Ikechi Agbugba

Dr. Agbugba earned BSc, MSc & PhD degrees in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nigeria and specialized in Agricultural Marketing & Agribusiness. He is currently a Lecturer & Researcher in the Dept of Agric & Applied Economics at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He gained Post-doctoral Research experience at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa under the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Collaboration Centre for Research on Smallholder Development in the Dept. of Agric. Econ & Extension, Faculty of Science & Agriculture. As a Field Research Officer, he has also gained experience with a World Bank-Assisted Project by name: Micro, Small & Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) Project, & Business Development Office at Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. He is a reputable university and academic don, researcher, consultant, as well as laureate with over 40 articles, majority of which are published in international academic proceedings & journals. He was formerly Senior Research Fellow and has been recently promoted to the position of Director, Research & Development/International Coordinator of Africa Agriculture Agenda (AAA). Furthermore, he has featured as conference moderator/speakers in international conferences relating to food & agricultural sciences in Malaysia, India, South Africa & the USA. As a youth leader and mentor, he holds positions as Senior Advisor & Adm Board Member for Assoc of African Future Leaders (AAFL) and the Advisor/Director for Agric Sector Dev of Canada Africa Network. His professional and career vision is geared towards contributing to the on-going transformational and developmental initiatives in rural communities, analysis of agricultural systems, natural resource decision-making, and development of teaching and management support tools, as well as identifying and strengthening the capacities and potentials of the rural communities through extension programmes, so as to plan, and implement innovative initiatives.