John Didacus Njoku is a Professor of Geography & Environmental Management. He holds a BSc degree in Geography and Regional Planning, from the University of Benin, Benin City; MSc in Geography and Planning from the University of Lagos, Akoka Yaba, Lagos; and a PhD degree in Geography and Environmental Management (2007), from the Imo State University, Owerri. He is an expert in environmental changes/governance, effects of climate change on environmental resources and sensitivity. He was appointed as pioneer Ag. HOD to establish the Dept. of Urban and Regional Planning. In 2014, he was appointed Associate Dean, School of Environmental Technology, and doubled as Ag. HOD, Urban and Regional Planning until July 2017. As a tenure staff, he was promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer in 2011, Reader in 2014, and Professor in 2017.
He had worked in the private and public sectors. Between 1991 and 1993 he worked with the Nigerian National Population Commission and later, between 1993 and 2002 he worked with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Lagos where he rose to the position of Branch Executive Director.
He attended and participated at the 41st training session of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps on Climate Change and Crises Management in Atlanta, GA, USA in 2019. He was invited by UNEP to the 1st and 2nd African Food Security Conference in 2013 and 2015, Nairobi Kenya. In 2011, he was Speaker at the International Conference on Applied Geo-informatics for Society and Environment in Nairobi, Kenya.
Earlier, in 2009, he spoke at the Third African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in Africa at Algiers, Algeria. He is Member, International Review Panel of Earth System Governance and Network conferences. He was Rapporteur of the Nigeria National Branch, Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security in Africa Assembly, UNEP ROA, Kenya.
He is member of International Society for Urban Health (ISUH), USA and the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), USA. He is a Research Fellow, the Earth System Governance Network, Netherlands. In Nigeria, he belongs to the Nigerian Cartographic Association (NCA), Association of Nigerian Geographers (ANG) and Nigerian Environmental Society (NES). He was editor of the official Journal of Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He is a Consultant of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Abuja. He was State Training Coordinator (STC), Imo State during the 2023 Population and Housing Census in Nigeria.
As a Climate Reality Corp, Leader, Activist and distinguished academic, Prof John Njoku has spoken at many conferences, and published in several scholarly, academic and professional Journals.
He was the Keynote Speaker during the Environmental Stakeholders Forum of the 2022 world environment day on the theme “Roadmap for the Transformation of Imo Environment for Sustainable Environment in Imo State”
Prof Njoku is widely travelled and teaches remote sensing, theoretical and applied climatology and environmental changes, and mapping application to Environmental Management in different Universities in Nigeria.
Professor John Njoku is a staff of the Dept. of Environmental Management, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria, from 2002 to date. He is married with children.
Academic Qualification
2004 – 2007, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.
PhD in Geography & Environmental Management (Remote Sensing application to resources management)
1991 – 1992, University of Lagos, Akoka Lagos, Nigeria
MSc in Geography & Planning (Remote Sensing & Mapping of Environmental Resources)
1981 – 1985, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria,
BSc (Hons.) in Geography & Regional Planning
Honours/Awards
Federal University of Technology Owerri, study Fellowship for PhD, 2003 – 2006.
Affiliations
Conferences, 2019 – Date
Courses Assigned to Teach
University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria
2017)
Technology, Owerri (2014 – 2016)
2010 – 2017.
Research Interest
A p p l i e d c l i m a t o l o g y and e n v i r o n m e n t a l v u l n e r a b i l i t y a s s e s s m e n t and monitoring, natural resources dynamics, climatic variations and socio-economic impacts, and environmental change management)
Publications
JD Njoku: Floodwater Harvesting: The ecosystem tool and solution to soil conservation and management in
Igboland, Nigeria, paper presented at the 17th ISA Annual International Conference Dominican University,
Chicago, Illinois, May 9-11, 2019.
JD Njoku, K. Ukaegbu, M. Iwuji and U. Nwuze (2016): GIS-Based Mapping and Statistical Analysis of Atmospheric Pollution in Port Harcourt, Southern Nigeria, paper presented at the 67th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Guadalajara, Mexico, 26-30 September 2016.
2015: The 2nd Africa Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Conference, on the theme, ‘ Re- imagining Africa Food Security through harnessing Ecosystem based Adaptation (EBA) Approaches Now and Into the Future under Climate Change, 30 -31 July, at the United Nations/ROA Complex, Nairobi, Kenya (see www.afsac2.aaknet.org)
2013: Integrating Ancestral Technology of Flood Water Harvesting as a Decision Support Tool in a Climate
Change Regime among the Mbaise People of Southeastern Nigeria. Paper presented at the 1s t African Food Security Conference, on theme “Harnessing Ecosystem-based Approaches for Food Security and Adaptation to Climate Change” 20 – 21 August, 2013 at the United Nations Complex, Nairobi, Kenya. (See http://www.foodsec.aaknet.org/index.php/2012-02-29-04-53-46/2012-02-29-04- 55-17/itemlist/category/8- aquatic-ecosystems for details.
2009: Third African Leadership Conference on “Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development on the theme, “Building African Partnerships in Space”, 7th – 9th December. Presented paper on “The Detection and Monitoring of Drought occurrences in the Desert Fringe and Sahel Region of Northern Nigeria using Satellite Technology”
1997: Conference of Business Association Executives on Public Policy Advocacy in Nigeria organized between 13th – 19th July, by National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Nigeria and The Centre for International Private Enterprise, Washington DC, USA.
Key Local and International Seminars, Trainings / Workshops
2019: Participated and completed the 41st Climate Reality Leadership Corps training session, on Climate Crises
Management, in Atlanta GA, March 14 – 16, organized by The Climate Reality Project, based in Washington
DC, USA
2012: Advanced Digital Appreciation Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI) organized 27th February –
2nd March by the Nigerian Communications Commission, Abuja, through the Digital Bridge Institute an
International Centre for Communications Studies, Abuja, Nigeria.
2011: The International Conference on Applied Geo-informatics for Society and Environment (AGSE) and
Fourth International Summer School of the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences, Germany on the theme, “Geo-information for a Better World” at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Nairobi, Kenya, August 15 – 19. Paper presented “Investigation into the Nature of Forest Degradation in Southeastern Nigeria Using Remote Sensing Techniques”.
2002: Workshop on Developing Small and Medium Industries (SMIs) Sector based on Clustering and Networking
Approach organized by UNIDO, April 22 – 26.