Benue State University, Makurdi

PROFILE

Dr. Chris S. Orngu, Diplomatic Historian and Scholar of International Relations & Strategic Studies, is Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at the Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. He is a versatile scholar with a multiple educational training acquired from the following institutions: the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, the Benue State University, Makurdi and the National Teachers Institute, Kaduna. He teaches Diplomatic History and International Relations at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels at the Benue State University where he has supervised/is currently supervising a good number of M.A. Dissertations and PhD Theses in the History Department of the same University.

Dr Orngu obtained his Doctorate with a special bias in Diplomatic History in 2009. As the fifth PhD graduate of the Department of History, Benue State University, he was the first doctoral product to be harvested by the same department. He joined the academic staff list of Benue State University in 2010 as Lecturer II and has progressively risen to the rank of Senior Lecturer. He has held/holds the following positions of responsibility, among others, in the University: Member/Secretary, History Departmental  Committee on Seminars, Publications, National and International Conferences (2010-Date); Member/Secretary, History Departmental Board, BSU (2010-2015); Member/Secretary, Post Graduate Board of History Department, BSU (2010-2014); Coordinator/Examination Officer, Sandwich Programme in the Department of History, BSU (2013-2015); Coordinator, Sub-Degree/Diploma Programme in Nigerian Cultural Studies (2012-2015); Member, Academic Board of the Centre for Continuing Education, BSU (2012-2015); Course Coordinator, General Studies (GST 113 – Nigerian Peoples and Culture) (2015-Date); and Deputy Director, Centre for Peace and Development Studies, BSU (2016-2019). Membership of University Committees includes:  BSU Ad Hoc Committee for the Development of Centre for International Trade through the World Trade Organization (2016); BSU Standing Committee on Inaugural and Other Distinguished University Public Lectures (2016-Date); and BSU Management Tracer Committee on the University Alumni (2016-Date), Chairman, BSU Management Examination Monitoring Committee (2017-Date) and Member, Management Committee to Investigate Conduct of Examination in the Department of Educational Foundations from 2015-2017 (2018).

As a dynamic scholar, Dr Orngu is strategically located in the realm of international scholarship, having attended and presented scholarly papers at several international conferences in both the northern and southern hemispheres. He is a functional member of the Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN), and a Resource Person, International Centre for Ethno-Religious Mediation, New York, USA. Dr Orngu is also a Resource Person, the Nigerian Foreign Service Academy, Lagos, Nigeria and is currently a serving member of the Events and Ceremonies Committee of the Historical Society of Nigeria.

Dr Orngu is a highly productive academic with an enviable publication profile of over fifty scholarly published works, including a number of commissioned works to his credit. He has convened several national and international conferences that have served as platforms for intellectual interface among scholars of various academic orientations. These and other important national and international academic engagements afford a vivid illustration of his intellectual productivity.

Dr Orngu is an active researcher with a credible multidisciplinary equipage in research methodology. He has, over the years, actively engaged himself in a wide range of research activities that cut across socio-political conflicts, Nigeria’s external relations, political economy of gas and oil exploitation in Nigeria, Nigeria’s national security, globalization and development history, imperialism and the dialectics of economic diplomacy in Africa, African historiography, United States foreign policy in Africa, international economic relations, international organizations, foreign direct investment in post-colonial Africa, among others.

Dr Orngu is a social activist and a pro-active member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Benue State University Branch, where he has served on a number of Committees. He was the ASUU Welfare Committee Chairman of the Branch from 2011-2016. He also served as Member/Secretary of ASUU-BSU Committee on Accumulated Leave of Academic Staff in May 2015 and has also served as member of ASUU-BSU Thrift Building Committee.
Dr Orngu is married to Mrs Comfort Orngu. The marriage is blessed with children. His hobbies are: reading, trekking and listening to music.

BRIEF ON THE CENTER

1. Preamble
The Centre for Peace and Development Studies was established at the Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria on July 9, 2003. In recognition of the fact that peace is desirable in all human societies; and that conflicts and development are intricately interwoven, and in line with the vision and mission of the University, the Centre was established and saddled with the mandate to research, train and coordinate activities that will enhance peace and development among local communities, among ethnic nationalities in Nigeria and among the various international communities.

2. Vision
To be a Centre of excellence in the management and analysis of conflict and a pacesetting Centre in development studies.

3. Mission
To facilitate a prosperous, united and peaceful Benue State, Nigeria and the entire global system.

4. Aim
The aim of the Centre is: To foster the society’s ability to understand the nature of conflicts and development issues as a basis for conflict management/resolution and establishment of an enabling environment for development through change in value orientation, wealth creation and improved well-being in Benue, Nigeria and beyond.

Objectives
Specifically, the aims and objectives of the new expanded centre are:
i. To undertake critical analysis on issues of peace, conflict and development.
ii. To facilitate research works on all aspects of conflict, peace and development
iii. To facilitate conflict monitoring, conflict prevention, conflict management, conflict resolution, peace keeping, peace enforcement and peace building.
iv. To facilitate development monitoring and engage in development enhancement programmes.
v. To act as a centre for documentation and information resources on conflict situations, peace and development.
vi. To publish monographs, journals, and books reflecting the result of scholarly research and analysis in matters of conflict, peace and development.
vii. To provide for a for dialogue through seminars, conferences, workshops round table discussions and lecturers on conflict, peace and development.
viii. To organize training and outreach programmes which will promote quality skills and capacities in dialogue, conflict management, peace building and development.
ix. To engage in information dissemination and capacity building through popular media on issues of conflict, peace and development.

ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES
As can be seen from the Administrative structure, the scope of activities of the centre, which will be subject to an elaborate review by management from time to time, include:

i. Research and evaluation Even though the debate on Research impact is not yet conclusive, the Benue State University in the pursuit of excellence and the mandate of engagement with the local and even the wider communities has decided to emphasis the aspect of impacting on the relevant local and wider communities by making available to them very informed and qualitative research result, training, consultancy, and even opportunities for advocacy and mediation. This emphasis therefore brings to the forefront the concept of Research Excellence Frame (REF) as the operational basis of all the Centres in the University including the Centre for Peace and Development Studies.

ii. Conferences, Seminars, Workshops, and Lectures. The centre also engages in workshops, conferences, seminars or lectures in areas of conflict and peace that are considered to be of current interest. The results of this could become documented materials for publication.

iii. Information and Documentation. The Benue State Centre for Conflicts, Peace and Development Studies is relatively new. Although we intend to start and develop a very good library in this area we are yet to have a sizeable collection. We are therefore appealing to our sister institutions for help where possible.

IMPORTANT EVENTS

RESEARCH FOCUS AND PROPOSALS
i. The research focus at the Centre now is in the area of Land use Conflicts, particularly in agricultural land use. This is a problem that has plagued many African countries and the dimension and scope is getting wider with the problem of climate change and other emerging environmental problems. At the moment the centre has developed a Research Proposal on agricultural land use conflicts in the North Central Region of Nigeria and is looking for partners and sponsors. Interested persons can contact us on the above address for more details.

ii. Another area of Research interest to the centre is in Youth Restiveness. We are currently developing a proposal to research into this area too.

B. CONFERECES AND WORKSHOPS
At the appropriate dates, when we shall have contacted the appropriate persons, we will send out call notices for the conferences on Land Use Conflicts in Africa and Youth Restiveness in Nigeria. Interested persons may wish to begin to look out for such information and/or make inquiries where and when necessary.

C. TRAING PROGRAMME
i. Already the Benue State University runs a Masters programme in Development Studies. Plans are also being made by the centre to start a Masters programme and a Diploma in Conflict Management and Peace Keeping.

ii. Workshops
* The Non-Violent Approach to conflict workshops. In line with the African Women Active Non-Violence Initiative for Social Change (AWANICH). the Centre has adopted the step down strategy of this programme which is Non-Violence Education and has organized a test training programme for a selected number of students and further intends to organize this training for other student leaders and the traditional rulers as well as political leaders too.

* A workshop on Peace keeping is also being contemplated within the near feature. Any institution that wants to partner with us in any of the above areas, is welcome and may contact us on the above address.