Chika Ezeanya Esiobu

Dr. Chika Ezeanya Esiobu is convinced that the acknowledgement of the significance of Africa’s Indigenous knowledge – in all fields of human endeavor – is key to the continent’s advancement. A researcher, teacher, non-fiction and fiction writer, and public intellectual, Chika holds a Ph.D. in African Development and Policy Studies from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Chika has been invited to present her ideas across cultures, countries, institutions and platforms, including the London School of Economics, Pan-African Parliament, United Nations Development Program, African Union, Social Science Research Council, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, United Nations Public Service Awards Ceremony, Standard Bank South Africa, to mention a few. Chika has worked as a consultant for the World Bank on education and sustainable land management in Africa. Among her other research projects is an International Development Research Center (IDRC) Canada-commissioned project on using indigenous technology to create jobs for women in Rwanda’s rural areas. Chika has conducted research for such organizations as the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC). Chika has lived and worked in four countries spread across three continents. Through her travels, Chika has learned to value integrity, dignity, respect for self and others, cooperation over competition, being open to knowledge, and smiling often with her heart.