Dr. Rislan Abdulazeez Kanya is the Founder and CEO of the Centre for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CCSA) at Cosmopolitan University, Abuja, a research and innovation hub dedicated to reducing climate risks in agriculture through emerging technologies and sustainable financing models. At CCSA, he leads pioneering work on soil health, smart irrigation, and nutrient efficiency, while linking smallholder farmers to digital innovation and affordable finance.
He previously served as Deputy Vice Chancellor for IT, Research, and Innovation at Baze University, Abuja, and is currently Technical Adviser on ICT and Digital Economy to the Governor of Jigawa State. He has spearheaded the creation of the ICT and Digital Economy Agency, the Residents Identity Management Agency, and the Jigawa COMPETE program, which is transforming education through teacher training, digital classrooms, and future-ready skills.
Dr. Kanya has attended executive programs and contributed to projects at leading institutions including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the National University of Singapore (NUS), INRIA in France, and CEIMIA in Canada. He has also worked on initiatives supported by UNICEF, UNDP, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank. He holds a Ph.D. in Computing (ICT4D), a B.Sc. in Computing and Information Systems from the University of Portsmouth, and an MBA from the University of Wales at Thames Business School in Singapore.