Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna (Nee Adimora): Biography, Wiki, Birth And Family

Prof. Chinyere Stella OKUNNA (Nee Adimora) Biography, Wiki, Birth And Family: Prof. Chinyere Stella OKUNNA (Nee Adimora) is a Professor of Mass Communication at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria where she has been teaching Mass Communication since 1994. She is the First Female Professor of Mass Communication in Nigeria.

BIRTH NAME: Chinyere Stella Adimora

MARITAL NAME: Chinyere Stella Okunna

BIRTH MONTH: November 6

STATE OF ORIGIN: Anambra State

NATIONALITY: Nigerian

MARITAL STATUS: Married

Prof Okunna was educated both in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, obtaining a BA from University of Nigeria; an MA from Centre for Mass Communication Research, University of Leicester, England; and a PhD from University of Lagos (the first person to obtain a PhD in Mass Communication from that university or any other Nigerian university).

• Immediate-past Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (November 2016-March 2019):

  First Female Dean of the Faculty in its long history)

• Director, UNIZIK 94.1 FM Campus/Community Radio (2014-Date)

• Associate Director (Marketing and Communication), UNIZIK Business School (2016-Date)

• Former Head of the Department of Mass Communication (2014-2017) – a position she had

  earlier occupied for 8 consecutive years (1998-2006) during which all the post-graduate programmes of

  the Department of Mass Communication were commenced: PGD, MSc and PhD, in addition to the

  Pre-Degree Diploma Programme.

• Former Sub-Dean, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (1996-1998).

• Prof Okunna’s Area of Specialization is Development Communication (Behaviour Change Communication) and she has served and continues to serve as Behaviour Change Communication Consultant to numerous national and international organizations.

For 8 consecutive years (2006-2014), Prof Okunna was on Leave of Absence in Anambra State Government (during the Administration of His Excellency Mr Peter Obi as Governor) where she served in various capacities including:

• Chief of Staff

• Honourable Commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget

• Honourable Commissioner for Information & Culture

• Coordinating Commissioner for Development Partnership/Donor Agencies Activities in Anambra State

• Chair, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Implementation Committee

• Chair, Anambra State Committee on Good Governance

• Chair, Anambra State Vision 20-20

• Etc.

Prof Okunna is a member of several professional associations including:

• Fellow, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE)

•  Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR)

•  Member, International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR)

•  Member, World Association for Christian Communication (WACC)

• Member, African Council for Communication Education (ACCE)

•  Member of Board of Trustees, Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN)

•  Etc.

In terms of Academic Leadership, Prof Okunna has been:

• Assessor for many academics aspiring to the positions of Professor and Reader (Associate Professor)

  in Mass  Communication in various universities

• Member of NUC Accreditation Panels to Mass Communication Programmes in many universities across the nation

• External Examiner for many universities for undergraduate and post-graduate students

• Post-graduate Supervisor

• She sits on the Editorial Boards of many national and international Mass Communication Journals and

  other communication-related publications

• She has coordinated a number of national and international research projects.

• Her Creative Output covers a wide variety of scholarly works published over the years as Articles in national

  and international peer-reviewed Journals of Communication, Books (sole-author, co-authored, and edited),

  Book Chapters, Monograph/Occasional Publications, Conference/Workshop Papers and similar works

• Professor Okunna is widely travelled and has spoken at numerous conferences, seminars, workshops and

  similar events in Nigeria and in various parts of the world.

Prof. Okunna has served and continues to serve as Consultant and Resource Person for several national and international organizations including UNICEF, UNFPA, UNESCO, DFID/UKAid, FHI (Family Health International), SFH (Society for Family Health), the EU, NUJ (Nigeria Union of Journalists), NAWOJ (National Association of Women Journalists), NPC (National Population Commission), NGE (Nigerian Guild of Editors), CIRDDOC (Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre), INEC/The Electoral Institute, NDI (National Democratic Institute), International Press Centre etc.

Prof. Okunna’s philanthropic activities have positively touched the lives of members of her various ‘constituencies’ in various ways:

• Her Adimora-Okunna Scholarship Foundation has since 2003 paid for the education of a good number of

  bright secondary school students in the two secondary schools in her home community (Ukpo in Dunukofia

  Local Government of Anambra State) and for indigent Ukpo undergraduate students at Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

• To commemorate the 10th anniversary of this Scholarship Foundation in 2013, Prof Okunna endowed a

  story building housing classrooms and an examination hall at Walter Eze Memorial Secondary School Ukpo.

• At Nnamdi Azikiwe University, she also endowed the “Professor Chinyere Stella Okunna Legacy Building” –

  a stand-alone bungalow housing the studios and facilities of UNIZIK 94.1FM Campus/Community Radio.

• An annual cash prize of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000), known as “The Professor Chinyere Stella Okunna Prize

  for the Best Graduating Student of Mass Communication” has equally been endowed by Prof. Okunna for

  her department at Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

• She has similarly endowed another annual cash prize of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) for the best

  graduating student of her Faculty – known as “The Professor Chinyere Stella Okunna Prize for the Best

  Graduating Student of the Faculty of Social Sciences”.

• Beyond academics, a Professional cash Prize of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) has also been endowed by her

  for Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Anambra State Council, to be awarded annually to the “Best

  Ethically Professional Journalist”.

Prof. Okunna’s research interests are vast and include, in particular:

• Gender and Ethical Issues in Mass Communication.

• She also has a deep interest in mentoring young people (particularly young women) in the areas of Academics, Politics and ‘Survival Strategies’ generally.

• Her hobbies include Reading, ‘Navigating’ the Internet, Traveling, and Listening to music.

Appreciation and Recognition have come Prof Chinyere Stella Okunna’s way in the form of a wide variety of awards from professional, academic, social, religious, cultural and other groups and institutions, as exemplified by a Chieftaincy Title of Kpakpando (Star) from the Igwe-in-Council of her home community Ukpo in 2003.

Celebrated Name : Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna

Birth Month: November 6

Gender: Female

Profession: Lecturer

Nationality: Nigerian

Place of Birth: Uga, Aguata LGA, Anambra State, Nigeria

Ethnicity: Igbo

Religion: Christianity

Marital Status: Married

Title: Professor