Biography of Prof. Happiness Oselebe

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Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration, Ebonyi State University

Happiness Oselebe is a professor of plant Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop Production & Landscape Management, Faculty of Agriculture & Natural Resources Management, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria. She received her B.Sc., M.Sc. AND Ph.D. degrees from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Her research interest is in the development of improved varieties that are economically efficient and sustainable both in quality and yield, especially under limiting environments.Currently, Happiness is exploring the development of drought tolerant rice varieties for water stressed environments; the generation of rice hybrids with resistance/tolerance to African Rice Gall Midge, as well as improving identified farmers’ landrace genotype prior to release as new variety.

She is collaborating with international Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) on a funded breeding project for increased yam productivity and quality in West Africa’. She has also worked on ethnobotany of traditional leafy vegetables with some publications to that effect. She is an AWARD(African Women In agricultural research & Development fellow, a Norman E. Borlaug fellow for women in science, the initiator of Carnegie African Diaspora fellowship program in EBSU and the coordinator of the intra –African Academic Mobility scheme(MoBREED) Which she attracted to Ebonyi State University.
Happiness pioneered the incorporation of an Agribusiness outfit engaged in seed production (EBSU Agribusiness Enterprises Limited) for her university. She also floated her own seed company (Strategic Seeds Nigeria limited) and both companies are doing well. Happiness has a passion for working with small holder farmers, building their capacities’ and enhancing their production and income level and in effect their livelihood. Prof. Oselebe was the former dean, Faculty of agriculture and the natural Resources Management. Presently, she is the deputy vice- chancellor (administration) of Ebonyi State University. She is happily married with children and her hobbies include sports, reading novels and travelling.