Meet the Director General/CEO
BRIEF PROFILE OF PROFESSOR INNOCENT B. BARIKOR
Professor Innocent Bariate Barikor hails from Bomu in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. A seasoned academic, public servant, and community leader, Professor Barikor’s life has been one defined by a deep commitment to knowledge, service, and development.
His educational journey began at State School 1, Bomu, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate, followed by his secondary education at the prestigious Okrika Grammar School (OGS). He proceeded to the University of Port Harcourt, earning a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc. Hons.) degree in Political and Administrative Studies. Driven by a passion for learning and public policy, he went on to earn a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Political Science (International Relations), and later a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Political Science, specializing in Development Studies.
Professor Barikor’s career began in the classroom as a teacher at Community Secondary School, Aluu. He later joined the academic staff of the then Rivers State College of Education, Port Harcourt, and subsequently, the University of Port Harcourt, where he rose to the rank of Senior Lecturer in Political and Administrative Studies by 2007. He was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2024. At the University, he held numerous administrative roles, including membership on the Advisory Board of the University of Port Harcourt Foundation and Chairmanship of the Board of Governors of the University Demonstration Secondary School.
His foray into public service began with his appointment as Supervisor for Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture. He also served as Rivers State Coordinator of the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) between 2004 and 2010 under Presidents’ Obasanjo and Yar’Adua respectively. In 2011, he was elected to represent the Gokana constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly—a position he held for two consecutive terms until 2019, making history as the first to achieve that milestone in his constituency. He also chaired the Rivers State Selection Committee for the Federal Government’s Special Public Works Programme; a covid palliative programme set up by President Mohammadu Buhari, which empowered 23,000 Rivers State residents to overcome the economic and social shocks that came with covid 19, through direct employment support. Professor Barikor was also the Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections in Rivers State.
Professor Barikor is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Resource Management and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered). He has held several community and professional roles, including Chairman of Ogoni Academics in Tertiary Institutions, Assistant Secretary of KAGOTE (Ogoni Apex Socio-cultural Organization), Vice President of OGS Old Boys Association of his class and consultant to the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA).
A participant in numerous local and international trainings, Professor Barikor has represented Nigeria in conferences and workshops across South Africa, China, the Netherlands, Dubai, and Italy, covering subjects such as project management, microfinance, information communication technology (ICT), procurement, and local content development.
An accomplished scholar, Professor Barikor has authored multiple publications on development, environmental politics, poverty, minority agitations, and governance in Nigeria. He strongly advocates for development as a human rights imperative rather than a purely economic pursuit.
Among his many accolades are the Small Grants Award for Dissertation/Thesis from the Association of African Universities (2000/2001) and the Vocational Service Award from the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Central (1999/2000).
Professor Innocent Barikor is married to Barr. (Mrs.) Tombari Barikor, and they are blessed with wonderful children.
