Senior Technical Advisor to the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) providing strategic policy guidance in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in Nigeria. Former Team Leader of the United Nations Millennium Villages Project (MVP) in Nigeria. Between 2016-17, Dr. Bala taught Master level courses at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, UK. He holds a B.Sc. in Economics from Bayero University Kano and M.Sc. and PhD in Development Economic and Policy from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.