Ajaero, Chukwuedozie
Chukwuedozie Kelechukwu Ajaero holds a PhD in Population Geography, which was funded by the International Foundation for Science (IFS) Stockholm, Sweden after which he carried out a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. He is a Professor of Demography and Population Studies, a former Director of Research and Capacity Building, and the pioneer Deputy Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). An Associate Researcher with the Demography and Population Studies Programme of the University of the Witwatersrand, Prof Ajaero is also a Research Fellow at Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre (REPRC), University of Nigeria which is part of the Environment for Development (EfD) Global Consortium of Gothenburg University, Sweden. He is a member of the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the Nigerian Migration Governance Team, and a Training, Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant for the 2023 Population and Housing Census of the National Population Commission of Nigeria. Chukwuedozie have been a socioeconomic impact assessment consultant for developmental projects in Nigeria and have also served as a training, research, and project implementation consultant for UNICEF, UNESCO, UNDP, IOM, and the FORD Foundation. Prof. Ajaero has served as a Visiting Scholar/Professor to Universities in South Africa, France, Germany, and United States of America, even as he is recipient of the ERAMUS Mobility fellowship in 2023 and was an Alexander von Humboldt Experienced Research Fellow at Bielefeld University, Germany (2023-2025).
Research Interests
Professor Ajaero’s research interests span various areas of population and environmental studies such as climate change and food security, migration, public health, livelihoods, social impact assessment and quality of life.
Mentoring (PhD students and masters)
Professor Chukwuedozie Ajaero has supervised and graduated 6 Ph.D students and 7 MSc students and over 20 undergraduate students. He currently supervises 2 MSc students and 5 PhD students. He has participated in committees of over 30 theses, including 18 PhDs in Demography and Population Geography, Climate Change, and Environmental Management, and other areas of Geography. He has also mentored, trained, and guided many early career lecturers as well as graduate students, not directly assigned to him.
Grants and consultancy
Some Grants for On-going and Previous Projects
1. International Climate Initiative (IKI) on behalf of the German Federal Foreign Office-funded Grant on GeoClimRisk Project –The Geopolitics of Climate Change-Linked Risks & Transformations (2024-2026).
2. European Research Agency (REA) of the European Union-funded Grant on GAPs De-centering the Study of Migrant Returns and Readmission Policies in Europe and Beyond (2022-2026).
3. Department for International Development (DFID), UK-funded Grant on CHoRUS- Community-led Responsive and Effective Urban Health Systems (2020-2026).
4. Institut national d'études démographiques (INED), Paris, France- funded Grant on Interrogating the environmental and social correlates of health risk behaviours in West Africa (2024).
5. Environment for Development (EfD) Initiative Sweden-funded Grant on Estimation of participation and welfare impacts of REDD+ community-based pilot projects in Nigeria (2021-2022).
6. Environment for Development (EfD) Initiative Sweden-funded Grant on Gender analysis of vulnerability to flood risk in farming and fishing communities of Kogi State, Nigeria (2020-2021).
7. Environment for Development (EfD) Initiative Sweden-funded Grant on Determinants and Impact of Use of Climate Smart Agricultural Practices: Evidence from Nigeria Panel Data (2019-2020).
8. QR GCFR/Research England-funded Grant on SINC-Urban- How Socially Inclusive are Sustainable Urban Development in Nigeria and Vietnam? (2019-2020).
9. National Institute for Humanities and the Social Sciences (NIHSS), South Africa-funded Grant on Spatial and temporal analysis of the risk factors of non-communicable diseases in South Africa (2018).
10. Tertiary Education Trust Fund of Nigeria (TETFund) Institutional Based Research (IBR) Grant on Magnitudes and diagnostics of spatial disparity in urban-rural household welfare in Nigeria (2017).
11. International Foundation for Science (IFS) Sweden Second Grant on Flood-induced Migration and Food Security Status of Migrant Female-headed Households in Rural Communities of Anambra State, Nigeria (2014-2016).
12. International Foundation for Science (IFS) Sweden Second Grant on Spatial Impacts of Rural Urban Migration on Rural Livelihoods in Southeastern Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria (2010-2012).
Some national and international organizations consultancies
1. International Organization for Migration (IOM) Nigerian National Data Management and Governance Consultant (October 2024- March, 2025).
2. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Training Consultant for the UNPRPD Joint Program National Multi-Stakeholder Capacity-building Induction Training: Cross-cutting Approaches and Preconditions for Disability Inclusive Development in Nigeria (May –July, 2024)
3. Coordinator, Advanced Expert Master Meteorological Skills Course/ Training for Meteorologists from the Federal Ministry of Aviation Organised by the Department of Geography, University of Nigeria in collaboration with GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Germany at the Nsukka Enugu State. (June to October, 2023)
4. Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Consultant on Development and Deployment of Standardized Score Card Tool to Assess and Monitor the Implementation of the National Disability Law and Disability Inclusive Governance in States of Nigeria in partnership with MacArthur Foundation (October, 2023).
5. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Consultant on Disability inclusion Training for lnter-Agency Disability lnclusion Coordination Mechanism and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities Activity (UNRPD Abuja office) (February-March, 2023).
6. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Consultant for the preparation of the UNESCO 2022 Annual Report, Abuja Regional Office (January- February, 2023).
7. Coordinator, Basic and Advanced Meteorological Skills Course/ Training for Meteorologists from the Federal Ministry of Aviation Organized by the Department of Geography, University of Nigeria in collaboration with GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Germany at the Nsukka Enugu State. (June to October, 2022)
8. Training, Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant for the 2023 Population and Housing Census of the National Population Commission of Nigeria, April 2022 –Present
9. Social Impact Assessment Consultant to Ambah Projects on the Environmental Impact Evaluation Study (EES) of Nkali Field Project Activities, Etche Rivers State (July, 2022).
10. UNESCO Consultant for the Assessment of the impact of COVID-19 in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Institutions in West Africa -Nigeria (August-October, 2021).
11. UNICEF Training consultant for the Follow-up Workshop on Social Protection Floor (SPF) Costing Tool for Government functionaries of Enugu and Cross River States of Nigeria, 9th -13th August, 2021.
12. UNICEF Training consultant for the Workshop on Social Protection Floor (SPF) Costing Tool for Government functionaries of Enugu and Cross River States of Nigeria, 14th -18th June, 2021.
13. UNESCO Training Consultant for the Brainstorming and Capacity Building Session on “Strengthening the Capacity of Associations and Organizations Working with Persons living with Disabilities to better Engage and Deliver in their Mandate” organized by UNESCO Multisectoral Office, Abuja at United Nations House, Abuja, April 29 – 30th, 2021.
14. Social Impact Assessment Consultant to Ambah Projects International Limited Warri, Delta State for the Environmental Impact Evaluation Study (EES) for the Eremor Field Development Project OML 46 in Peretorugbene Community of Bayelsa State (October, 2020).
15. Enugu State Team Lead for Viable Knowledge Masters on the UNICEF- Funded project on “Determinants of Teacher Absenteeism in sub-Saharan Africa” (May-August, 2019).
16. Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Consultant for the OPL 905, 2D & 3D Seismic & Appraisal Well Drilling for Communities in Nsukka, Udenu, Udi, Ezeagu and Isi Uzo LGAs of Enugu State, February 2015
17. Social Impact Assessment Consultant to Ambah Projects International Limited Warri, Delta State for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Revalidation of Final Approval for Eremor Field Development Project in Peretorugbene Community of Bayelsa State (July, 2014).
18. South East Nigeria Zonal Coordinator, Human Development Initiatives (HDI) Local Government Areas (LGAs) Budget Watch Group for Southeastern Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria (February, 2012-December, 2014). Funded by the Ford Foundation
19. Social Impact Assessment Consultant to Ambah Projects International Limited Warri, Delta State for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the establishment of Rice Mill Plants at Enugu State (Nenwe), and Abia State (Abriba) by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja (October, 2013)
20. Social Impact Assessment Consultant to Ambah Projects International Limited Warri, Delta State for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the establishment of High Quality Cassava Flour Plants (HQCP) at Enugu State (Adani and Ugbawka), and Anambra State (Ezira and Omogho) by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja (October, 2013).
21. Social Impact Assessment Consultant to Ambah Projects International Limited, Warri, Delta State for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Assa North - Ohaji South Gas Development Project, operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) (October 2012).
22. Consultant for the Socio-economic aspects of the Environmental Impact Assessment for Seismic Data Acquisition and Exploratory Appraisal /Development Drilling of OPL 905 in Enugu State, Nigeria (December 2007- January 2008).
Policy Engagements
1. Member, National Steering Committee on the project "Nigeria: Strengthening Evidence-Based Analysis and Stakeholders' Capacities Related to Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Disaster” (January 2024-Present).
2. Member, Technical Working Group (TWG) on African Progress Group International Roundtable on the theme “Making Africa’s Population an Asset rather Than a Liability” (2019)
3. Member, Technical Working Group (TWG) , Global Compact for Migration and Refugees (GCMR) and Nigerian Migration Governance Team, 2017-Present.
International / national recognition (editorial or advisory boards, awards, etc.)
1. Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation Experienced Research Fellowship (2024-2025)
2. Institut national d'études démographiques (INED), Paris, France- funded Fellowship Award (2024)
3. Guest Lecturer, Department of Technology and Safety, The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) 2024
4. Visiting Research Scholar, Institut national d'études démographiques (INED), Paris, France (2024)
5. Erasmus+ Staff Mobility for Training (STT) at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg Schweinfurt, Germany (2023)
6. Visiting Scholar, African Pathways Programme (APP/BRICS) Teaching and Research Mobility Grant Fellowship, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa (2018)
7.University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg South Africa University Research Committee (URC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2015-2017)
8. The 7th GESIS Summer School in Survey Methodology in Cologne, Germany, August 2- 24, 2018.The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funded my participation
9. Summer Institute in Computational Social Sciences, organized and funded by Duke University, USA, Russel Sage Foundation and the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), June 17-30, 2018 at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
10. XII Migration Summer School on “Approaches to international migration at origin and destination: Theories, policies and methods of analysis”, organized by Migration Policy Centre (MPC) at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (European University Institute), 27 June- 8 July, 2016 at European University Institute, Florence Italy.
11. Training Workshop on Statistical Analysis of Census and Survey Data Using STATA, Organized by University of Michigan, University of Cape Town and University of Cape Coast, held at University of Cape Coast, Ghana .9th -20th July, 2012.
12. Visiting Research Scholar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA (2010)
13. The fifth United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) Summer Academy of the Munich Re Foundation Chair on Social Vulnerability at Hohenkammer, Germany (2010)
