977-1982: She proceeded to the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1982, for her Advance Level School Certificate. In 1986 she obtained a Bachelors degree in Geography. She followed it with a post graduate diploma in management, obtained from the University of Jos. Usman is married and has four children.
Politics
From the classroom of Government Secondary School, Kagoro, in Kaduna State, where she was a Geography teacher, Usman was appointed executive adviser youths and sports and later information, Home Affairs and Culture. She had a stint in the civil service, when she served as Principal Personal Officer at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Abuja. From FCDA, she was appointed Commissioner for Women Affairs, Youth and Social Development in Kaduna State. Later she was redeployed to the ministries of Environment and Natural Resources and Health respectively in Governor Ahmed Makarfi administration. She contested and won elections into the House of Representative, representing the Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency before her appointment as Minster of State for Finance.