Dr. Ja’ida-Kuman Kato is a Strategic Program and Policy Professional with over 11 years of experience designing and advancing gender equality, governance, and development initiatives. She brings strong expertise in Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategies and health communication campaigns that drive the adoption of health-promoting information, products, and services across diverse communities.

Dr. Kato has successfully led multi-market behaviour change campaigns by collaborating with government institutions, civil society, and development partners to translate strategy into impactful, evidence-based interventions. She is skilled in programme coordination, stakeholder engagement, research, documentation, and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL), with a proven ability to align strategy, partnerships, and implementation to achieve measurable social impact.
Recognized for her cross-cultural communication, strategic thinking, and unwavering commitment to advancing women’s leadership, inclusive development, and sustainable behavioural change, Dr. Kato effectively bridges policy and practice in complex environments.

She holds a PhD in Leadership and Strategic Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and Literary Studies from the University of Abuja, and a master’s degree in Conflict Security and Development. Additionally, she earned a postgraduate diploma in education from the National Teachers Institute. Dr. Kato is certified in Cultural Diversity Inclusion and Sensitivity and is a Diplomatic and Advocacy Fellow (SGBV) with the Federation of International Gender and Human Rights (FIGHR), New York, and holds a Project Management certification.