IGBOELI , CHIDIMMA FRANCES

 Chidimma Frances Igboeli is a Research Fellow at the Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre (REPRC), Environment for Development (EfD) Nigeria, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She holds a PhD in Agricultural Extension with specialisation in Agricultural Communication.

Her research focuses on agricultural policy, climate resilience, digital agriculture, agricultural advisory services, gender and social inclusion, and evidence-informed policymaking. She has contributed to interdisciplinary research and policy initiatives across Nigeria and Africa.

Her current work explores how research evidence can better inform policy and development practice through stakeholder engagement and capacity development.

• Agricultural Policy
• Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience
• Digital Agriculture and ICT for Development
• Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services
• Gender and Social Inclusion
• Evidence-Informed Policymaking

• Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) Secretary, INCLUDING-Africa Project (May 2026-Present) – "Innovative Climate Finance for Unlocking Development and Equity in Africa," an IDRC-funded multi-country climate finance research and policy initiative led by REPRC-EfD Nigeria.
• Country Collaborator (Nigeria), Blue Resources for Development (BlueRforD) Collaborative Program (2025–Present) – A Sida-funded EfD multi-country research initiative on sustainable aquaculture, fisheries, and coastal resources across Ghana, Nigeria, and Vietnam
• Principal Investigator (University of Nigeria Team), Smart Villages Project, Taraba State, Nigeria (2025–Present) – An AAP-PIRA project promoting inclusive rural development, digital innovation, and sustainable livelihoods.
• Assistant Team Lead and Field Coordinator (Nigeria), Climate Change, Digitalisation, and Violence Against Women and Girls in West and Central Africa (2023–2024) – A multi-country study across Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and Togo examining the intersections of climate change, digitalisation, and violence against women and girls (VAWG).
• Reviewer, Journal of Agricultural Extension (2025–Present).
• Conference Paper Reviewer, World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists (WCERE 2026).

• African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) Leadership Programme, 2025 Cohort.
• Africa Women School of AI (ASAI) Fellowship Programme, 2025 Cohort.

• Building Sustainable Evidence-Informed Policy (EIP) Ecosystems in East and West Africa — funded by the Hewlett Foundation and implemented through the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP). 2025–2026.
• Towards the Implementation of Smart Villages in the Rural Communities of Taraba State, Nigeria — funded by the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) 2024 Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA) Grant. 2025–2026.
• Strengthening the Capacity of Agricultural Extension Lecturers in Teaching Competency-based Undergraduate Curriculum in Nigerian Universities — funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund. 2022.
• Strengthening Agricultural Extension Training in the MSU–Alliance for African Partnership Consortium — funded by the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) 2021 Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA) Grant. 2021–2023.
• Video-Mediated Learning in Agriculture — MSc research grant under the “Videos for Farmers” Project, Access Agriculture. 2019.

Dr Igboeli contributes to policy-oriented research and stakeholder engagement activities related to agricultural development, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability. She is involved in the development of a fisheries management plan for Nigeria through an EfD Nigeria partnership with the Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and has provided research, analytical, and drafting support for agricultural policy processes at national and regional levels. She has also contributed to policy communication and knowledge-translation outputs, including training materials, workshop communiqués, and evidence synthesis products related to agricultural extension, gender inclusion, and rural development. She is also contributing to an ongoing multi-country position paper on impact pathways and policy designs for mitigating negative externalities in aquaculture in the Global South.