Kingsley Kuku (born 14 February 1970) is a Nigerian political and environmental rights activist. He served as special adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs and was chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
During his university days, Kuku was a student activist and leader and at one time National Association of Nigerian Students mobilization officer. He joined the campaign for the return of democratic government to Nigeria. He has remained a pioneer in the development and restoration of lasting peace in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
Kuku after his involvement with the Ijaw youths, contested and was elected as member of Ondo State House of Assembly and thereafter became the chairman of the house committee for a period of four years. He was appointed as a special adviser to the former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. In that same year, Kuku was a guest speaker at Chatham House, an institute for international affairs, where he delivered a paper. He received several honorary awards in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States.
Early life and education
Kingsley Kuku was born on 14 February 1970 into a Christian family in Arogbo, the traditional headquarters of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, in Ondo State, Nigeria. He had his primary and secondary education between 1977 and 1988 in Arogbo. He then graduated with a bachelor's degree in English Language at Ondo State University, Akure.
He attended Patrick Catholic Primary School, Arogbo, Ondo State (1977–1983). He had his secondary education at Ijaw National High School, Arogbo, Ondo State (1983–1988). He obtained a Bachelor of Education degree in English language at the Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti, now Ekiti State University in 1995; and MSc in international relations and strategic studies at Igbinedion University, Okada Edo State (2011–2012), Nigeria. He also had a stint at University of Cambridge, where he got a certificate in dispute resolution in 2008. In recognition of his role in the advancement of Nigeria's fledgling democracy, Kuku was conferred with an honorary doctorate in Political science in November 2013 by Igbinedion University, Okada Edo State, Nigeria. Hon. Kingsley Kemebradigha Kuku is a Senior Stat. Law Student of UCLAN, England, United Kingdom.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Selinus University of Sciences and Literature in international relations (peace studies) and an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Activism Kuku embraced activism early in his university days as one of the socio-politically conscious young Nigerian students who were agitated about the then military rule and dictatorship in Nigeria. He was a student leader and one time national mobilization officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who was active in the campaign and struggle for the demilitarization of the Nigerian society and absolute return of democratic governance to Nigeria. His experience in the leadership of the apex students' body in Nigeria set a platform for him to be at the vanguard of many organisations that were set out to tackle injustice and maladministration within the Nigerian socio-political structure. He was a pioneer member of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), a notable ethnic rights group in Nigeria; and was the second spokesman of the council. He was signatory to the historical Kaiama Declaration. Kuku has remained a voice and an active stakeholder for the development and restoration of lasting peace in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
Politics After his involvement in the Ijaw Youth Council, Kuku contested and was elected as a Member of the Ondo State House of Assembly and became Chairman of the House Committee on Information for four years. He was at various times Special Assistant and Head of Conflict Management Unit at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); a Member of the Presidential Committee on Amnesty; and Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Niger Delta. In January 2011, he was appointed Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, on the Niger Delta and chairman Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme. President Jonathan reappointed him into the same position in July 2011 after the general elections in 2011. As the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for ex-agitators in the oil-bearing communities in the Niger Delta, Kuku oversaw the disarmament and demobilization of 30,000 ex-agitators and he is superintending the skilling and reintegration of these youths into civil society. The ongoing reintegration component of the Amnesty Programme, which is geared towards building capacity in the deprived Niger Delta youths that are enrolled in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, has so far attained considerable measure of its set objectives. Kuku exerts full management and administrative authority within the limits of the established budget, standing about N60 billion naira in 2012 (about US$350 million), and government operating policies; and delegates various functions to several departmental heads in a structured organisation. On the third anniversary of the Amnesty Programme in 2012, Kuku confirmed at a press briefing that the peace being restored to the Niger Delta region, through the coordination of the Amnesty Programme, has significantly increased the production capacity of oil operators in the Niger Delta region and saved Nigeria amount running in billions of Dollars in oil revenue within just three years.
Remaking the Niger Delta: challenges & opportunities
Not a few activists, political Pundits and experts on international development had raised concerns on the insurgency in the Niger Delta region particularly at the height of the tension between 2004 and 2008. The concerns, which were based on the implications of the unrest in the region on the overall revenue of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of which over 80% of the nation's revenue is drawn from the proceeds of the oil activities that run in the Niger Delta, were brought to the front burner of national discourse for government and its security agencies to rise up against the challenges of Assaults targeted not just at the economic soul of Nigeria but at peace and security of the nation; and at the efforts of the Nigerian government in sustaining its foreign policy drive. Like other patriots and stakeholders in the development of the Niger Delta, Kuku has made postulations for change and demonstration actions towards the growth of the region and advancement of Nigeria being part of the several interventionist strategies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission, Amnesty Programme (headed by Kingsley Kuku), Ministry of Niger Delta and other initiatives that are set out to bring an end to the crisis in the Nigerian oil-producing states, ensure lasting peace and nurture the country's economy for better. Kuku, who said in one of his media chats that, "in May 2009, before the amnesty proclamation, production output had dipped to 680,000 barrels of per day, from 2.2 million barrels per day. Due to the amnesty programme, the nation’s crude oil production today stands at about 2.7 million barrels per day and the target of 4.5 million barrels per day is plausible, if amnesty gains are sustained," also warned in his book Remaking the Niger Delta: Challenges and Opportunities that the oil companies and other stakeholders cannot continue with business as usual while he and other concerned citizens continue to make strenuous attempts to re-orient and reintegrate former agitators. He emphasized that the historical Grievances that gave rise to militancy and insurgency ought to be addressed as Nigeria owes it to the present and future generations to put environmental remediation on the agenda while ensuring that adequate Corporate social responsibility commitment is extracted from the multinational oil companies that are operating in the Niger Delta communities towards meaningful development within their immediate operational base in Nigeria for peace and security to reign supreme in the country. In similar form Kuku made a pronouncement that was reported by many newspapers in Nigeria in which he described the prevailing peace in Nigeria as "fragile" and admonished that the peace in the region may relapse to another brand of restiveness, unless relevant developmental agencies intensify efforts to change the face of the nation's oil rich belt. One of the significant features of the Kuku-led amnesty programme is its impact on the lives of the ex-militants, many of whom have now been transformed into better citizens who are not only concerned about personal upliftment but the progress and development of the society as a whole. This much is reflected in the present preoccupation of many of the ex-agitators. For instance, a leader of the ex militants in Ondo State established a skill acquisition centre in the State for the purpose of training youths across the country in various skills that will make them fit for employment, particularly by the various oil companies in the country. Similarly, in the wake of a terrible flood that ravaged many communities in Nigeria, including part of the Niger Delta, some of the ex-militants contributed funds and relief materials to support and improve the lot of the people who were affected by the flood.
International engagements / recognition