Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, OON

women and children in Africa. Prof. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo has served severally as the Head of Department of Public and Private Law, Public Law, Associate Dean and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria. She is currently the Director, University’s Advancement Centre; and the Dean Faculty of Law. Professor Ezeilo was appointed in 2008 as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, and served in that capacity globally until July 31st 2014. She was also appointed in December 2013 by the UN Secretary General as a member of the 5 persons Board of Trustees UN Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking. She is the founding director of WomenAid Collective (WACOL), a national organization that promotes human rights of women and young people that also runs the Tamar Sexual Assault Referral Centre. She was a former Commissioner for Gender and Social Development, Enugu State, a federal delegate to the National Political Reform Conference and served also as a member of the Governing Council, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA). Professor Joy Ezeilo is a recipient of the prestigious British Chevening scholarship (1995) and a grantee of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Funds for Leadership Development (1998). She has also received several national and international awards, including being conferred with a Nigerian Government national honour of Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) in 2006 by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR) in recognition of her outstanding contributions in the area of nation building, legal scholarship, advocacy, civil society movement and community service. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo is a visiting professor to several universities, especially in North America, including being a fellow –in- residence, University of California, Irvine; and a regent Professor, University of California, Riverside (2001). She has delivered public lectures around the world on human rights, human trafficking, gender, peace, democracy and good governance, and has published extensively in similar areas of law. She has served as a consultant/trainer to many international and national organizations, including, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA, MacArthur Foundation, UNFPA, ILO, British Council, DFID, EU, National Assembly Senate on Constitutional and Electoral Reforms and the National Judicial Institute (NJI). Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, OON has impacted thousands of lives through provision of free legal aid to the poor, especially to women and girls whose human rights have been violated. Not surprising, in April, 2013 Professor Ezeilo was recognized by Newsweek/Daily Beast International Magazine, USA as one of the 125 women of impact in the world for her work, especially in combating human trafficking–a modern day slavery. Joy Ezeilo, features regularly in both local and international media and has been interviewed by CNN, BBC, Sky News, Aljazeera etc. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo is high Chief in Igboland and she is fondly called – ‘triple Chief’, that is Ochendo, Ada eji eje mba, and Nze bu na chi. She is married to Dr. Augustine Ezenta Ezeilo and they have adult children.