Prof. Nkiru Theresa Meludu is the Dean Faculty of Agriculture, former Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension now Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University. She is a Distinguished Professor of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development (Food and Nutrition Security). She obtained her Professorship from the University of Ibadan in 2010. She obtained Master’s and Ph.D degrees in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development at the University of Ibadan and a Bachelor’s degree in 1990 in Home Economics from Bendel State University Abraka. Her areas of specialization include Food and Nutrition Security, Agricultural Extension/Advisory Services/Community Development, Home Economics, Gender, Ecological Organic Agriculture, and climate change. She served as a consultant to both national and international Universities, and also a member of both national and international associations. to mention but a few: AESON, RUSAN, NOAN, IFOAM, ISOFAR, IFHE, HECON, HERAN, SHEN, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, RUSAN, NIFAAS, AFRAAS, GIFRAAS, Apiculture Society of Nigeria. She undertook a post-doctoral fellowship in Japan from 1998 to 2000 at the National Institute of Agricultural Research, Tsukuba, sponsored by the Japanese International Science and Technology Exchange Centre. She had the scholarship to participate in certificate courses on Food and Nutrition Security/HIVAIDs at Wageningen University Netherlands (Netherland Fellowship Program- NFP) in 2013; Orange Knowledge Fellowship (OKF), March 2019 on Governance and Food Safety in International Food Chains in Wageningen University Netherlands. She won the University of Ibadan Senate Research Grant for individual 2005 and inter-faculty research for two consecutive times on sweet potato value addition 2005, 2006, Co-investigator tetfund grant 2015, Investigator on HIV/AIDs sponsored by ARPAN- Winrock International USA 2004, also received Idachaba Foundation for Research and Scholarship grant 2006. Prof Meludu joined the Association of Organic Agricultural Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN) in 2010. She is serving in Exco for more than five years as an Editor of the association magazine- producing about 10 issues. Introduced organic agriculture to many secondary schools in Ibadan Oyo state and Anambra state- teaching them the principles and standards of organic agriculture. She also introduces the association to Anambra state and joined in the establishment of the Chapter. She established Youth Organic Summer School in Ibadan where the famous organic Anthem was composed. “Organic is life”. She facilitated the hosting of the 2nd NOABS in 2017 at Awka. She is the Vice Chairperson of the National Stirring Committee of the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative-Nigeria. She is the Project Coordinator for Healthy Foods for Consumers Initiative that consulted for International Research on Ecological Organic Agriculture for Africa (2012, 2014 -2018) Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) and SIDA. Where the CBO and Extension Agents were trained in all the LGAs in Oyo state. She facilitated the establishment of “Farmers and Consumers Forum” a Radio programme for the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension which is currently running on Unizik FM 94.1 since 2016 to date. A consultant /facilitator for IFAD Value Chain Development Programm (VCDP) Nutrition Intervention (Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture) sensitization of Extension Agents, VCDP Staff and Farmers in Anambra State August 2018, 2019 and November 2020 and 2021. Nnamdi Azikiwe University contact person for RUFORUM since 2019 and also, a consultant to NUON, NUC, Tetfund and several universities. She has attended conferences and scientific meetings in USA, Germany, Switzerland, Korea, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Mali, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Australia, and Turkey just to mention a few. She has over 98 peer-reviewed articles to her credit. She is married to Prof S.C. Meludu and blessed with lovely children and grandchildren.

Food And Nutrition Security And Agricultural Extension