Samuel Atiku

Samuel Atiku is the Research Data and Systems Manager at Aston University. He is a Fellow of the George Ayittey Society, a Senior Fellow at the Macrofiscal Centre, and an alum of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). His work sits at the intersection of research systems, fiscal governance, and public financial management.

Previously, Atiku served as Technical Coordinator at the International Budget Partnership, where he contributed to advancing global research on fiscal openness, budget credibility, and accountability. In this role, he supported comparative analysis and evidence-based advocacy shaping budget transparency reforms across multiple countries.

Atiku has also worked across several of the UK’s Russell Group universities, including the University of Bristol and the University of Leeds, where he strengthened institutional research systems, data governance frameworks, and evidence-use practices.

From 2014 to 2018, he was Head of Research at BudgIT, Nigeria’s leading civic-tech organisation. There, he co-created flagship initiatives such as the State of States report, which became a widely referenced benchmark for subnational fiscal performance, transparency, and service delivery in Nigeria.

A recognised scholar of fiscal credibility and public financial management, Atiku has published extensively in high-impact international journals and policy outlets. His work has helped shape debates on budget transparency, accountability, and the link between public finance and service delivery across Africa and beyond.