Senator Prince Ned Munir Nwoko, a strong advocate of Malaria eradication in Africa, (born 21 December 1960) popularly known as Ned Nwoko is a Nigerian lawyer, philanthropist and politician, the Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District at the Nigerian National Assembly.
He may seldom hug the media headlines for different reasons, but one glaring thing is that Senator Ned Munir Nwoko’s passion for the development of his community, State and Nigeria is quite uncommon and very exemplary.
The former House of Representatives member and Prince of Udumuje Ugboko Kingdom in Delta State have many projects that can be attached to him. The tourist site that consists of a museum, farm, zoo, fishponds, poultry and a 9-hole golf course is one of them. Through his foundation, Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation, he has contributed to the empowerment and education of youths of his constituency, senatorial district and state.
In January 2020, he made headlines again for undertaking a symbolic expedition to Antarctica to flag off a malaria eradication project. Nwoko began his legal career as a prosecutor for the crown and qualified as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. He worked at Kumars Solicitors and Pascaldiers & Co Solicitors before establishing Ned Nwoko & Co Solicitors in London. Within the period, he was the Secretary-General of Nigerian Legal Practitioners in the UK and was visiting adviser, Citizens’ Advice Bureau, based in London and received an Honorary Doctorate degree in Letters (D.Litt.) from the Commonwealth University College, Belize and an honorary doctorate degree in science from the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Delta State.
A man with a huge appetite for education, he also proceeded to Keele University and Kings College London where he received an LLM in Maritime and commercial law and was subsequently called to the English bar, at Lincolns Inn. Nwoko returned to Nigeria in December 1998 to contribute to the enthronement of a viable democratic institution in the country following the military disengagement from power, after long years of military dictatorship.
Nwoko made a remarkable entry into Nigeria’s political scene when he contested and was elected member of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003. He represented Aniocha/ Oshimili Federal constituency, making an impressive showing in the legislative house.
As a legislator was part of those instrumental in the initiation of the London and Paris Club Loans renegotiation with Nigeria. He authored the reports that led to the Nigerian government’s discontinuation of monthly deductions from states’ allocations and commencement of refunds to States. Through his Law firm, Ned Nwoko Solicitors and his Company, he investigated the multinational creditors and discovered discrepancies in loan repayments, and this resulted in the refund of the first tranches of loan during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration. He also charged the Federal government to court on behalf of 774 Local governments for the refund of illegal deductions and obtained a judgment of $3.2 billion for the local governments. As of today, the federal government has refunded all the monies in line with the court judgment of 2013.
Nwoko also served on the Vision 2010 Committee and is a member of the capital market. He served as Chairman of the External Committee of Vision 2010, Chairman of Project Tourism Nigeria and Malaria eradication in Africa.
Ned Nwoko was the lawyer, who represented the Southern Cameroonians in the United Kingdom during their early struggle for independence, equally became the first black man from Africa to hoist Nigeria’s flag at Antarctica.
As a lawmaker, Hon. Nwoko moved several motions and sent in over 34 Bills some of which were adopted and many passed and charged the Federal Government to court on behalf of 774 Local governments for the refund of illegal deductions and obtained a judgment of $3.2 billion for the local governments. The Federal Government of Nigeria has refunded all the monies in line with the court judgment of 2013.
Through Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation, he has contributed to the empowerment and education of youths of his constituency, senatorial district and state.
In 2019, he donated $273,000 (valued today above N500M) for the rehabilitation of failed portions of the road linking South Eastern Nigeria to the nation’s capital, Abuja.
On Paris Club Refund, Ned Nwoko pursued creditor-countries for ten years. He faced all the challenges of pursuing creditor-countries to refund the excess deductions creamed off Nigeria’s repayment of foreign loans and other matters.
Ned Nwoko, through Linas International Limited, as an international legal firm,
pursued the matter of Paris Club Refund from 1992 to 2002, when most of those who are treating the refund as bailout fund or windfall from the sale of crude oil have not even dreamt of venturing into politics.
Distinguished Senator Ned Nwoko shall be conferred with National Development Icon Award at the Leadership Scorecard Public Lecture on Democracy in Africa, in honour of His Excellency, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar GCFR, former Head of State of Nigeria, slated to hold at NAF Conference Centre Abuja on the 29th of May, 2024, by 2pm.
Senator Ned Nwoko will be honoured at the event as one of the Democracy Icons among other eminent Nigerians, in recognition of his exceptional leadership exploits at the National Assembly, his uncommon humanitarian gestures across the continents, especially at his constituency in Delta State which have contributed positively in the advancement of Democracy in Nigeria and African Development at large.
The forthcoming Public Lecture shall unveil a special edition of Leadership Scorecard magazine, reflecting the roles of eminent democrats across the globe vis-a-vis the legacy and iconic accomplishments of Abdusalami Abubakar as Former Nigerian Head of State that midwifed the emergence of a democratically elected Government in Nigeria on May 29th, 1999.
