Biography

Ismail Umar is a MEL Officer and a Data Analyst with 9 years of experience working in the development sector. His work focuses on using data to understand what is working well in projects, what needs improvement, and how programmes can better support communities. He is especially passionate about youth and women’s economic empowerment and believes that good decisions should always be based on clear evidence and accurate data.

Prior to joining CorpsAfrica, Ismail worked in similar M&E and data-focused roles within the public sector and organizations such as USAID, GIZ, and Plan International. In these roles, he helped realign project indicators with objectives, tracked results, assessed impacts, and ensured that interventions achieved their intended goals in a timely and effective manner.

Ismail is known for being result-oriented, disciplined, and highly organized. He places strong emphasis on meeting deadlines, maintaining data quality, and ensuring that results are delivered on time and to standard. His long-term ambition is to become one of the leading experts in data analytics and Monitoring, Evaluation, whose ideas and insights contribute meaningfully to decision-making.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Statistics from the University of Ghana and a master’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation from the University for Business and Integrated Development Studies. Outside his professional work, Ismail enjoys mentoring and coaching young graduates, helping them build practical skills in data analysis and developing confidence in using data to solve real-world problems.