Mustapha is a development professional whose interests span governance, economic and social policy. As a development researcher, he has worked on research projects on Women's Economic Empowerment. His coauthored piece on digital data governance in the context of the African continental free trade area was published by the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union. He has contributed to the development discourse at conferences and symposiums within and outside Nigeria. In 2021, Mustapha coordinated the Abuja Hub's Career Day event at a school in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, where shapers provided career guidance to more than 150 pupils. He holds an Economics degree from Nigeria and a Master of Science in Africa and International Development from the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, where he was a Mastercard Foundation Scholar. Mustapha is also an avid networker and a member of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's Now Generation Network, a community of mid-career Africans committed to moving the continent's development agenda forward.