Plateau State of Nigeria has a ‘Man of the Year’ award tradition. Although it is called ‘Man of the Year’ award, it is gender blind. In fact, in 2017, the winner is a woman: Pauline Tallen, former minister, former Deputy-Gov and a Senatorial candidate in the impending election.
In 2018, however, the winner is Dr. Chris Kwaja, scholar, activist and technocrat. A rising engaging voice in conflict and peacebuilding, Kwaja won last year’s award through public opinion polls. The yearly poll is based on the work people are doing. It suggests local approval or endorsement for his intellectual summitry on peace and conflict across the world.
Dr. Kwaja who obtained a PhD in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the University of Jos was an exchange Fellow at the University of Massachusetts in the United States. His thesis won the United Nations University for Peace doctoral research award. He teaches Peace and Security Studies at the Yola based Modibbo Adama University of Technology. The award ceremony has been scheduled for early February 2019.
