Zubaida is a development worker with over 20 years of clinical and non-clinical professional experience in public health. Returning to the Nigeria CO from the WCA Regional Office, where she served as the Social Norms and Harmful Practices Specialist, Zubaida was the Gender/GBV Specialist heading the Gender and Adolescent/Youth Unit from 2018 to 2023.

She also served as the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Analyst between 2014-2018 in Nigeria CO. Her UNFPA work has focused on increasing adolescents' and young people's access to ASRH and HIV, addressing harmful practices such as child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation, and providing technical support for youth development in line with the demographic dividend concept, gender equality, and women's empowerment.

Prior to experience in UNFPA, Zubaida worked in FHI 360 for seven years. There, she held various positions, from Medical Officer to Associate Director of the Health Systems Department, supporting the improvement of quality of services at state and federal levels.

Her main professional interest is in supporting efforts to address barriers that prevent young people, especially adolescent girls and women, from fulfilling their potential.

Zubaida earned her medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.