Hadiza Santali Sa’eed was born on the 18th May 1976 in Jos, Plateau State. She hails from Karshi Development Area, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abuja, FCT.
She attended St. Margaret’s Primary School in Liverpool and Hillcrest School in Jos before proceeding to Federal Government Girls College, Bauchi Where she obtained her West African School Certificate in 1993. She went on to study Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State between 1993 and 2000 where she received an LL.B (Hons.) Degree and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002.
She went back to the University of Jos, Plateau State in 2004 and obtained an LL.M (Hons.) in 2008. She also holds a Master Degree in International Law, Security and Terrorism (Distinction) from the University of Nottingham UK. received in 2014
She previously served as a Solicitor and Advocate in Omotsola and Co., Jos (2002), Legal Officer at the National Judicial Council in (2002-2003) (NYSC), Training Coordinator, National Center for State Courts, a USAID Funded Nigerian Rule of Law Assistance Project (2003-2004), Senior Program Coordinator, National Center for State Courts, USAID Funded Nigerian Rules of Law Assistance Project (2004-2005).
She then resumed as an Assistant Studies Fellow, National Judicial Institute, Abuja (2005-2010), Studies Fellow, National Judicial Institute, Abuja (2010-2011), Special Assistant to the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Abuja (on Secondment) (2011-2012), Senior Special Assistant to the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria (on Secondment) (2014-2016), and rose to the Position of Senior Studies Fellow (Asst. Director), National Judicial Institute, Abuja (2012-2017).
She is a Member of the Federation of African Women Lawyers as well as a full Member of the Institute of Fraud Examiners. She has written several published and unpublished papers in the areas of Judicial Ethics, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Internet Law, Maritime Law, Gender Issues, Environmental Law, as well as Court and Case Management. Mrs Sa’eed was also a contributor to the Judicial Ethics Training Manual and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Manual for the Nigerian Judiciary, by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2007, and the Commentary of the Bangalore Principles in 2007. She also participated in the drafting of the Nigerian Code of Conduct for Court Employees which came into effect in March 2003.
She is currently the Director, Judges Performance and Evaluation/Legal Department at the National Judicial Council Abuja. She is the Secretary of the Committee on Performance Evaluation of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of Record, Chairman of the E-service Committee of the Council and Alteration Secretary of the Judicial Information Technology Policy Committee(JITPCO).