Dr Leila Hussein Abdullahi is the Director of Research and Programme Delivery at Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA), where she strategically leads efforts to generate and translate evidence that informs policies and practices aimed at strengthening education systems across the region. She has over 25 years of experience in research, policy analysis, and evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM), with a background spanning academia, international development, and humanitarian emergency responses.

Before joining ESSA, Leila worked at the African Institute for Policy Development (AFIDEP) as the EIDM theme lead and as a Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the institute. She also served as a Research Manager at Save the Children International (SCI), developing and implementing research strategies to improve human development outcomes. Additionally, for over 10 years she worked as a Senior Research Scientist at Vaccines for Africa Initiatives at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

Leila holds a Ph.D. in Public Health Epidemiology and has extensive experience in implementation research, impact evaluation, and evidence synthesis. She has published over 50 articles in renowned journals, focusing on the intersection of research, policy, and practice.

Passionate about using evidence to drive meaningful change, Leila is committed to shaping policies and interventions that enhance education and human development outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.