Ken Robinson has recently been conferred with an honourary doctoral research fellow award by the Corporate Institute of Strategic Research Abuja-Nigeria. This recognises the leadership roles Robinson has been taking in contributing to peace and social justice. He is the National Publicity Secretary of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Coordinating Secretary of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF).
Robinson was born on 19th December 1965 and is from the Ido community in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. He graduated from Rivers State University of Science and Technology with a degree in engineering back in 1997. Meanwhile, he has also attended training, conferences, seminars, and workshops on various topics such as non-violent/strategic communication, leadership, peacebuilding, conflict resolution, transformative dialogue, digital, and artificial intelligence.
Robinson was Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Radio, Television, and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) from 1998 to 1999 and he was also Chairman of the Rivers State Civil Servants Joint Forum. He worked at the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation for over twenty-five years and rose to the Assistant Director position before opting to voluntarily retire in order to contest for the office of Mayor of Port Harcourt (Chairman, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Rivers State) in 2011.
Ken Robinson has served various positions in the past, such as Secretary of Rivers Ijaw Consultative Assembly, Secretary of Rivers Ijaw Elders and Leaders Forum, Secretary of Oil Rivers State Creation Movement, Chairman of the Ijaw National Congress Eastern Zone, and Secretary of Rivers State Elders Reconciliation Committee in 2014. Moreover, he was a member and Acting Secretary of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF. He was also the Chairman of a non-governmental peace-building initiative in Rivers State named:Peace Architecture Dialogue (PAD).
The Corporate Institute of Strategic Research (CISR) is known for providing leadership education, training, manpower development, consultancy, and research and development in leadership, management, diplomacy, and economic issues arising from global emerging challenges.
By recognising Ken Robinson, they have recognised his commitment towards social justice, peace, and sustainable development. This award also aims to encourage other people to take up similar leadership roles and responsibilities in different sectors they are working in.
