Ever wondered how Chief Sharon Ikeazor, earned her the moniker “Mama Pension” among Nigeria’s teaming pensioners? News has it that after Madam Sharon Ikeazor was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on the 26th of September, 2016, she transformed the agency and restored the hope of pensioners. She brought on board her simple and honest characters, which during her short stint at PTAD, she returned hope to pension administration under the Defined Benefit Scheme in Nigeria.
A lover of culture, she holds the chieftaincy title of Ada Igbo Ji Ejemba of Aba, Abia State, the Garkuwan Mata of Mayo Farang, Adamawa State. Sharon is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Mediators and Conciliators of Nigeria and a member of Nigerian Bar Association.She is equally making her impact known at her current beat, Ministry of Environment, where she has been an advocate of climate change adaptation for women and youths. Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor has ensured the Ministry accelerates the implementation of the Great Green Wall Programme, through its Agency, the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), which was established principally to reverse land degradation and desertification by supporting local communities in the sustainable management and use of natural resources to reduce poverty, enhance food security and promote sustainable livelihood.
The Agency has cumulatively increased the total average of arable land recovered from a baseline of 90 Hectares in 2019 to 4,792 Hectares by the second quarter of 2021.It has also increased the number of trees (Orchards and Woodlots) Planted from one million and eighty thousand (1,080,000) to five million, six hundred and twelve thousand four hundred (5,612,400).Sharon Ikeazor, is a hardworking public servant who started her Primary School Education at the St. Mary’s Convent School Lagos, Secondary Schools at the Queen of the Rosary College Onitsha, the Godolphin School Salisbury England then for Higher Studies at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. She obtained her Bachelor of Law (LL.B Hons.) from the University of Benin and Certificate of Practice from the Nigerian Law School in 1985.
In October 2021, Chief Sharon Ikeazor, said the federal government of Nigeria, would seek out opportunities to mobilize funds to mitigate the challenge of climate change in the country at the Glasgow meeting of the Conference of Parties COP26. Ikeazor said Nigeria would do this after it has showcased her achievements on climate change to the conference of parties at Glasgow later this month. Under her supervision, the nation established an action plan on gender mainstreaming and youth initiatives to drive adaptation to climate change.Part of the obligation of Nigeria is to improve on the nation’s adaptation strategy to climate change for that the ministry has been able to “revise the National Policy on Climate Change (NPCC) which was approved in June 2021 by the Federal Executive Council.An environmental activist, Sharon has had the opportunity to be involved in several start-up and re-organizational projects for both foreign and local companies as well as in Banking/Corporate Finance, Administration/Legal/HR and project monitoring fields providing her with in-depth knowledge of business development for Foreign Multinationals as well as National and International Government Liaison, Contract Development and Project Management.Chief Sharon Ikeazor who supervises the Ministry of Environment has achieved tremendous successes in areas of the Ogoniland cleanup, climate change issues and concerns, together with formulation of policies and environmental service matters, which is said to have positively redefined the country’s environment sector.
The affairs of the ministry have been highly protected and developed under her watch, even as she has enjoyed maximum support from staff of the ministry.
As the Minister of State she has shown resilience, which resulted in the numerous achievements recorded in the ministry, boosting the fortunes of the Environment Sector.
Olamide Adeniji is a member of the editorial team of TheScript Newspaper
