Born December 18, 1962, Salihu Moh. Lukman is a development economist, policy analyst and political organiser. He holds Bachelors of Science (1989) and Masters of Science (2000) degrees in Economics, all from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He was President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) 1988 – 89, National Secretary of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Lagos (1991), founding Deputy General Secretary of the Campaign for Democracy (CD) (1991 – 1994, and founding Deputy President of Democratic Alternative (1994 – 1998).
He was Research Officer of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Kaduna between 1992 and 2000. In 2000, was seconded from the Textile Union to manage an EU-funded project on rebuilding the Nigerian Trade Union Movement. In 2002, became the Education Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Resigned from NLC in October 2006 and started a governance and organisational development consulting firm, People and Passion Consult Ltd, in Abuja.
In August 2009, served as the Group Organising Secretary/CEO of Good Governance Group (3G), Abuja led by Senator Ken Nnamani, former Senate President; Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, former Speaker, House of Representatives and current Governor of Katsina State; Mal. Nasir El-Rufa’i, former FCT Minister and current Governor of Kaduna State; and Malam Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of EFCC and presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) for the 2011 presidential election.
Between December 2009 and March 2010, following the leadership vacuum created by the mismanagement of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s illness, was among the group of 54 Nigerians that initiated the formation of Save Nigeria Group (SNG) and coordinated its activities in Abuja. In June 2010, joined the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and emerged as the Senatorial Candidate for Kaduna North Senatorial District for the 2011 elections. After the elections, returned to People and Passion Consult Ltd and continued his governance and organisational development consultancy practice. In addition to consultancy practice, was also a member of the ACN Strategy Committee, which reported to the National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.
His last position was the Director General of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), a position he held from 2013 to 2022, leading a programme team that supports Nigerian state governors elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC). The mandate of the PGF’s programme team is to mobilise “APC states to facilitate accelerated human development through undertaking policies and programs to improve quality of life of citizens, eradicate poverty and create jobs in the country.”
As PGF Director General, with the responsibility of developing initiatives to promote progressive scholarship, he has produced three publications Power of Possibility & Politics of Change in Nigeria (July 2019), APC and Progressive Politics in Nigeria (October 2020) and APC’s Litmus Test – Nigerian Democracy & Politics of Change.