Ahmed joined the
Bauchi State Civil Service in 1977. In 1982, he became deputy secretary to the state's Ministry of Animal Health and Forestry Resources, and the next year, in 1983, he became acting permanent secretary to the Ministry of Rural Development and Cooperatives. President
Umaru Yar'Adua appointed him to the position of
Defence Minister on July 26, 2007. He had no military experience prior to the appointment. On September 8, 2008, President
Umaru Yar'Adua appointed him as the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) replacing
Babagana Kingibe. In May 2011, President
Goodluck Jonathan replaced Ahmed with Senator
Anyi Pius Anyim. On August 31, 2024, he became chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities (CPCNFU). ==Awards and honours==