Professor Mfon Umoren Ekpootu is a distinguished Professor of Gender and Socioeconomic History in the Department of History and Diplomatic Studies at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Her career reflects a deep and enduring commitment to academic excellence, intellectual rigor, and gender-focused historical inquiry. A widely travelled scholar, Professor Ekpootu’s work transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, engaging historical, legal, and policy frameworks to interrogate the lived experiences of African women.
Trained in a multidisciplinary research environment at the Centre for Social Sciences in Calcutta, India, Professor Ekpootu brings a globally-informed perspective to her scholarship. This training, combined with her participation in numerous national and international conferences and collaborative research initiatives, has positioned her as a leading voice in African gender history and policy studies.
Her research interrogates the intersections of gender, migration, labour, and sexuality, with particular emphasis on female trafficking, sexual labour, and gendered migrations. In recent years, her scholarly lens has expanded to include gendered dimensions of peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction, and environmental conflict in the Niger Delta. Her exploration of how African women navigate socio-cultural and politico-economic structures has informed her course development, student supervision, and published works.
Professor Ekpootu’s academic portfolio includes several highly cited publications such as:
- Beyond Victims: Gendered Constructions of Militancy in the Niger Delta (Ibadan Journal of Gender Studies, 2019/2020)
- Women in Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Programs in the Horn of Africa (The Horn Bulletin, 2018)
- Sex Work and the Socio-Legal Space: An Update (Routledge, 2018)
- Sexualizing the City: Female Prostitution in Nigeria’s Urban Centres in Historical Perspective (Brill, 2017)
- Interrogating Human Trafficking in Nigeria (Africa World Press, 2012)
Currently, she is undertaking groundbreaking research on women’s roles in environmental and ecological conflict zones in the Niger Delta—an area she believes is central to understanding resistance, resilience, and agency in marginalized communities.
Professor Ekpootu is a SEPHIS Research Fellow and was named a SEPHIS–CODESRIA Young Historian in recognition of her contributions to African scholarship. She is a Life Member of the Historical Society of Nigeria, where she also served as National Treasurer, and continues to be actively involved in advancing historical knowledge and gender advocacy across academic and civic spaces.