Azeko Tahiru Salifu

Azeko, Salifu Tahiru (born July 17, 1984) is a Ghanaian academic, researcher, and public administrator, known for his role as Inspector-General of Schools at Ghana's National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA). He has led education policy and regulation in Ghana and made contributions to engineering research on sustainable materials. Before his March 2025 appointment, he held academic roles in Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda, rising to Associate Professor at Tamale Technical University. Salifu is active in professional engineering bodies and curriculum development With over 38 publications.
Early life
Azeko Tahiru was born into a large family with 26 siblings. He was brought up by his parents Azeko Salifu Apeningo Asaberigo and Azara Salifu Ayingangba.
He received his Junior Secondary School education at the Mount Sinai Educational Complex and later attended the Navrongo Senior Secondary School (now Navrongo Senior High School), where he took his Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE). He also attended the University for Development Studies, where he took his Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science. He also pursued his studies at the African University of Science and Technology, where he took his Master's degree in Actuarial Science (MSc) and Doctorate degree (PhD).
Education
He completed St Clement Primary School in the Bolgatanga Municipality of Ghana in 1996. He then attended Mount Sinai Educational Complex also in the Bolgatanga Municipality in 1997 and completed in 2000. He attended Navrongo Senior Secondary School (now Navrongo Senior High School) in 2001 and completed in 2003 as a Science Student.
He attended the University for Development Studies, Navrongo Campus in 2005, where he completed and obtained his Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in actuarial science in 2009. He then proceeded to the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria in 2011 and 2015, where he respectively, obtained his Master of Science (MSc.) in materials science and engineering and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in materials science and engineering. He then had his postdoctoral research studies in the US and France between 2017-2019.
Career
Azeko served as a lecturer in the Nigerian Turkish Nile University (now the Nile University of Nigeria) for three years between (2013-2016). He then proceeded to Kampala International University, Kampala Uganda in 2016, where he served as a lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department. Azeko worked for nearly four months in Kampala International University and gained employment into the Mechanical Engineering Department of Tamale Technical University in 2016 as a lecturer. He was later promoted in 2019 and 2023, respectively, to a senior lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department and associate professor in Materials Science and Engineering of the Mechanical Engineering Department.
Azeko is a professional member of the Ghana Young Academy, Ghana Institution of Engineering (Ghie), Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Ghana, and a Corporate Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He held several positions at Tamale Technical University, including the dean of the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment, dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, vice dean of the Faculty of Engineering/Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment; external examiner in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, external examiner in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University for Development Studies, external moderator/examiner for Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), external assessor for Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and a National Short-Term Scholar for Curriculum Development in Industrial Mechanics, Automotive Engineering and Agro-Machinery Manufacturing.
Prior to his appointment as the Inspector-General of Schools of the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), he was the dean of the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment at Tamale Technical University.
Research work and publications
His research explores innovative designs to produce green composites that are cost-effective and environmentally friendly for Materials, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering applications. He has a total of at least thirty-eight research works that have been published in reputable journals across the world (including Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and ASCE, among others) that are indexed in Science Citation Index (SCI), Scopus, and other reputable databases, with good impact factors, citations, and wide readability.
He has over 363 citations and a wider readability of 65,280.
Azeko's research area spans many fields, including Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and mathematical modeling among others. He has also served as a reviewer in several journals.
He is currently serving as a guest editor in a special issue of the Journal of Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
Azeko's research works have resulted in efficient and practical innovation for applications in the research community in Ghana and beyond.

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