The Leadership

Imelda Icheji Lawrence Udoh received her BA, MA, and PhD degrees from the University of Calabar in 1983, 1986, and 1998. She works in the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Uyo, where she is a professor. She has served in many administrative capacities within the university like Head of Department, Vice Dean, Deputy Director, as well as many committees. She has participated in several research projects. The languages she has worked on include Leggbó, Anaañ, Iko, Nkari, Ibibio, Uda; and her work on these languages has yielded over seventy publications including articles in journals (in Nigeria, Europe, Asia, and America). She has a passion for the minority languages of Nigeria, especially Leggbó, and other Upper Cross languages of the Cross River State. Prof. Udoh has been a Research Visitor to the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in 1996, a Research Scholar to the University College, London in 1999, a Post-Doctoral Visiting Scholar on sabbatical to the University of California, Berkeley, from 2001-2002, Professor on sabbatical to University of Calabar, from 2008-2009, 2016-2017. She has done extensive research in Descriptive and Documentary Linguistics on the languages of the Upper and Lower Cross River spoken in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States of Nigeria, through several projects like: the Electronic Metastructure for Endangered Language Data (E-MELD) housed in Michigan State University, of which she is an Advisor (since 2005); the Abidjan-Bielefeld-Uyo Introduction to Language Documentation (ABUILD) Project; the Lower Cross Languages Project (LCLP), of which she is the Chair, the Nigerian Languages Project (NLP), which she coordinates; and the Prime Minister’s Initiative 2 Connect Delivery Project Funded by the British Council for 2011, of which she was the Nigerian Co-Lead Partner. Professor Udoh is on the editorial board of several local, national, and international journals, where she has peer-reviewed articles for publication. She was the Chief Editor of the USEM Journal of Languages, Linguistics and Literature between 2005 and 2019. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Nigerian Languages Project (JNLP), as well as a Guest Editor of the Journal of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (JOLAN). She is also the Chief Editor of Fruities' Publications Ltd, which provides editorial services as well as publishes books, magazines, and journals. Professor Udoh was a member of the Governing Council of the University of Uyo, where she represented the Senate of the University from 2015 – 2017. She is also a pioneering member of the Governing Council of the Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, from 2015 – to date. She is currently a member of the Governing Council of the National Institute of Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), as well a member of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) Board from 2021. Professor Udoh is an activist. As a language activist, she works on Nigerian languages and she coordinates a project on the languages of Nigeria, which provides a platform for interaction for language specialists and students, language speakers, funders, and other language stakeholders – the Nigerian Languages Project (NLP). As a woman activist, she attends to issues of women, and she chairs a foundation and provides a platform for widows to fruit again in the desert place they find themselves – the Fruitful Widows’ Initiative (FWI). Professor Udoh has taken part in the Nigerian Universities’ Commission’s accreditation exercise to several universities in Nigeria, where she has served as Chairman and Member to certify several programmes, including the University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, etc. Professor Udoh is a member of many professional associations like the West African Linguistics Society (WALS), the Reading Association of Nigeria (RAN), the Nigerian Language Teachers’ Association (ANLAT), the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN), of which she was Secretary from 2004-2008, Vice President from 2016-2021, and the current President 2021 – to date. She is a DAAD alumnus; a Fellow of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (FLAN); a life member, as well as a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (FNAL)

Gideon Sunday OMACHONU (Nigeria) is Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Languages and Linguistics, Nasarawa State University, Keffi. His areas of specialization include phonetics, phonology, language documentation, and forensic linguistics, and his languages of interest are English, Igala and Languages of North Central Nigeria. He is a Fellow of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung/Foundation (AvHF), Germany; Fellow, Linguistic Association of Nigeria (FLAN) and also a Fellow of the International Centre for Science, Humanities and Education Research (FICSHER). He is a Certified Accreditor by Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi-Africa) and African Quality Assurance Network (AfriQAN). Prof. Omachonu has numerous publications in refereed journals and books including mainline books. He has edited several scholarly journals and books and has served as occasional assessor to many international journals in Africa, Europe, and South Korea. Prof. Omachonu is currently involved in some funded research projects sponsored by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, TETFUND, and others. He is a member of several learned associations including the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), West African Linguistic Society (WALS), Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN), Association for Promoting Igala Language, Literature and Culture (APILLAC) among others. He had received several prestigious awards for academic excellence and good leadership. He is currently the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, and Vice President, Linguistic Association of Nigeria.

Greg Orji Obiamalu is a Professor of Linguistics at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. He has a BA in Linguistics/Igbo from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, an MA in Linguistics from the University of Ibadan and a PhD in Linguistics from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Prof. Obiamalu has varied experiences and trainings in and outside Nigeria and has attended many local and international conferences. He was a visiting researcher to the School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS London (Sept- Dec 2012), University of Dar es lam, Tanzania (Sept –Oct 2013), University of Pretoria, South Africa (March 2016) and the University of Ghana, Legon (Oct-Nov 2016 and Oct-Nov 2017), He also attended trainings abroad in the area of documentary Linguistics: University of California, Santa Barbara, USA (2008) and University of Bamberg, Germany (2014). He has to his credit 2 books and 30 articles/chapters in reputable journals/books both at home and abroad. He is a two-time winner of the highly competitive African Humanities Program Fellowship: Dissertation Completion (2013) and Postdoctoral (2016). He has held different positions in his University: Head of Department for three Sessions (2013 – 2016) and Chairman of various Departmental and Faculty Committees. He is currently the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. He has taken part in The Nigerian Universities’ Commission’s accreditation exercises to several universities in Nigeria for the accreditation of languages and linguistics programmes at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam, Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri, Lead City University Ibadan and Atiba University Oyo. He is the South East Zonal Coordinator in the National Technical Committee for the development of Language Policy for Nigeria. Prof Obiamalu belongs to several professional associations, like the Society for Pidgin and Creole Linguistics (SPCL), Association of Contemporary African Linguistics (ACAL), West African Linguistics Society (WALS), Society for Igbo Studies (SIS) and the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) He was the Treasurer of LAN from 2016 – August 2021 and currently the National Secretary of the Association.

AbdulMalik Nuhu, is an Associate Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics and African Languages of the University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria. He obtained his first degree in 1990, from Bayero University, Kano; his Master’s degree in 1998, from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and his PhD from the University of Bakht er Rudah, the Republic of Sudan in 2016. He also obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, and registered with the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). He obtained a certificate in Computer Science. He attended a workshop obtained a Certificate in Language Documentation and Writing Research Proposal. He taught at two different colleges of Education (College of Education, Katsina-Ala, Benue State and Federal College of Education, Obudu, Cross River State) before joining University of Abuja on the 24th of August, 2006, as Lecturer I. He rose through the rank to become an Associate Professor in 2019. He also taught Sociolinguistics courses, as well as supervised undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Jos, Plateau State, from 1st November, 2018 to 30th September, 2019, as a Senior Lecturer on sabbatical. He has served as the Deputy Director, and later became the Director of University of Abuja Printing Press, Programme Coordinator for Linguistics, Center for Distance Learning and Continuing Education (CDL and CE), University of Abuja, from 2007/2008 Session to 2017 Session. He also served in many other committees within the university. He has also served as a member, Technical Committee for the Development of a National Language Policy (NLP) for Nigeria in the year 2020. He has participated in several researches, with over 30 publications. Dr. AbdulMalik Nuhu co-edited the Linguistic Association of Nigeria Festschrift Series: Trends in Minority Languages and Language Development Studies in Nigeria. A Festschrift in Honour of Professor Andrew Haruna, December, 2020 and Gaɗau Journal of Hausa Language and Linguistics, Bauchi State University, Gadau. Vol. 1, Nos. 1and 2, May, 2018, and also helped in the assessment of the Journal of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (JOLAN), Volume 22, Number 2, 2019 and Journal of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (JOLAN), JOLAN Supplement IV. He also translated some documents from English to Hausa like ‘Proverbs and World Views of the People of Nigeria that are Supportive of Democratization Practices for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’ at Ushaffa Hall, Rockview Hotel, Abuja. 30th January, 2013, ‘Translation of English Survey Tools on Social Emotional Learning into Hausa Language for implementing the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded - Strengthening Education in North East Nigeria States (SENSE) Project’ in Adamawa and Gombe states and ‘Neonatal Commodities – Advocacy Kits, in the Context of the United Nation Commission on Life Saving Commodities on Women and Children’s Health’ for World Health Organisation and Society for Family Health, among others. Dr. AbdulMalik Nuhu participated in several National assignments as Supervisor, 1991 National Population Census, at Okrika Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria from November to December, 1991; Item Writer of Hausa Language and Culture for Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Abuja, Nigeria, from 2003 to 2006; Supervisor, University Matriculation Examination for Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) at several venues, from 2008 to 2013; Returning Officer for Presidential, Senatorial and other General Elections at various Area Councils of FCT, Abuja from 2011 to 2019. Dr. AbdulMalik Nuhu is a member of many professional associations, which include West African Linguistic Society (WALS), the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN), in which he is currently the treasurer of the Association. He served as the Association’s Local Organising Committee Chairman during its 31st Annual Conference, held at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja, from 2nd to 6th December, 2019. Others are, National Association for the Promotion of Arts and Social Sciences (NAPASS), Nigerian Languages Teachers Association (NLTA), Modern Languages Association of Nigeria (MLAN), National Association of Curriculum Theorists (NACT), Association for Promoting Quality Education in Nigeria (APQEN).

Harrison Adéníyì, with a PhD in general linguistics from the University of Ìbàdàn, teaches Linguistics, communication and Yorùbá at the Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria. He is the Immediate Past President of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) and has over 60 published works in both local and international journals and books. He was a visiting Professor at the Department of Anthropology, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA in 2011 and African Studies Institute of the same university in October 2016; a visiting scholar at the Osaka University Research Institute for World Languages, Osaka, Japan in 2010 and was also a visiting scholar at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA.in Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006; Fall 2007, Spring 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015 and Fall 2016. He is an External Evaluator/Yorùbá Language Assessor and Oral Proficiency Interview evaluator (OPI) for the U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Intensive Yorùbá Group Project Abroad since 2010. He is currently the Chairman, National Technical Committee on the development of a National Language Policy for Nigeria. He is a fellow, National African Language Resource Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, in 2003, a fellow of the African Studies Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA in 2003 and also a fellow, National African Language Resource Center, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, in 2013. He got a travel grant of $3,000 from the Public Affairs Section of the American Consulate, Lagos, Nigeria to attend the 2003 Summer Institute of the National African Language Resource Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the Yorùbá language team leader for the inter-country project to harmonize and standardize Yorùbá orthographies for the West African nations of Nigeria, Togo and Benin. The project, initiated in 2010, was supported by the Center for Black and African Arts Civilization (CBAAC) and Center for Advanced Study of African Societies (CASAS) in South Africa. He is also a consultant to UNESCO, British Council and UNICEF on mother-tongue instructions in Nigerian elementary and high schools, a consultant to the Lagos State House of Assembly on the Use of Yorùbá for legislative deliberations, and also a consultant to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Data for Education Research and Programming (DERP) in Africa (on Nigerian languages) working with Tangerine application. He is a pioneer member of the American Association of Teachers of Yorùbá (AATY). He was appointed to the Delegate Assembly of ALTA in the United States as an international representative in 2014 and a former Secretary/Treasurer of African Languages Teachers Association of America. He has participated at several international conferences of the West African Linguistics Society (WALC), African Language Teachers Association (ALTA), the Annual Conference on African Linguistics in the U.S. (ACAL), and World the Congress on African Linguistcs (WOCAL).