Chuckwu-Emeka Chikezie, Executive Director, Afford

Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie is the Executive Director of the African Foundation for Development (AFFORD). AFFORD's mission is to expand and enhance the contribution that Africans in the diaspora make to Africa's development.

Before leaving the private sector to work full-time for AFFORD, Chukwu-Emeka worked as a senior industry analyst for a US-based international research and consulting firm helping clients design strategies, using tools such as scenario planning, to harness the benefits of the commercialization of advanced technologies and understand their social implications. Previously he lectured in media studies at a London university; helped establish an international institute for telecoms regulators at another London university; worked as a freelance journalist; and as an IT systems analyst. He served as adviser on the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa 's Technical Advisory Committee.

Research and active interests revolve around maximizing the African diaspora's contributions to Africa's development (see http://www.afford-uk.org/); leadership and bottom-up enterprise development; inter-relations between ICTs and Africa's development, extending access to the internet in Africa, and strategic use of ICTs to link Africa & the diaspora. Another interest is pan-Africanism for the 21st century and the role of the African diaspora. He contributes articles and opinion pieces for a number of print and online publications. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce.

Chukwu-Emeka is of dual Nigerian and Sierra Leonean heritage with family ties also to Equatorial Guinea and has spent many years of his life in the diaspora.