Professor Stella Chinye Chiemeke, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delta, Agbor (UNIDEL), has been named in the 2025 edition of Who’sWho Africa, a prestigious annual bibliographical compendium published by Time Africa Magazine, a pan-African publication that celebrates outstanding Africans shaping governance, business, academia and global development.
Her profile appears on page 240 of the 500-page compendium, which documents influential personalities across diverse sectors on the continent and in the diaspora. Professor Chiemeke is recognised under Higher Education, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Academic Leadership, with specific fields of distinction including Computer Science, Software Engineering, Digital Forensics and ICT Management. Her inclusion further underscores Nigeria’s strong presence in the 2025 edition of the publication.
A Nigerian national, Professor Chiemeke is widely regarded as a trailblazer in computer science and one of the most influential academic leaders of her generation. She currently serves as the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of UNIDEL, Agbor, where she has overseen the rapid development of the institution into a growing hub of academic excellence, research innovation and digital transformation since her appointment by former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Born with a passion for technology and scholarship, Professor Chiemeke earned her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in 1986 and a Master’s degree in Computer Science in 1992 from the University of Lagos. She later obtained a PhD in Computer Science in 2004 from the Federal University of Technology, Akure. This strong academic foundation laid the groundwork for a career spanning more than three decades in teaching, research, administration and policy leadership.
Her professional journey began as a programmer in 1986 before she became Head of the Computer Centre at Edo State University, now Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, a position she held from 1987 to 1994. In 1994, she joined the University of Benin as an Assistant Lecturer, steadily rising through the ranks to become a Professor of Computer Science in 2009, making her the second female professor of computer science in Nigeria.
At the University of Benin, Professor Chiemeke held several strategic positions, including Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences, Acting Head of the Department of Computer Science and Director of the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office. She later served as Rector of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, from 2017 to 2021, where she was credited with strengthening institutional governance, improving academic standards and repositioning the institution for growth.
Beyond institutional leadership, Professor Chiemeke is a Fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society and other professional bodies, with memberships spanning Africa, Europe and the United States. Her contributions to ICT development, research and academic administration have earned her over 50 local and international awards.
The 2025 Who’sWho Africa compendium also features several eminent women from Nigeria and across the continent. Nigerian women listed include Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization; business leaders Folorunsho Alakija and Hajia Bola Shagaya; Zenith Bank Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dame (Dr) Adaora Umeoji; renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed; Bella Disu; Oluwatoyin Sanni; Dr Amy Jadesimi; Kanayo Awani; Daisy Danjuma; Stella Okoli of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries; and Justice Margaret Obi of the King’s Bench Division, England and Wales.
Other African women featured include former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; South Africa’s former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela; Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Wangari Maathai; technology entrepreneur Ory Okolloh; and award-winning author Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor.
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