Chukwudi Nwaigwe

BSc (FUTO, Nigeria)

Chukwudi is a dedicated and self-motivated individual, passionate about academic excellence. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry and Wildlife Technology from the Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Imo State, Nigeria, where he graduated top of his class with an Upper Honours. He is an environmental enthusiast with a keen interest in understanding ecological dynamics, ecosystem processes, and biodiversity functioning. He has developed competencies in natural resources management through training and communication technology by practice.

Chukwudi's passion to make a positive impact led him to join several community groups at the undergraduate level and National Youth Service Programme. He has volunteered and played active membership roles in environmental organizations and community development groups to contribute to sustainable development goals, activities such as ecosystem restoration through tree planting, and campaign on gender equality and quality education. He is affiliated with several national and international organizations including the International Society of Tropical Foresters, Commonwealth Forestry Association, and Nigeria Conservation Foundation, amongst others.

At UCT, Chukwudi is pursuing a Master’s degree in the Fitzpatrick Institute, Department of Biological Sciences.  He desires to be a renowned researcher in the field of Nature Conservation and Environmental Management, intending to positively influence the natural ecosystems in Nigeria and to balance his interests with real-life experiences. Chukwudi is looking forward to working, connecting and building a professional network with like-minded people from diverse backgrounds, and being trained by world-class Faculty staff at UCT.

Thesis: Fine-scale variation in beach litter loading in South Africa. (Supervisor: Prof. Peter Ryan)

Publications
Onyema, M.c., Osuagwu, N.C., Nwogu, A.A. and Nwaigwe, C.C. (2021). Urban agriculture: A timely game changer for urban residents in Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. 1(2), 27-32. https://doi.org/10.51483/IJAGST.1.2.2021.27-32.

Majolagbe, M.O., Ogunwande, A.O., Awotedu, B.F., Awotedu, O.L. and Nwaigwe, C.C. (2021). Effects of seeds sizes and sowing depth on germination of Shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn). Proceedings of the 3rd National Summit and Conference on Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization. 23th – 24th March, 2021. National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Nigeria. Pp.164-170.