PROFESSOR Felix Omoh Okokhere (PhD) is a distinguished scholar with extensive experience in academia, research, and security consulting. His expertise spans international relations, global security, and developmental studies, making him a valuable resource in insurgent terrorised nation like Nigeria and beyond.
As a Nigerian scholar, Prof. Okokhere offers unique insights into global and African security challenges and solutions. His research works have integrated political science, international relations, strategic studies, sociology, and economics that have provided comprehensive security analysis, including policy formulation, training, and consulting for government agencies, NGOs, and international organizations.
Prof Okokhere is a Nigerian/Canadian Scholar with expertise in Political Science and Strategic Studies. His areas of research interest are International Relations, Global Security and Developmental Studies. Prof Okokhere attended highly rated tertiary institutions in Canada, Nigeria and the United States of America.
These schools include Douglas College in New Westminster, BC; John Casablancas Career College Vancouver; Justice Institute of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. In these institutions, Prof Okokhere studied Criminal Justice (Criminology), Law, Political Science, Human Behavioural Science and Sociology respectively. In the USA, Prof Okokhere studied and received a Certificate of Proficiency in Irregular Warfare Curriculum Development from The prestigious College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University, Washington D.C.
In Nigeria, he attended the University of Benin and got an MSc in International Relations as well as a PhD in Strategic Studies at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. His PhD thesis is titled “Terrorism and Political Violence in Nigeria: Implications for the Federal System of Government”. The erudite and hard working Professor has also acquired several local and international certificates in various fields. Prof Okokhere has written several books, contributed to book chapters and published journal articles in various academic fields particularly in his areas of specialisation to include but not limited to, Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, International Relations, Law, Security and Strategic Studies. He is on the editorial board of several local and international journals.
At the University Faculty level, Prof Okokhere has held several administrative positions, taught university courses in various academic disciplines including post graduate courses and functioned as supervisor and examiner to topical thesis. Before delving into academics, Prof Okokhere worked in several public and private institutions in Canada and Nigeria amongst which are; the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where he served as a Senior Legislative Officer; and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Burnaby Detachment, and also in various top Canadian private and public Security establishments. Prof Okokhere through his consultancy activities has also taught and trained very senior Nigerian Military officers, Police, Civil Defence, DSS, Customs, Road Safety Corps and others within the Nigerian security sector.
Prof Okokhere, has been a Sabbatical Professor at the Centre for Strategic Research and Studies (CSRS), National Defence College Nigeria. At the Centre, he served as a Senior Research Fellow (Defence and National Security Issues), the Chief-Editor for CSRS Journals, Monographs and Policy Papers, Co- founder-editor of NDC Strategic Lenses Book Series and Co-founder-Author/Consultant Researcher for NDC Strategic Leadership publications on Biographies. Prof Okokhere recently led the research team which comprised of some very senior Nigerian Military officers and other senior Research Fellows on the Pilot Biography Project of Which Four Star Army General and Nigeria’s former Chief of Defence Staff Martin Luther Agwai was the study subject. Prof Okokhere was also the pioneer Head and Coordinator of Publications and Documentations Department at the Centre for Strategic Research and Studies (CSRS), National Defence College Nigeria.
At the College, he headed several Committees on various official assignments and delivered on mandates. The multiple award winning scholar is a Security Consultant with over three decades of experience at the top level. Prof Okokhere was recently the Head of Department of Political Science and also the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. He is a Visiting Professor at the National Defence College Nigeria; Air force War College Nigeria; Naval War College Nigeria; Army War College Nigeria; Nigerian National Institute for Security Studies; Facilitating Professor at the National Open University of Nigeria and a Part Time Professor at Nile-Turkish University of Nigeria Abuja. On his humanitarian side, Professor Felix Omoh Okokhere is a silent and anonymous giver, comforter and philanthropist per excellence who has impacted many lives both at home in Nigeria and abroad. For the avoidance of doubt, the erudite and kind hearted professor has many students on academic scholarship (names withheld) and has also built and donated notable infrastructure to schools, hospitals and communities, etc.
He regularly supports orphans, widows, the elderly and the needy materially. His kind gestures have been widely acclaimed by well meaning individuals and groups particularly, the civil society and members of several communities and the royalty, who have on many occasions honored him with awards and chieftaincy titles. While in Canada, he was a rallying point for Nigerians, Africans, the Black Diaspora and others whom he assisted in obtaining Canadian Residency, Citizenship, further studies and gaining meaningful employment.
For decades and counting, the wellbeing and comfort of others has been his focus and priority. This is a distinctive and rare human characteristic, which made him to relocate to Nigeria from Canada (at his prime) in continuation of his humanitarian services to his country of birth. To further understand and appreciate the enormous personal sacrifices the Professor has put into all his humanitarian endeavors, is to understand that he left Canada and all the comfort it offered behind at a time that Canada was globally recognized as the best place to live on earth with the world’s highest standard of living. Particularly, his home City of Vancouver, British Columbia which was judged the world’s most livable City during that period. Also, Prof Okokhere forfeited huge financial gains in form of remunerations just to follow his heart in terms of service delivery to Nigerians. For example, as a Canadian Professor, he could easily earn more than eighteen million naira or its dollar equivalent plus other tens of millions in research grants yet, for the love of country, he chose to remain in Nigeria due to his patriotic nature. The Prof is also a culinary expert, who loves cooking local and continental dishes for himself, family and friends. When asked about how he finds time to cook, he said and I quote “seeing the beautiful smiles on the faces of my kitchen guests after a good and sumptuous meal brings me enormous joy and great satisfaction. Indeed, Professor Okokhere has been a blessing to humanity to say the least. Prof Okokhere, FO can be reached at +2348077665545 or Email: okokherefelix@gmail.com
Victor Akan contributed this piece via: Honestyvictor05@gmail.com
