Ike, Prof. Obiora

Obiora Ike is a Roman Catholic prelate of the Catholic diocese of Enugu, Nigeria. Ordained a priest in 1981 in Hohenems, Austria, he studied philosophy, theology, economics, political science and history in Nigeria, Austria, the United Kingdom, France and Germany from 1975 – 1985.

After graduating with a doctorate in systematic theology/Catholic social thought, he returned to Nigeria in 1986 and was appointed to serve the social ministry of the church as chairman of the Commission for Justice, Development, Peace and Caritas.

Ike founded the research and development organ known as the Catholic Institute for Development Justice and Peace (CIDJAP) and is director and chair of the institute.

He is actively involved in many national and international research and practical initiatives to bridge the growing gap between faith and life and between church and society. For several years he worked as one of the experts at the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria. Ike is the currently the president of the Nigeria chapter of the Club of Rome, the founder and chairman of more than 20 non-governmental organizations and a regarded philanthropist.

He has traveled widely and is the author of more than 60 books. Ike has lectured at several universities around the world and holds teaching positions with the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany, where he is a professor of social ethics and African studies, and the Godfrey Okoye University in Enugu.