Who We Are

A young girl, in filling her application form in preparation for her university entrance Examination was informed that she could choose from three discipline of study. She made the discipline of law as her 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice. The course adviser told her it was a risky decision. She insisted and these were her words “from the time I could think, I have seen gas flares burning, rivers and farmland destroyed by oil pollution and people suffering because of these in my village Uzere. I want to be able to stop these dangerous acts and protect the victims. It’s only the discipline of Law that I think can prepare me adequately for the work I want to do.’ As they say, the rest is history. By 1999 she had become the first Associate Professor (Reader) in Environmental Law at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (now Rivers State University).

A few years back in 1992 she had taken the bold step to set up ANPEZ Environmental Law Centre which later metamorphosed into ANPEZ Centre for Environment and Development (ACFED). The centre engages in Action Research, Capacity Building, Projects and Advocacy in Transformative Learning Systems, Sustainable Development, Environmental Law, Environmental Education, and Climate Change. In the last 25 years ACFED has worked across Nigeria and internationally reaching out to individuals, communities, educational institutions, corporate bodies, private and governmental institutions on environment and sustainability issues, transformative learning through various programmes, projects and publications.

In 1999 the Centre was incorporated in Nigeria with the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part C of the Company and Allied Matters Decree (now Act) as an Incorporated Trustee with registration number 11,892.

ACFED is an independent non-profit sharing organization of professionals specialized in and dedicated to the human capital development, sustainable development and transformation of the African continent in general and the Nigerian Environment in particular.

Dr. Akpezi Ogbuigwe served as the Director of the Centre from 1992 to 2002 when she joined the United Nations Environment Programme as Head, Environmental Education and Training. She now coordinates the ACFED Strategic Partnerships and Continuous Professional Development Hubs. Mr. Everest Nwankwo who took over the management of the Centre in 2003 has continued to serve as the Managing Director of ACFED.