Mabel Ifeoma Onwuka

Professor Mabel Ifeoma Onwuka holds a PhD in Soil Chemistry, an MSc in Soil Physics, and a BSc in Soil Science. She is a Full Professor of Soil Science in the Department of Soil Science and Meteorology, College of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) (https://ccss.mouau.edu.ng/staff/mabel-i-onwuka). She also serves as the Director of the Center for Gender, Youth and Child Development at the same institution (https://mouau.edu.ng/homecenter-for-gender-and-child-development/). She is also the Supervisor of MOUAU Greenhouse Projects on Tomatoes and Pepper production.

Prof. Onwuka is a registered Soil Scientist with the Nigeria Institute of Soil Science. She is the Vice President (South East Zone) of the Biochar Initiative of Nigeria, Coordinator of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) Umudike Branch, a Fellow of the Nigeria Science Leadership Program, Southeast Focal Point for the African Women in Leadership Network (Nigeria Chapter), and Founder of the Hope for Women, Farmers and Girls Initiative, a non-governmental organization dedicated to rural empowerment.

Her career objectives include training students to be academically excellent and morally grounded, while also building the capacity of resource-poor rural farmers through eco-friendly agricultural practices that enhance soil health, increase food security, raise household incomes, and foster peace within communities.

Her research expertise spans soil acidity amelioration, biochar innovation, organic waste recycling into bio-fertilizers, soil organic matter enhancement to prevent erosion, carbon sequestration, and gender mainstreaming in soil health and crop production. She actively teaches, mentors, and supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate students, with many of her research works published in reputable journals and presented at international conferences and workshops.

Prof. Onwuka has served and continues to serve on several university and external committees as chairperson or member, and contributes to academic publishing as a co-editor and reviewer for multiple journals.

She is a member of several professional bodies, including the Soil Science Society of Nigeria, Biochar Initiative of Nigeria, International Biochar Initiative, Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, and the Agricultural Society of Nigeria.

Her achievements have earned her multiple national and international recognitions, including the Women’s World Summit Foundation Prize for Women’s Creativity in Rural Life (Geneva, Switzerland), the Mashav Award (Israel), the Australia-Africa Awards (Australia), and the Rothamsted International Fellowship (United Kingdom). She has also participated in prestigious global programs such as the 1st International Training Course on Biochar Production, Testing, and Application at Nanjing Agricultural University (China) and the Seminar on Application and Development of Smart Agriculture for Developing Countries at the Center of International Cooperation Service (Beijing, China). Notably, she is recognized as one of the outstanding Foreign Scientists on the Maize Precision Production Research Project at the Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.