Professor Muhammad Aliyu is an art historian, educator, researcher and curator with more than 26 years of teaching and academic experience in Fine Art and Art History.
His academic career began in distance learning before extending to tertiary institutions, where he has combined teaching, research, postgraduate supervision, exhibition curation and academic administration.
Over the years, Professor Aliyu has participated in numerous art symposiums, conferences, exhibitions and other scholarly engagements across universities and higher institutions in Nigeria.
These engagements have contributed to his experience in the teaching, research and promotion of art and art history.
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Professor Aliyu holds the distinction of being the first person from Kano to obtain both a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Art History.
His academic journey has taken him from the Department of Art and Design at Kano State Polytechnic to the Department of Fine Arts and Art History at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he eventually rose through the academic ranks to become a Professor.
His area of specialisation is Islamic Arts. His academic work has contributed to the study, documentation and teaching of art history in Nigeria, particularly in relation to Islamic art and its historical and cultural significance.
Education and Academic Training
Professor Aliyu began his early education at Gawuna Primary School, Kano, where he studied from 1975 to 1981. He subsequently attended Government Secondary School, Kawaji, Kano, from 1981 to 1986. In 1989, he proceeded to the Federal School of Arts and Sciences, Sokoto, for remedial studies.
In 1991, he enrolled for a National Diploma in Art and Design at the Kano State Polytechnic, School of Technology, Department of Art and Design, and completed the programme in 1993. Following his success at the polytechnic, he gained admission into Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1994, where he studied Fine Arts and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1998.
Professor Aliyu continued his postgraduate studies at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In 2002, he obtained a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy from the Department of Political Science. He subsequently pursued another Master’s degree, this time in Art History, from the Department of Fine Art, Ahmadu Bello University, and graduated in 2006.
In his continued pursuit of academic excellence and specialisation, he commenced his doctoral studies in Art History in 2008 and obtained his Ph.D. in 2015 from the Department of Fine Art, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Teaching, Research and Academic Career
Professor Aliyu began his teaching career at Kano State Polytechnic, where he taught Art History, History of Fashion, Life Drawing, and General Drawing from 2001 to 2008. On 9 April 2008, he joined Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he has continued to teach and conduct research in Art History.
His principal area of academic specialisation is Islamic Arts. He has published numerous scholarly articles in national and international academic outlets and has contributed to the development of Art History scholarship through teaching, research, academic conferences, exhibitions, and postgraduate supervision.
Over the course of his academic career, Professor Aliyu has supervised and graduated more than 30 postgraduate students at Master’s and Ph.D. levels.
He has also served as an External Examiner and Moderator for several institutions, including the Department of Art and Design and General Studies at Kano State Polytechnic, the Department of Fine and Applied Arts at the College of Education, Gumel, Jigawa State, the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, Kano State, and the Federal College of Education, Kano State, now the University of Education, Kano State.
Curatorial and Exhibition Practice
Beyond teaching and research, Professor Aliyu has maintained an active engagement with contemporary art practice and exhibition curation. He has curated four notable solo exhibitions.
His first documented solo exhibition, Bakan Dabo, was held at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 2016. This was followed by State of the Nation, presented at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, Kano, in 2017.
In 2022, he presented A New Dawn at Ado Bayero Mall, Kano. His fourth exhibition, Tozali (Inside Out), was also held at Ado Bayero Mall, Kano, in 2024.
These exhibitions demonstrate the intersection of his academic interest in art history with contemporary artistic expression and public engagement.
Academic and Professional Leadership
Professor Aliyu has also held several academic and professional leadership positions. He served as Head of the Art History Section in the Department of Fine Art at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from 2015 to 2025.
He has also undertaken sabbatical and visiting academic engagements at the Department of Visual and Creative Arts, Federal University of Lafia, from 2017 to date.
Within the professional art community, Professor Aliyu served as Chairman of the Society of Nigerian Artists, Kano State Chapter, from 2021 to 2025. In recognition of his contribution to the Nigerian art profession, he became a Fellow of the Society of Nigerian Artists (FSNA) in December 2024.
Legacy and Contribution
Professor Muhammad Aliyu’s career reflects a sustained commitment to Art History, Islamic Arts, teaching, research, postgraduate education, professional service, and exhibition practice.
From his early training in Kano and Sokoto to his advanced academic studies and professorial career at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, he has played a significant role in the development and teaching of Art History within Nigeria’s higher education system.
His academic achievements, professional leadership, postgraduate supervision, scholarly publications, and curatorial activities have established him as an important figure in the study and promotion of Art History and Islamic Arts in Nigeria.
