*Photo: Prof. Steve Azaiki OON*
The University of Communication and Management (Wyższa Szkoła Komunikacji i Zarządzania [WSKiZ]) in Poznań, Poland, has named Nigerian-born Prof. Stephen Sinikiem Azaiki as the new Director of the institution’s Centre for Polish and African Affairs (CPAA).
In a letter dated May 4, 2026, the Rector of WSKiZ, Prof. Jerzy Olszewski, stated that the appointment was approved by
the institution’s highest governing body. He noted that the institution looked forward to Prof Azaiki’s “exemplary leadership and academic stewardship, which we are confident will further enhance the reputation and impact of the
Centre.”
The appointment takes effect from May 4, 2026, and is for two years in the first instance, with an option for immediate
renewal of the same term.
A non-profit entity that generates its own revenue and is fully responsible for meeting its expenditures, the Centre for Polish and African Affairs is located about 300 km outside the capital, Warsaw. The Centre carries out specialized, cutting-edge research and first-rate policy development aimed at promoting Polish-African relations. The Centre attracts post-graduate students, eminent scholars, and academics from Africa, Poland, and the rest of the world.
The mandate of the Centre is to promote bilateral relations and collaboration between Poland and African countries,especially in business, educational, and cultural matters.
Through the activities of the Centre, the Polish-Nigerian Trade
and Investment Forum was held in September, 2017; the Polish-Nigerian Parliamentary Group was set up in the Sejm (the national parliament of Poland); and some Polish dignitaries including the President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce,
and a member of the Sejm, visited Nigeria.
Under Prof Azaiki’s leadership, CPAA is expected to forge new research partnerships with Nigerian universities, generate policy frameworks that can influence bilateral trade between Poland and Nigeria, and create scholarship and fellowship
opportunities for Nigerian and African postgraduate students who might never have had access to European academic
institutions.
Born in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, Prof Azaiki has a PhD in Agriculture, and PhD in Public Administration. He is the author of numerous books and academic publications, many of which have become essential reading on issues of agriculture
business, oil and gas governance, federalism, and African development. His pen has been as powerful as his advocacy —and his vast work has shaped policy conversations at the highest levels of government and civil society.
Prof Azaiki has equally had a distinguished career in Nigeria’s public service. He was the pioneer Commissioner for Agriculture in Bayelsa State, where he later served as two-term Secretary to the State Government.
From 2019 to 2023, Prof Azaiki was a Member of the House of Representatives for the Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency.
Prof Azaiki is also the founder of the Azaiki Public Library and Museum in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, and is the Co-Chairman of the National Think Tank Initiative. He is a recipient of the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).