Zibah Nwako

Doctoral researcher, exploring the wellbeing of female undergraduate students in Nigeria and Kenya.

Zibah Nwako was born and raised in Nigeria, then moved to the UK in 1990 after her first degree. She worked in numerous roles at the British Council and the London Borough of Croydon until 2000 when she set up her own business as Director of TOP Kids Company Limited.

She co-ordinated five OFSTED-registered out-of-school clubs and nurseries in Croydon and Sutton, employing over 30 members of staff. Zibah also served as a primary school governor, consultant for the Croydon Day Nurseries Business Forum, organiser of the Out-of-School Providers Network and member of the Training Bids Panel for the Croydon Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

In 2008, Zibah shifted careers to birth AFFIRM Consulting, Training and Coaching Ltd, and became the pioneer licensed trainer in Nigeria of the Springboard UK Women’s Development Programme. Over the next 6 years, she facilitated Springboard and other training programmes for women associations, youth groups and corporate organisations across the country.

Returning to the UK in 2014, Zibah started a Master’s degree at the University of Bristol in Educational Leadership, Policy and Development. She obtained a distinction for her dissertation on the experiences and aspirations of female secondary students in rural Nigeria.

Currently a doctoral researcher, Zibah is exploring the wellbeing of female undergraduate students in Nigeria and Kenya.

She also has a portfolio career as an academic administrator, graduate teaching assistant, trainer of the Sprint Development Programme for female university students and trustee of the Professor Festus Nwako Foundation.

She is a member of several international, professional and research networks.