An haifi Hamza Rafindadi Zayyad, mashahurin masanin lissafin kudade kuma jigo a harkokin mulkin Najeriya, a ranar 14 ga Satumba, 1937, a Rafindadi, Jihar Katsina. Kakansa ya riƙe mukamin Wazirin Katsina, muƙami mai girma a matsayin mai ba da shawara ga Sarkin Katsin 

Zayyad ya fara karatu a makarantar Alƙur’ani yana ɗan shekara huɗu, sannan ya shiga Makarantar Firamare ta Rafindadi a shekarar 1945. Daga nan, ya zarce zuwa Makarantar Katsina Middle School, kafin ya ci gaba da karatu a Barewa College, Zariya, daga 1951 zuwa 1956. Bayan kammala karatunsa, ya fara aiki a Barclays Bank a 1957. Amma sha’awarsa ta zurfafa ilimi ya kai shi Kumasi, Ghana, inda ya yi karatun lissafin kudade tsakanin 1958 da 1960. Ya ci gaba da karatunsa a Ingila, inda ya samu digiri a fannin lissafin kudade daga Leeds College da Jami’ar Birmingham.  

A matsayinsa na mai basira da hangen nesa, ya kasance jagora ga matasa da dama, ciki har da Nasir El-Rufai, tsohon Ministan Babban Birnin Tarayya kuma Tsohon Gwamnan Jihar Kaduna.

A shekarar 1963, Zayyad ya fara aiki a Ma’aikatar Kuɗi ta Arewacin Najeriya a matsayin akanta. A shekarar 1965, ya zama babban akanta. A watan Yunin 1966, aka naɗa shi Babban Akantan Hukumar Kasuwancin Kayayyakin Amfani na Najeriya, wata hukuma mai kula da fitar da amfanin gona zuwa ƙasashen waje. Daga baya, an mayar da shi Jami’ar Ahmadu Bello, inda ya zama bursar (babban mai kula da harkokin kuɗi) na jami’ar a 1968.  

Daga shekarar 1976 zuwa 1981, Zayyad ya riƙe mukamin Manajan Darakta na New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), kamfanin saka jari mafi girma a Arewacin Najeriya. Wannan mukami ya ba shi damar sanayya da manyan shugabanni kamar Adamu Ciroma da kuma jagoranci ko zama mamba a hukumomin NNDC kamar Arewa Textiles, Bank of the North da Bacita Sugar.  

Duk da cewa tsohon Shugaban Ƙasa, Janar Ibrahim Babangida, ya ba shi mukamin Minista, Zayyad ya ƙi karɓa, inda ya fi mayar da hankali kan harkokin tattalin arziki da harkar shawarwari kan kuɗi. Bayan barinsa NNDC, ya kafa Phoenix Investments, wata cibiyar bayar da shawara kan harkokin kuɗi.  

A tsakiyar shekarun 1980s, Najeriya ta fuskanci ƙalubalen tattalin arziki sakamakon faɗuwar farashin man fetur. A sakamakon haka, gwamnati ta bullo da shirin kasuwantar da kamfanoninta domin rage nauyin da ke wuyanta da kuma inganta harkokin kasuwanci. A shekarar 1986, Zayyad ya zama shugaban farko na Kwamitin Fasaha kan Kasuwanci da Sayar da Kamfanonin Gwamnati (TCPC), wanda ke da alhakin tsara manufofin kasuwancin gwamnati. Daga baya, kwamitin ya zama Hukumar Kasuwanci da Sayar da Kamfanonin Gwamnati (Bureau of Public Enterprises – BPE), ɗaya daga cikin hukumomin gwamnati masu zaman kansu da suka fi dawwama a Najeriya.  

Duk da nasarorinsa, an samu tambayoyi kan yadda ya tafiyar da shirin sayar da kadarorin gwamnati, da kuma alaƙarsa da wasu attajirai kai tsaye. Sai dai, samuwar manyan attajirai a Najeriya ya samo asali ne daga bunƙasar arzikin man fetur da kuma irin siyasar da gwamnatoci suka bi.  

Hamza Rafindadi Zayyad ya bar gagarumin tarihi a harkar tattalin arziki, musamman a fannin lissafin kuɗi, saka jari, da sauye-sauyen da suka shafi kamfanonin gwamnati. Gudunmawarsa ta taka muhimmiyar rawa wajen canza yanayin tattalin arzikin Najeriya, inda ya samar da haɗin kai tsakanin gwamnatoci da harkokin kasuwanci masu zaman kansu.