Salmatta Abiodun Ibrahim, a 2011 MMEG grantee from Sierra Leone, is a hydrogeologist, geoscientist, and university lecturer with over three decades of academic and professional experience in geology at one of Africa’s oldest universities, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, focusing on groundwater resources, and environmental sustainability. She has dedicated her career to advancing scientific knowledge and practical solutions that improve lives through better water access, particularly in developing urban communities.
Her doctoral research at the University of Exeter, UK, focused on groundwater management under seasonal variability in Freetown, Sierra Leone, combining household water consumption studies with groundwater modelling to address water shortages. Her work provides evidence-based strategies for strengthening water supply resilience in rapidly growing cities facing climate stress and infrastructure limitations.
Salmatta is also a passionate educator and founder of the STEAM Outreach Programme in Sierra Leone, where she inspires young people—especially girls—to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics. She strongly believes that investing in education and science is essential to solving future water challenges.
Salmatta’s perspective aligns closely with Water for People, ensuring that communities have reliable, equitable, and sustainable access to clean water. Her key message is simple: when science, policy, and people work together, water security becomes achievable for all.
