Professor Mama is a distinguished Nigerian-British feminist scholar, researcher, and activist. She holds a PhD in Organisational and Applied Psychology from Birkbeck College, University of London, obtained in 1987. Throughout her illustrious career, she has held academic positions across multiple continents, shaping the fields of gender studies and African development through her transformative scholarship and activism.

Her academic journey has taken her to institutions in Nigeria, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the United States. She served as the Chair in Gender Studies at the University of Cape Town, where she led the African Gender Institute (AGI). During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives that bridged feminist theory and activism, fostering the growth of gender-focused scholarship in Africa. Notably, she founded Feminist Africa, a groundbreaking journal dedicated to amplifying feminist discourse on the continent. The journal ensures that African feminist perspectives remain at the forefront of global academic and policy debates.

Professor Mama’s research interests include gender and the politics of development, militarism, feminist theory and methodology, and women’s movements. Her work critically examines the intersections of gender, politics, and socio-economic development in Africa, providing a deeper under­standing of the challenges and opportunities faced by women. She has been instru­mental in advancing feminist scholarship that centres African experi­ences and perspectives, challenging dominant narratives and advocating for knowledge produc­tion that is rooted in the realities of African societies.

In recognition of her scholarly contribu­tions, she was appointed the Barbara Lee Distinguished Chair in Women’s Leader­ship at Mills College in Oakland, Califor­nia. She currently serves as a Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at the University of California, Davis.

A trailblazer in African feminist thought, Professor Mama made history in 2021 when she was appointed the fourth occupant of the Kwame Nkrumah Chair in African Studies at the University of Ghana - the first woman to hold this prestig­ious position. In her inaugural lecture, she examined the gender politics of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s leadership and the role of African women’s movements in shaping post-independence Africa.

Beyond academia, her activism extends to various organisations advocating for women’s rights, social justice, and peace. Her unwavering commitment to decolonising knowledge production and promoting feminist scholarship in African contexts has had a profound impact on global efforts to address gender dispar­ities and advance social equity.

Nelson Mandela University takes great pride in honouring Professor Mama for her ability to bridge African studies and gender studies in a way that aligns with the University’s vision of being a “dynamic African university”, rooted in African epistemes while producing globally competitive graduates and knowledge programmes. It is a privilege to recognise her contributions with this Honorary Doctoral Degree.