Prof. Akpezi Ogbuigwe
Prof. (Mrs.) Akpezi Ogbuigwe is an exceptional legal scholar, global environmental justice advocate, and a passionate promoter of implementation processes for sustainable futures. Her influence spans academia, international policy development, and organisational transformation.
Trained as a lawyer, she built a distinguished academic and international career at the University of Lagos, the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, and in her role as Head of Environmental Education and training, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and at the Tongji University, Shanghai, China where she not only taught and mentored generations of students, but also led projects to mainstream environmental sustainability in corporations, governments and academic institutions.
Akpezi is a recipient of multiple awards and honours, such as the Environmental Creation Awareness Award by the Environment Outreach Magazine (2010); The Outstanding Young Persons of Nigeria Award in recognition of contribution to Moral and Environmental Leadership by the Nigeria Junior Chamber on the occasion of their 40th Anniversary Convention (1997).
She has contributed to knowledge in the field of environmental law, education for sustainable development, the Earth Charter and Africa transformation. She has two book publications - Ogbuigwe, A (2007) Birth pangs of Africa's Renaissance; Ogbuigwe, A (2018), Legal Issues in the Niger Delta Resource Dilemma, ACFED.
Recent and Notable Roles
Presently promoting a new transformational learning initiative to support environment and sustainability literacy and skills in educational institutions (primary, secondary, and higher levels) in Africa. Akpezi serves on the Council of the Earth Charter International and as a Regional Advisor for the United Nations University African Regional Centres of Excellence (RCEs). She also currently serves as a Juror for the UNESCO-Japan ESD Prize.
With over thirty years of professional experience as a Law teacher, she is an avid researcher in transformational change in higher education in Africa, education for sustainable development, environmental law and policy, and gender and sustainable development; she is a facilitator of university partnerships and is involved in youth and civil society engagement.
“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
She also has several published articles in international journals and book chapters such as:
Ogbuigwe, A (2018) SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals: A view from inside Africa's Higher Education Institutions, Approaches to SDG 17 Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), GUNI, 28-36;
Ogbuigwe, A,(2017), 'Lessons from the UNEP Ogoniland Environmental Assessment for New Oil & Gas Frontiers in Africa', Rivers State University Oil & Gas Journal, 2017;
Ogbuigwe, A, 'Climate Change Education in Africa', Southern African Journal of Environmental Education,2009;
Ogbuigwe,A, (2009), Empowering Students for Environmental Action: The Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities Partnership Programme, Chapter in Young people , Education, and Sustainable Development: Exploring principles, perspectives and Praxis, Netherlands, Wagenengen Academic Publishers; Ed by Corcoran and Osano;
Ogbuigwe,A, Delivering Education for Sustainable Development through the MESA Partnership, Journal for Development, July – Dec 2008, Vol 2 No. 2 PP157 - 165;
Ogbuigwe, A. 2007, “Learning to Shape our future”, in UN Decade of education for Sustainable Development -The Contribution from Europe, German Commission for UNESCO (DUK). Bonn, 2007, p.78;
Lotz-Sisitka, H., Lupele, J. & Ogbuigwe, A. (2006) Translation processes in the design of an Education for Sustainable Development Innovations Course for universities in Africa, Journal of Teacher Education.
Ogbuigwe, A, 1999; "Law and Environment - The Niger Delta Legal Challenge", Port Harcourt Law Journal. Vol.1. 1999;
Jickling, B.; Lotz-Sisitka, H., O'Donoghue, R. & Ogbuigwe, A. (2006), Environmental Education, Ethics and Action: A workbook to get started, Nairobi, UNEP; A. Ogbuigwe, “The United Nations Decade of Education and Sustainable Development (2005-2014)”, Chapter in International Environmental Law-making and Diplomacy Review, University of Joensuu-UNEP Course Series 2, 2005, p. 179-185;
Ogbuigwe,A. “Environment for development and the poor: role of environmental education”, Chapter in AB Temu et al (ed) “Rebuilding Africa's Capacity for Agricultural Development, 2004, p19 – 33.