Staff Biography

Professor, Mabel Angela Ogechukwu Obi is a renowned professor of Public Administration and Local Government. She obtained a Bachelor of Education (Political Science) B.Ed and a Master‘s Degree in Public Administration and Local Government with special emphasis on Human Resources and Local Government management from  the University of  Nigeria in 1986 and 1990 respectively. She later obtained a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D) from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Oshun State in 2005 with special emphasis on Public Policy and a Bias on Managing Human Resource. She joined the services of the University of  Nigeria in 1993 as Assistant Lecturer and rose to the rank of a Professor in 2010.

Before her employment in the university, Prof. M.A.O. Obi was employed by the Anambra State Education Commission and later, Enugu State Education Commission as Education Officer II and rose to the rank of Education Officer I. She served as a Capacity Builder who trained unemployed graduates and youths without degrees under the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Anambra and Enugu States. She was also a Capacity Builder for Better Life for Rural Women and Family Economic Empowerment and Advancement Programme (FEAP) at the State and National levels. She helped in the training of Internal Auditors, Secretaries, Accountants Councilors and Chairmen of Local Governments in the South-East and South-South zones of Nigeria. She equally helped the Human Race International to train some of their members on developing entrepreneurial skills. As a versatile Professor, She was the President and still a member of Home Economics Teacher’s Association of Nigeria; having obtained training in Home Economics. She was the Coordinator II Combined Social Sciences, Faculty of the Social Sciences University of Nigeria, Nsukka. From 1996-1999.  Prof, Obi participated in carrying out Capacity Assessment Survey of Human and Institutional Resources at local government level in the South-East, Nigeria, for the United Nations Population and Development Programme (UNDP). She has been the Departmental Coordinator for the University Of Nigeria  Distance Learning Programme since 2000. She later became the University of Nigeria’s Academic Adviser General on Distance Learning Programme since 2010.

Prof. Obi is a Special Consultant on Human Resource Management, Public Policy and Local Government Matters. She is the Managing Editor-The International Journal of Studies in the Humanities (IJOSH) from 1999 till date. She is also currently the Editor of the Departmental Journal-Nigerian Journal of Public Administration and Local Government (NJPALG). Prof. M.A.O. Obi was the first female Branch President of the University of Nigeria Alumni Association (UNAA) Nsukka Branch from 2000-2005. Due to her numerous achievement as a branch president, she was later elected the Zonal Vice-President of the University of Nigeria (UNAA) from 2005-2011. She became an Ex-officio of the same association 2011-2014. Due to her honesty and dedication to service, she was later elected the chairman of Education and Scholarship committee for UNAA. This was a position of confidence. She is a member/consultant Forum for Women Educationist and the National Council of Women Society Enugu State. She is also a member/Editor of Association for Public Policy (APPA) and a Consultant Editor-Academic Journal, Imo State University from 1998 till date.

Prof. Mabel Obi is a very honest, humble, amiable, energetic and dedicated academic and can work hard and efficiently under pressure. She has written four textbooks in the following areas: Research Methods and Basic Statistics for Public Administration, Local Government and Social Science Students, Public Sector Labour Relations Management in Nigeria, Human Resource Management and Practice and Nigerian Local Government As An Instrument of Social and Economic Transformation. She has contributed over 48 journal articles in National and International Journals. She also has supervised over 46 Masters Degree Students that had already graduated. She is currently supervising many Ph.D. and Master Degree students. She also co-supervised and graduated a Ph.D student with Prof. Christel Adick Ruhr, University of Bochum Germany 2009-2014. Prof. Obi has attended over forty three conferences at national and international levels.

She organized and hosted many conferences and workshops for local government functionaries in the South-East and South-South zones, Nigeria. She has been serving as external examiner to so many national and international institutions. Prof. Obi belongs to many professional bodies. She is a ‘Fellow’ of Nigerian Institute of Public Administration (FNIPA), ‘Associate Member’, Nigerian Institute of Personnel Management (AMNIPM), Consultant/Member National Council of Women Society Enugu State.

She is a devout Christian, which earned her several honours in the Catholic Church among which are-Life Member Catholic Dioceses of Nnewi, Anambra State; Nneora (Mother General) of St. Peter’s Chaplaincy University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her enviable character and contributions to many communities earned her six Chieftaincy titles such as Adadiora Mma (A daughter Loved by All), Ugochinyere (An honour/crown bestowed by God) among others.

She is endowed with many other qualities and special interests such as: volley ball, reading/writing, sewing, counseling of youths and women, backing and gardening. She equally features skills such as public Speaking, Research activities, and Community Development Programmes.

She is happily married to Professor Ignatius Ugwudike Obi, a long standing Professor of Agriculture. The marriage is blessed with two adorable children – a girl and a boy.