Kingsley Kuku (born 14 February 1970) is a Nigerian political and environmental rights activist, a former special adviser to ex-President

Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to former military head of state General Muhammadu Buhari and ...

of Nigeria on Niger Delta Affairs and the chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. During his university days, he was a student activist and leader and at one time National Association of Nigerian Students mobilization officer. He joined the campaign for the return of

democratic government Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

to Nigeria. He has remained a pioneer in the development and restoration of lasting peace in the

Niger Delta The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitic ...

region of Nigeria. Kingsley Kuku after his involvement with the

Ijaw Ijaw may refer to: *Ijaw people The Ijaw people, also known as the Izon people, are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, with primary Population, population clusters in Bayelsa State, Bayelsa, Delta State, Delta, and River ...

youths, contested and was elected as member of

Ondo State Ondo () is a States of Nigeria, state in Points of the compass, southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State (Nigeria), Western State. Ondo borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast fo ...

House of Assembly and thereafter became the chairman of the house committee for a period of four years. He was appointed as a special adviser to the former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. In that same year he was a guest speaker at

Chatham House The Royal Institute of International Affairs, also known as Chatham House, is a British think tank based in London, England. Its stated mission is "to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world". It ...

, an institute for international affairs, where he delivered a paper. He received several honorary awards in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, Georgia, in the United States.

Early life and education

Kuku was born into a Christian family in Arogbo, Ondo State, the traditional headquarters of the

ethnic nationality in Ondo State. He was born on 14 February 1970. He had his primary and secondary education between 1977 and 1988 in Arogbo. He then graduated with a bachelor's degree in English Language at Ondo State University,

Akure Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria. It is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Ondo State. The city had a population of 403,000 as of the 2006 population census. Its current population is estimated at 774,000. He attended Patrick Catholic Primary School, Arogbo, Ondo State (1977–1983), Nigeria. He had his secondary education at Ijaw National High School, Arogbo,

(1983–1988). He obtained a Bachelor of Education degree in English language at the

Ondo State University Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) is a public university owned and operated by the government of Ondo State, Nigeria. The university is located in Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. History Adekunle Ajasin University was esta ...

, Ado Ekiti, now

Ekiti State University Ekiti State University Ado Ekiti is a state government owned and operated Nigerian university, located in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. It was established as Obafemi Awolowo University, Ado-Ekiti on 30 March 1982 by the administration of Chi ...

in 1995; and MSc in international relations and strategic studies at

Igbinedion University Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO) is a privately owned university located in Okada, the headquarters of Ovia North-East Local Government Area in Edo State, Nigeria. Established on 10 May 1999 by Sir Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion CFR, IUO holds ...

, Okada

Edo State Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

(2011–2012), Nigeria. He also had a stint at

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

where he got a certificate in dispute resolution in 2008. In recognition of his role in the advancement of Nigeria's fledgling democracy, Kuku was conferred with an honorary Doctorate in

Political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

in November 2013 by Igbinedion University, Okada Edo State, Nigeria. Hon. Kingsley Kemebradigha Kuku is a Senior Stat. Law Student of

UCLAN The University of Lancashire (previously abbreviated UCLan) is a public university based in the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. It has its roots in ''The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge'', founded in 1828. Previously k ...

, England, United Kingdom. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Selinus University of Sciences and Literature in international relations (peace studies) and an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from the

Harvard Kennedy School of Government The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), is the school of public policy of Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard Kennedy School offers master's de ...

Activism

He embraced activism early in his university days as one of the socio-politically conscious young Nigerian students who were agitated about the then military rule and dictatorship in Nigeria. He was a student leader and one time national mobilization officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who was active in the campaign and struggle for the

demilitarization Demilitarisation or demilitarization may mean the reduction of state armed forces; it is the opposite of militarisation in many respects. For instance, the demilitarisation of Northern Ireland entailed the reduction of British security and milita ...

of the Nigerian society and absolute return of democratic governance to Nigeria. His experience in the leadership of the apex students' body in Nigeria set a platform for him to be at the

vanguard The vanguard (sometimes abbreviated to van and also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. ...

of many organisations that were set out to tackle injustice and

maladministration Maladministration is the actions of a government body which can be seen as causing an injustice. The law in the United Kingdom says Ombudsmen must investigate maladministration. The definition of maladministration is wide and can include: *Del ...

within the Nigerian socio-political structure. He was a pioneer member of

Ijaw Youth Council The Ijaw Youth Council founded on the is a sociopolitical organization in Nigeria, representing the interest of the Ijaw people, the fourth largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. The Ijaw Youth Council was founded in Kaiama, Bayelsa State on the 1 ...

(IYC), a notable ethnic rights group in Nigeria; and was the second spokesman of the council. He was signatory to the historical

Kaiama Declaration The Kaiama Declaration was issued by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) of Nigeria on 11 December 1998 to attribute the political crisis in Nigeria to the struggle for the control of oil mineral resources, while asserting that the degradation of the ...

. Kingsley Kuku has remained a voice and an active

stakeholder Stakeholder may refer to: *Stakeholder (corporate), a group, corporate, organization, member, or system that affects or can be affected by an organization's actions *Project stakeholder, a person, group, or organization with an interest in a proje ...

for the development and restoration of lasting peace in the oil-rich

region of Nigeria. Kuku with ex-agitators

Politics

After his involvement in the Ijaw Youth Council, Kuku contested and was elected as a Member of the Ondo State House of Assembly and became Chairman of the House Committee on Information for four years. He was at various times Special Assistant and Head of Conflict Management Unit at the

Niger Delta Development Commission The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is a federal government agency established by former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000, with the sole mandate of developing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. In Septemb ...

(NDDC); a Member of the Presidential Committee on Amnesty; and Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Niger Delta. In January 2011, he was appointed Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, on the Niger Delta and chairman Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme. President Jonathan reappointed him into the same position in July 2011 after the general elections in 2011. As the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for ex-agitators in the oil-bearing communities in the Niger Delta, Kuku oversaw the

disarmament Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing Weapon, weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, ...

and

demobilization Demobilization or demobilisation (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or becaus ...

of 30,000 ex-agitators and he is superintending the skilling and reintegration of these youths into civil society. The ongoing reintegration component of the Amnesty Programme, which is geared towards building capacity in the deprived Niger Delta youths that are enrolled in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, has so far attained considerable measure of its set objectives. Kuku exerts full management and administrative authority within the limits of the established budget, standing about N60 billion naira in 2012 (about US$350 million), and government operating policies; and delegates various functions to several departmental heads in a structured organisation. On the third anniversary of the Amnesty Programme in 2012, Kuku confirmed at a press briefing that the peace being restored to the

region, through the coordination of the Amnesty Programme, has significantly increased the production capacity of oil operators in the Niger Delta region and saved Nigeria amount running in billions of Dollars in oil revenue within just three years.

Remaking the Niger Delta: Challenges & Opportunities

Not a few

activists Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...

, political Pundits and experts on international development had raised concerns on the

insurgency An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare against a larger authority. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric warfare, asymmetric nature: small irregular forces ...

in the Niger Delta region particularly at the height of the tension between 2004 and 2008. The concerns, which were based on the implications of the unrest in the region on the overall revenue of the

Federal Republic of Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

of which over 80% of the nation's revenue is drawn from the proceeds of the oil activities that run in the Niger Delta, were brought to the front burner of national

discourse Discourse is a generalization of the notion of a conversation to any form of communication. Discourse is a major topic in social theory, with work spanning fields such as sociology, anthropology, continental philosophy, and discourse analysis. F ...

for government and its security agencies to rise up against the challenges of Assaults targeted not just at the economic soul of Nigeria but at peace and security of the nation; and at the efforts of the Nigerian government in sustaining its foreign policy drive. Like other patriots and stakeholders in the development of the Niger Delta, Kuku has made postulations for change and demonstration actions towards the growth of the region and advancement of Nigeria being part of the several interventionist strategies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission, Amnesty Programme (headed by Kingsley Kuku), Ministry of Niger Delta and other initiatives that are set out to bring an end to the crisis in the Nigerian oil-producing states, ensure lasting peace and nurture the country's economy for better. Kuku, who said in one of his media chats that, "in May 2009, before the amnesty proclamation, production output had dipped to 680,000 barrels of per day, from 2.2 million barrels per day. Due to the

amnesty Amnesty () is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of people who are subject to trial but have not yet be ...

programme, the nation’s crude oil production today stands at about 2.7 million

Barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden stave (wood), staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers ...

s per day and the target of 4.5 million barrels per day is plausible, if amnesty gains are sustained," also warned in his book -''Remaking the Niger Delta: Challenges and Opportunities'' – that the oil companies and other stakeholders cannot continue with business as usual while he and other concerned citizens continue to make strenuous attempts to re-orient and reintegrate former agitators. He emphasized that the historical Grievances that gave rise to

militancy The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Lat ...

and

ought to be addressed as Nigeria owes it to the present and future generations to put

environmental remediation Environmental remediation is the cleanup of hazardous substances dealing with the removal, treatment and containment of pollution or contaminants from Natural environment, environmental media such as soil, groundwater, sediment. Remediation may be ...

on the

agenda Agenda (: agendum) may refer to: Information management * Agenda (meeting), points to be discussed and acted upon, displayed as a list * Political agenda, the set of goals of an ideological group * Lotus Agenda, a DOS-based personal informatio ...

while ensuring that adequate

Corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsibility (CSR) or corporate social impact is a form of international private business industry self-regulation, self-regulation which aims to contribute to societal goals of a philanthropy, philanthropic, activist, or chari ...

commitment is extracted from the multinational oil companies that are operating in the Niger Delta communities towards meaningful development within their immediate operational base in Nigeria for peace and security to reign supreme in the country. In similar form Kuku made a pronouncement which was reported by many newspapers in Nigeria in which he described the prevailing peace in Nigeria as "fragile" and admonished that the peace in the region may relapse to another brand of restiveness, unless relevant developmental agencies intensify efforts to change the face of the nation's oil rich belt. One of the significant features of the Kuku-led amnesty programme is its impact on the lives of the ex-militants many of whom have now been transformed into better citizens who are not only concerned about personal upliftment but the progress and development of the society as a whole. This much is reflected in the present preoccupation of many of the ex-agitators. For instance, a leader of the ex militants in

established a skill acquisition centre in the State for the purpose of training youths across the country in various skills that will make them fit for employment, particularly by the various oil companies in the country. Similarly, in the wake of a terrible flood that ravaged many communities in Nigeria, including some part of the Niger Delta, some of the ex-militants contributed funds and relief materials to support and improve the lot of the people that were affected by the flood.

International engagements / recognition

Since the tension characterized by armed violence and unrest within the Niger Delta in the time past was not limited to Nigeria and Nigerians alone, many foreign countries and their nationals had cautioned about the potentially dangerous end of the disorder that was engulfing the oil-rich Niger Delta region which is one of the major suppliers of crude oil to the international market. The situation, which chillingly gripped the attention of the international community that is consistently suing for peace and security around the world and promoting increase in international trade among the developed and the developing countries, had given impetus for notable Western nations such as the United Kingdom to provide some form of interventions in addressing the challenges of insecurity and violence in the Niger Delta region to protect Nigeria's economic lifeline and prevent escalation of crises across the country and within the West African sub-region. Among the strategies, offered Nigeria as support, in stemming the disturbance and uprising from the Niger Delta agitators was the establishment of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Niger Delta by the

British Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...

with the members of the group drawn from members of parliament (MP) across party lines. In recognizing the ideas initially suggested by different foreign nations and international organisations in working against total collapse of law and order in Niger Delta, Kuku moved further to reach out to other strategic foreign partners and entities, through diplomacy, for technical support in achieving his mandate of office as the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and the Special Adviser on Niger-Delta to the Nigerian President,

. In 2011, Kuku was a guest speaker at an internationally renowned institute for international affairs,

London where he delivered a paper titled, ''Amnesty in the Niger Delta: Sustaining Peace and Surmounting Challenges''. The occasion was an important climate for Kuku to share the progress and challenges of his responsibilities in the Nigerian government with the international community with the view to having more committed and supportive hands on board towards alleviating the problems of the Niger-Delta. Similarly, in 2013 Kuku was invited by the programme managers of the

Wilson Center The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS) or Wilson Center is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank dedicated to research and policy discussions on global issues. Established by an act of Congress in 1968, it serves as both ...

in the United States. At the Wilson Center, Kuku spoke on a topic – ''A Briefing on the Niger Delta: Where Things Stand'' – in which he narrated the struggles of himself and his team at the Amnesty Office in reversing the tide of calamity in the Niger Delta to the point it is now. After the event, the Wilson Center published the outcome of the discussion with an opening quotation that reads – "It is critical to discuss what the Niger Delta is now, not what it was." – The Honorable Kingsley Kuku", in accentuating the opportunities and promise of the new Niger Delta as enunciated by Kuku at the Wilson Center. In what could be regarded as a smart

diplomatic Diplomatics (in American English, and in most anglophone countries), or diplomatic (in British English), is a scholarly discipline centred on the critical analysis of documents, especially historical documents. It focuses on the conventions, pr ...

move, Kuku made the list of some notable personalities around the world who attended a special dinner for President Obama

inauguration In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inau ...

in US. Kuku was seen in some exclusive photographs with

President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. Ob ...

and his wife,

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

and Vice President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

and his wife, Tracy as well as with other important personalities in international politics and development. In early April 2015, Kuku was selection as one of the recipients of the

Honorary citizenship Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honor usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

of the State of Georgia in the United States by the

Georgia Legislative Black Caucus The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus is the caucus of African-American members of the Georgia General Assembly. It was established in 1975, and is currently the largest caucus of black state legislators in the country in terms of members. Members ha ...

(GLBC). And according to a report by a major Nigerian newspaper on the notification of the award to Kuku by the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, "The Commendation and honour from the

State of Georgia Georgia is a state in the Southeastern United States. It borders Tennessee and North Carolina to the north, South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Florida to the south, and Alabama to the west. Of the 50 U.S. states, Georgia i ...

is in recognition of your (Kuku's) unrivalled contribution to Nigeria’s socioeconomic growth and development, leading the Presidential Amnesty Program transparently and undertaken monumental projects that have contributed immensely towards reforming the ex-agitators and contributing manpower to the Oil & Gas, aviation, logistics and other services industry in Nigeria and Africa at large". At the Commendation & Award ceremony, which was held on 9 May 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia USA, Kuku delivered an acceptance speech and dedicated the honour to President

of Nigeria who Kuku described as the man "who accorded me an opportunity to unravel, nurture and deploy my talents creditably to the service and advancement of Nigeria".

Personal life

Kuku enjoys writing and studying. In addition, he upholds values and family relationships as he's happily married to his wife, Mrs. Nnamani-Kuku.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuku, Kingsley Living people 1970 births Ekiti State University alumni Igbinedion University alumni Nigerian politicians