Ezekwesili

Former Vice President of the World Bank for Africa and leading voice on the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign, Dr. Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili was conferred with a honorary degree from the University of Essex, England, United Kingdom on Tuesday 12, July 2016.

The former Minister of Education was honoured for her work in promoting transparency and accountability in government and lending a voice to the importance of the office of the citizen in a country like Nigeria.

“This is a humbling experience. I consider this so inspiring, and I appreciate the hard work that the University of Essex has done so far, especially being one of the top universities in the world. My values match those of the university,” said Oby Ezekwesili while addressing Essex Business School graduates at the ceremony.

Professor Neil Kellard, Head of the Finance Group at Essex Business School, paid tribute to Oby saying: “We celebrate today a woman who pushes political and ideological boundaries for education and equality. We celebrate today a woman who challenges corruption and encourages transparency.”

Ezekwesili is a staunch advocate for active citizenship and a leading voice in sensitizing the government on the plight of the abducted Chibok girls.

Oby Ezekwesili, as she is fondly called, was at different times Minister of Minerals and Minister of Education under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s 2nd term.

She is a past Vice-President of the World Bank where she delivered economic policy advisory, worth over $40Billion in finance and as well as convening partnerships for 46 African countries in support of their economic and social development programs.

She is reputed to be the first woman selected for the National Honour of Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2006.

She is currently a Senior Economic Advisor with the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative (AEDPI) where she advises Presidents of African countries and their cabinets on economic development strategy, policies and implementation.

Ezekwesili is also co-founder of Transparency international, the global anti-corruption NGO.

A leading voice in the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, she is a sought after speaker at international conferences and an advocate for good governance.