Profile of professor Ikechi Kelechi Agbugba

Agricultural specialist from Nigeria

Ikechi Kelechi Agbugba (born in the South-East City of Nsukka) is a Pan Africanist and Nigerian agricultural economist, university professor, and youth mentor. Since 2003, he has been conducting researches on food security and agribusiness management in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). He is the current Chair of, International Advisory Board of the African Council of Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship (ACSBE), which is Africa’s largest professional network of small businesses and entrepreneurship development that plays an outstanding role in advancing the discipline of entrepreneurship and small business development by strengthening the capacities of Africa academia and vocational institutions to foster innovations response to small business and entrepreneurship development better outcomes for jobs creation while at the same time advocate for progressive policies in the continent’s economic integration processes, and engage in policy elaboration, debate, and trade foras. Furthermore, he is amongst the first roving ambassadors nominated by the Prime Minister of the State of the African Diaspora (SOAD) with a mission to represent the State https://thestateofafricandiaspora.com/ambassadors/, to explain its philosophy and to implement programs in relationship with SOAD Prime Minister and the University. Also, Ikechi is a Professor at the Faculty of Indian Ocean Sciences, University of the State of the African Diaspora (USOAD) https://www.usoad.com/index.php/faculties/indian-ocean-sciences-faculty. As well he is Co-founder, of the AgriFood Networks (AFN)

https://www.foodlog.nl/afn/profile/25372/ and an agro media initiative known as Global Agricultural Policies and Politics from an African Perspective (GAPPAP) https://www.foodlog.nl/afn/article/1.5x-gdp-unpaid-labour-in-africa-how-come. At the Cavalla International University, Minnesota, USA https://www.cavallauniversity.education/ he is a Professor of Agricultural Sciences and Agribusiness Management.

Life

As the last out of six children in an Igbo family https://www.britannica.com/topic/Igbo, Ikechi’s mother always sent him to weed the farm, make mounds and ridges, feed poultry birds, sow arable crop and horticulture seeds such as corn (Oka), okra (Okro), fluted pumpkin (Ugu), cassava (Akpu) to mention a few. According to him, “that alone structured my mind and channeled my interest and deep thoughts in charting a career in the agriculture space. I know I am multitalented and I have learnt to combine other every talent in me to build capacity and develop an entrepreneurial mind among learners, students and collaborators.’’

Even though his family’s ancestral village is in Uzuakoli, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria, Ikechi was raised in the University Campus of Nsukka in Enugu State. While he was growing up, his father, Samuel Kelechi Agbugba (1915-2015), worked as Senior Administrator/ Deputy Registrar at the University of Nigeria. Prior to that, due to his father’s positions as Certified Teacher and Headmaster in about 8 Methodist primary schools including Banham Methodist School Port Harcourt, he was also famous in the 1950s as Councilor representing the Old Bende Division which covered towns, villages and communities in the current Abia and Imo States of Nigeria. He also worked at Government College Afikpo (now Government Secondary School, Afikpo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Secondary_School,_Afikpo) as Geography Tutor Class 1 to 4 and the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (now National Broadcasting Commission) after his return from England in 1964 after his BA and MA degrees from the Trinity College Dublin or the University of Dublin https://www.tcd.ie/. His mother Nworie Kelechi Agbugba (nee Ogbonnaya), who was a trained teacher at the Women Training College (WTC) now Federal Government Girls’ College, Umuahia taught in a good number of primary schools in Ikot Ekpene, now Akwa Ibom State. More so, Ikechi’s mum (a polyglot speaking and communicating in Anang, Ibibio, English, Igbo, fluently and few times, Efik languages) trained in Education, Religious Studies and Public Administration up to Postgraduate Level worked as Senior Staff of the University at the Students’ Affairs Department. It is pertinent to retort that the young family was privileged to survive the predicaments of the Nigerian Civil War

Regarding his educational experience, Ikechi attended University Primary and Secondary Schools and later on gained admission to study Agricultural Economics at the University of Nigeria https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Nigeria, where he earned a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in 2003, 2008 and 2014, respectively. During his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2004/05 Batch A, he was privileged to proceed to North-East Nigeria (Gombe State precisely) where he was offered appointment as State President/Chairman, as well as a National Delegate/Representative of a Youth Corpers’ Association (NCCF), Gombe State Chapter and National Headquarters, Jos, Plateau State, respectively.

Work

Ikechi specialized in Agricultural Marketing, as well as Food and Agribusiness Management, and has carried out researches https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ikechi-Agbugba in this area since 2003. In 2014, he won the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship award on a collaborative study with Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the Department of Agricultural Economics & Extension, University of Fort Hare https://www.ufh.ac.za/ under the supervision of Prof Ajuruchukwu Obi https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ajuruchukwu-Obi. Since part of his duties as postdoc was to co-supervise PG candidates (especially Masters and Doctorate degree) students, he successfully produced over 10 PG students. As a matter of fact, Ikechi has supervised not less than 50 students considering his roles as supervisor/co-supervisor in the programmes or institutions he is engaged in.

More so, he has gained experience with a World Bank-Assisted Project in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. Among his guest professor roles in the academia, he features as guest lecturer on ‘Food Security and COVID-19 Effects on the Vulnerable’ to the College of Medical Sciences, University of Guyana, South America https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v88LLrE4X3g. As an external moderator/examiner to the Department of Development Studies, University of Fort Hare https://www.ufh.ac.za/faculties/commerce/departments/development-studies, Ikechi has been assessing PhD students since 2018. 

Ikechi is involved in capacity building projects and programmes. He currently serves as Advocate for the European Technology (EUTECH) Chamber https://eutec.org/2021/05/20/19-may-eu-tech-chamber-africa-chapter-after-event/. He served as Advisor for Foodlog on Nigeria’s agriculture sector development in the Netherlands https://www.foodlog.nl, and also the Deputy Vice President, Agrilink International Inc. with headquarters in the USA (Publishers of the Nigerian Agriculture Magazine). Presently, Ikechi is a member/senior advisor of Africa Bound Team, GMCE Haifa Hub (A Life Science Innovation Hub), Haifa, Israel. Elimu Enterprises, Pty Ltd, South Africa (Rural Development Roles). In addition, he is the Chair, International Advisory Council of the African Council of Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship (ACOSBE) https://homeofentrepreneurship.com/acsbe/index.php.

He plays diverse roles as Co-founder, Director, Coordinator or Senior Advisor, Technical Adviser & Member of Administrative Board for a good number of international networking volunteer organizations such as the Association of African Future Leaders (AAFL); African Youth Diaspora Organization (AYDO) https://www.linkedin.com/company/african-youth-diaspora-organisations-aydo; African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI); NutriCare Malawi http://nutricaremw.com/; African Continental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCCI)  https://www.linkedin.com/in/accci-african-continental-chamber-of-commerce-642909196; Tomatoes and Orchard (Horticulture) Producers Association of Nigeria (TOPAN) https://www.topanigeria.com/our-team/; Youth International Conclave (YIC) for United Nations Economic Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO); AgriEn (an initiative for Zambia’s agriculture sector) https://agriennetwork.com/our-team/; and the African Organization of Technology in Agriculture (A Rwanda-based IT Company promoting AgriTechs in Africa); Africa Agriculture Agenda (AAA), a Pan African Agro-Media company that features & publishes stories of Africa’s agriculture economy potentialities , championing business collaboration towards transforming of the agriculture/agribusiness sector  https://www.africaagricultureagenda.com/dr-ikechi-agbugba/. He also consults as Professor and Partner with Blendego Empire https://blendegoempire.com/, as well as the Green Leben Initiative, GLI (a German-based Company) involved in building capacities of smallholder farmers in Africa in driving transformation, Rivers State University (RSU) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivers_State_University and Rome Business School https://romebusinessschool.ng/ikechi-agbugba-ph-d-agribusiness-management/</nowiki and mentors a good number of youths across Africa and other nations. As an agribusiness activist, Ikechi has partnered with diverse individuals, institutions, and establishments across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries such as Dr. Beatrice Bischof https://beatricebischof.com/?lang=en in developing an entrepreneurial factory for African agripreneurs and prospective agribusiness experts using the PETS Foreign Policy Ecosystem Template. PETS is an acronym that means Policy Economy Technology and Society. Among other African stakeholders of development, Ikechi discusses with Samuel Niiwo the President of Africa Council of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ACOSBE) and Founder of the Uganda National Entrepreneurship Development Institute (UNEDI) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda_National_Entrepreneurship_Development_Institute

More so, Ikechi, Al Karaki (Innovation Director of Future Farming Africa, FFA https://www.linkedin.com/in/alkarakiand Kenneth Harding (International Director, FFA) brainstorms and strategizes on possible advancing solutions on the use of technology for agriculture in Africa on how to create as well as deploy resources within the African Continent in partnering with the African Union (AU), Association of African Universities (AAU), Governments of Africa, NGOs and private investors,  

Regarding writing articles and publication, Ikechi’s original and initial inspiration came firstly from his biological father, his in-depth study and experience during his Ph.D. degree days at the University of Nigeria under the supervision of Prof Noble Jackson Nweze (Late) https://www.unn.edu.ng/internals/staff/viewProfile/Mjc3 and Prof Anthonia Ifeyinwa Epundu Achike https://www.unn.edu.ng/internals/staff/viewProfile/Mjc0. Ikechi was more inspired during his visit to Malaysia and Singapore where he witnessed how advanced the Malaysians are in cultivating Oil Palm Plantations and how they celebrated it as a major crop that has contributed significantly to the GDP of their economy, among other benefits. During his Malaysian trip, he was offered the opportunity by the Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering Society in collaboration with International Conference on Food and Agricultural Sciences (ICFAS) to present part of his Ph.D. research http://www.ipcbee.com/vol55/014-ICFAS2013-G2023.pdf. Furthermore, in their study, Ikechi and Ebitari Binaebi https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Binaebi-Ebitari, one of his mentees carried-out a comparative study on the agriculture sector contribution to the GDP of Malaysia and Nigeria https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-javs/papers/Vol11-issue3/Version-3/C1103031821.pdf

Ikechi has written over 60 articles, majorly of which are published in international academic proceedings and referred journals. He has featured and still features as an invited reviewer of papers journal and publishing enterprises. He is a reviewer in professional journals touching on the economics of agriculture, agribusiness management, food security, and development studies. He is a regular speaker in professional and international conferences, seminars, webinars, and meetings across Africa and outside. He features as a moderator in international conference meetings and seminars and has spoken in conferences in Nigeria, Malaysia, India, South Africa, USA, among other nations. He is a selected academia/researcher stakeholder in the Feed-the-Future initiative of the USAID Global Food Security Strategy Whole-System Workshop. Moreover, he is the recipient of the excellence award ‘Agro-Economist of the Year’ in the 2017 Conference of the Pan African Agricultural Journalists (PAAJ) at Ikeja, Lagos State. Some of his works can be seen at: https://www.foodlog.nl/afn/article/food-distribution-within-africa-harder-than-export-to-europe-and-americas/

From his experience as a diaspora expert with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) https://diaspora.iom.int/, Ikechi engaged with the staff of the Food Crops Production Technology Transfer Station (on a train-the-trainers project) at Ubiaja, Edo State (an arm of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Abuja https://fmard.gov.ng/ to carry out the following mandates of training farmers, extension workers and students on industrial attachment on how to improve their farming methods; crops production and multiplication activities; organization of farmers’ field day and agricultural shows; establishment of adaptive research and crops demonstration plots, as well as transferring knowledge in building their capacity on horticultural seedling production.

In line with the objective of the diaspora project, Ikechi recommended that the seed multiplication agenda which was initiated in the 1980s be resuscitated. He further submitted that since knowledge-sharing and building of partnerships are necessary for transformation agenda, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Science and Technology and National Seed Council should ensure that seeds and seedlings of cultivated food crops’ varieties be improved upon, as well as made available and accessible in seasons and out-of-season for food crops’ farmers especially the horticulture farmers, whose occupation are primarily farming. In other words, empowering farmers with the right and improved seed/seedlings is paramount in building farmers’ capacity, productivity and sustainability.

More so on the diaspora project, it is needful to create a food crops’ entrepreneurship factory at the station as that would drive innovativeness, creativity, as well as empower the staff, students, farmers and learners attached at the training station with the rudimentary skills and appropriate technology to be deployed in the needs and concerns of the people in tackling the joblessness, malnutrition, food insecurity thereby halving poverty to a reasonable extent. Since there is increasing demand for the diverse food crops (ranging from permanent crops to arable crops and to horticulture crops), as well as their derivatives in the region and country as a whole, it would be necessary and recommendable to create food crop-based value chains especially for Cassava, Cashew and Maize. “The Federal Government (FG) in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture should enforce that the various components of the food value-chain be empowered. Moreover, there is need for a formidable structure and succession plan by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for engaging or recruiting staff of the facility in ensuring that young graduates from tertiary institutions are taken. This aligns with the SDGs agenda that youths and women are key players in driving transformation African economies’’ according to Ikechi.

Ikechi retorts, “while I was growing up, I saw agriculture as an adventure,” says Dr. Ikechi. During his academic career, he combined agriculture with economics, which still inspires him in his work today. https://www.foodlog.nl/afn/article/growth-strategies-to-thrive-in-businesses-a-focus-on-africa/allcomments/. His professional and career vision is geared towards contributing to the ongoing transformation and developmental initiatives in rural communities and agro-systems, enhancing decision-making processes and improvement of teaching and management support tools, as well as identifying and strengthening entrepreneurial capacities and potentials of communities through extension programs in line with food and agribusiness activities, which will, to a reasonable extent halve poverty thereby ensuring food security.

HIS PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEWS (NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL)

Link: https://espacesafro.hypotheses.org/299

  • (2021). Nigeria at 61: Dr Ikechi Agbugba explains how it’s economy can attain transformation (15th October, 2021). Link: https://youtu.be/wAIU8twZj3o
  • (2021). What will it take to have food sufficiency in Nigeria – Ikechi Agbugba PhD Professor & Researcher) Agribusiness (24th August, 2021).

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TveV8vbclfg

  • (2021). Ikechi Agbugba (PhD) – Professor & Researcher, Agricultural Economics, Cavalla International University (4th August, 2021). Link: https://youtu.be/_3N84AjpDtw
  • (2021). Dr Ikechi Agbugba, a Nigerian Research in agricultural economics talks about agribusiness (25th July, 2021). Link: https://youtu.be/5B5CRoXjW00
  • (2021). We need to take agriculture seriously in Africa – The opportunities are many (20th July, 2021). Link: https://youtu.be/WlfC3ZBhf5M
  • Dr Agbugba, Ikechi (2021). International Speaker on ‘’Global Food Security,’’ Organised by Community of Global Leaders (CGL) (Sunday, April 11th). Invitation Link: https://cgloballeaders.org/
  • Dr Agbugba, Ikechi (2021). Panelist on: ‘’African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA): Understanding the Benefits and Impact on African Trade, from my perspective as an expert in African agriculture,’’ Organised by International Business Delegation/ Qatar-Africa Business Forum (Wednesday, April, 7th).
  • Dr Agbugba, Ikechi (2021).Guest Speaker on: ‘’Entrepreneurship: A Catalyst for Job Creation,’’ Organised by Know my Generation, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Sunday, April 4th).
  • Dr Agbugba, Ikechi (2021).’Guest Speaker on: ’Nigeria’s Rising Food Inflation amid Easter Celebration,” Moneyline Programme, Africa Independent Television (AIT). Abuja, Nigeria, Available Online: https://youtu.be/47k0CuFN3Cw (Wednesday, March 31st)
  • Dr Agbugba, Ikechi (2021). Speaker on ‘’Growth Strategies to Strive in Business,’’ Organized by Texila American University, Zambia.

Available Online https://business.facebook.com/pg/tau.zambia/posts/?ref=page_internal

https://business.facebook.com/tau.zambia/ (Wednesday March 24th).

  • Dr Agbugba, Ikechi (2021). Speaker on Approaches and Infrastructure needed for Trade in Africa: Focus on Ex6portation of Tropical Crops. A Webinar on ‘’How to Unlock Africa’s Agriculture Potential,’’ Organized by Digital Foods, The Netherlands. Available Online: https://www.foodlog.nl/afn/article/africa-bananas-code/ (Tuesday, March 16th)
  • Dr Agbugba, Ikechi (2020). Speaker on: Drones Applications for African Agriculture, A Webinar; Organized by AgriFoodNetworks & African Farmer Stories.

Available Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS-NAjALjvs (Friday,

December 18th)

  • Dr Agbugba, Ikechi (2020). Creating Employment through Agriculture during and after COVID-19; Conversation on the Potential of Agriculture in Solving Unemployment/.

Available Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMCGP9gfWMs (Saturday, December 12th).

  • Dr Agbugba, Ikechi K. (2020). Food Security in Africa during & after COVID-19 Pandemic), Webinar Conference by ABiQ.io –The Authority of Trusted & Credible Business Intelligence in Africa; Available online: https://youtu.be/XKtsz68La24 (Wednesday June 24).

SOME OF HIS ONLINE/MAGAZINE PUBLICATIONS/BLOGS

  • Dr Agbugba, Ikechi (2021). Manual Harvesting, Infrastructural Deficits, Others aiding Africa’s 100m MT Food Losses – Stakeholders (Daily Independent Newspaper).

Available at: https://www.independent.ng/manual-harvesting-infrastrutural-deficits-othres-aiding-africas-100m-mt-food-losses-stakeholders

  • Dr. Agbugba, Ikechi (2020). Dr Ikechi Agbugba: ‘Africa needs to develop both its agriculture and food processing industry,’ Agriculture, AfricansMediaCenter

Available:https://africansmediacenter.com/dr-ikechi-agbugba-africa-needs-to-develop-both-its-agriculture-and-food-processing-industry/amp

SOME PHOTOS OF IKECHI’s APPEARANCES

                       


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