BIODATA OF PROFESSOR JOSEPH UYANGA

Professor Joseph Uyanga was born on 5th October, 1950 at Ediene in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

 

He completed his primary school education at Ediene in 1962 and the, post primary education at the then Government College, Uyo in 1968. He was admitted into the University of Ibadan, Faculty of Social Sciences in 1969 from where he graduated with a Second Class Upper Division in 1971. As the best graduating student in his class, Professor Joseph Uyanga was retained as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Geography. However, he won the Commonwealth Scholarship and proceeded to the Flinders University of South Australia in 1972 where he got his Ph. D in Urban and Regional Planning in 1975.

 

He returned to the Masters of Planning Science Programme in the Department of Geography, University of Ibadan as Lecturer 11, later transferred to the University of Calabar, spent short period at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt and the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna as Associate Professor before taking up a chair at the Federal University of Techology, Yola in 1990.

 

His qualifications include the General Certificate of Education; Ordinary and Advance Levels, the B.Sc (Ibadan) 1971, Ph.D. (Flinders) 1975, and the Certificate in Computer Science from the United Nations Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana 1988.

 

Professor Joseph Uyanga has received the following honours and distinctions, "University Scholar" - University of Ibadan Scholarship and Honour for the best undergraduate student, Faculty of Social Sciences 1969, Commonwealth Scholarship at the Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide 1972 - 1975. He was profiled in Margius Who's Who in the World, United States in 2002.

 

He had served as External Examiner to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Jos, University of Benin and the University of Uyo. Professor Uyanga has served as Professorial Assessor to the University of Uyo, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, University of Jos,and Bayero University, Kano. He is the Editorial Consultant to the following International Journals, Indonesian Journal of Tropical Geography, Singapore, Journal of Scientific and Scholarly Research Langston University, Oklahoma, He is the Consulting Editor of the Contemporary Who's Who of the American Biographical Institute.

 

Professor Joseph Uyanga has a rich administrative experience. After his Ph.D. in Flinders Australia in 1975, specializing in the Environmental Management in Urban and Regional Planning, he joined the staff of the Department of Geography of the University of Ibadan as a Lecturer 11 in 1976; after serving in that University's Masters of Planning Science Programme for two years, left for the University of Calabar, Nigeria. He was appointed the Chairman of the Cross River State Manpower Development Board in 1977. During this period he also served as a Rural Development Consultant to Ikono Local Government.

 

He had a short stay at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt and the Nigerian Defence Academy as Head of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Geography respectively. He transferred to the Federal University of Technology, Yola where he was elected the Dean of the School of Environmental Sciences and later Head of Department of Urban and Regional Planning. He spent his Sabbatical Leave at Moi University, Kenya where he was appointed as the Co-ordinator of the Division of Environmental Planning and Management between 1999 and 2000. He has also served at the Federal University of Technology, Yola as Chairman of several investigation panels, Chairman Committee on Professional Conferences and Seminars, Member of Senate, Member of Staff Appraisal Committee, Member of University Governing Council, Member Academic Planning Committee, Member Committee of Deans, Chairman Staff School Management Board, Member Appointments and Promotions Committee, Member University Tenders Board, Member School Management Committee and Member University Board of Research and Dean School of Postgraduate Studies.

 

Outside the University, Professor Uyanga was a Member Committee on National Urban Development Policy for Nigeria. He is currently a Member Committee for the Establishment of Akwa Ibom State University, Member "Nigerian Project" Committee Gateway Bank, Lagos, Member Council of Chiefs Akwa Ibom State Cultural Association, Adamawa State and Member Church Council, St. Vincent's Chaplaincy, Federal University of Technology, Yola. Professor Joseph Uyanga belongs to several learned and professional bodies; Member, Australian Geographical Association; Member, Nigerian Geographical Association; Member, Population Reference Bureau, USA; Member, Rivers State Association of Planners; Member, African Studies Association USA; Member, Royal Australian Planning Institute; Member, African Association of Social Science and Medicine; Member, International Union for Scientific Study for Population; Member, Population Association of Nigeria; Member, Nigerian Environmental Society and Member, Nigerian Institute of Management.

 

Professor Joseph Uyanga has traveled very widely in Africa, USA, Europe, Australia and Asia where he had visited the following countries on official and academic assignment; The United State of America (Baltimore, Altanta, Kansas New York and Washington DC), Germany, United Kingdom, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Botswana, Egypt, Sudan and Singapore. An internationally renowned researcher, he has carried out several internationally funded research projects by the Canadian International Development Research Council, The Rockefeller Foundation, the Mazingira Institute, The National Geographical Association of Washington, The United Nations Fund for Population Activities and The Union for African Population Studies.

 

An astute teacher and prolific writer, Professor Joseph Uyanga has over one dozen Masters and Ph.D students under his supervision. He has published six books, fifteen chapters in books, forty-two articles in local and international journals and thirty-three conference papers.

 

Professor Uyanga is married and has four children.

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