: A researcher, policy analyst, and diplomatic strategist with 14 years of experience in international relations, development studies, project management and cross-continental cooperation, Vincent Ibonye is Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and a Ph.D. candidate at Tsinghua University, China.
Ibonye’s work and engagements have included key roles in the Ford Foundation Project on Resource-Backed Infrastructure and China’s Investments in Nigeria (2023), authoring reports that informed policy recommendations for enhancing Africa-China cooperation. His work on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as part of the China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Programme (2022) has been pivotal in understanding its impact on Africa’s future economic connectivity, alongside US-EU responses. Ibonye has also participated in conferences such as the People’s Republic of China Conference on Nigeria’s Digital Economy (2018), where he discussed leveraging digital technologies for co-development. He represented African perspectives as a co-moderator for the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) Mapping and Socioeconomic Profiling Assessment (2018), contributing to post-conflict recovery recommendations.
In the past year, Ibonye has contributed to the broader discourse on international relations through his participation in key forums and dialogues. At the China Forum of Tsinghua University, held in September 2024, Ibonye was a principal speaker in discussions on the future of China-Africa cooperation and offered insights on how China’s role in Africa’s development, particularly in digital infrastructure, could drive both economic growth and development governance reforms where needed.
Added to his academic contributions, Ibonye’s diplomatic engagements have been equally notable. As a delegate at the 4th China-Africa Future Leaders Dialogue in 2024, organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), he contributed to discussions on productive dialogue for governance and diplomatic advances between Africa and China, ensuring that Africa’s voice is robustly represented in global affairs.
Furthermore, at the Belt and Road Green Development International Alliance conference in 2024, he advocated for initiatives aimed at combating climate change and bridging Africa’s energy accessibility gap through China-Africa cooperation. In the development of renewable energy projects and advancing green economic policies, Ibonye has contributed to fostering sustainable governance solutions that directly impact African development.
Beyond academia and diplomacy, Ibonye serves as a voice for education and knowledge exchange. He has written extensively on resource governance and development, contributing to prominent international journals such as the Asian Journal of Comparative Politics and the Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, where his work demonstrates his intellectual stature on global governance, diplomacy, and African development.
Vincent Ibonye’s contributions to to bridging the academic, diplomatic, governance and developmental needs of developing economies in Africa and Asia make him an exemplary candidate for both the Education and Academic Achievement Award and the Outstanding Achievement in Diplomacy and Governance categories.