Dr. Shadrach Teryila Ukuma has been teaching Theatre and Cultural Studies at the Theatre Arts Department of Benue State University since April 2013. He holds a dual PhD in Cultural Sustainability from the SDG Graduate School “Performing Sustainability: Cultures and Development in West Africa” via a joint commission (Cotutelle de These) between the University of Hildesheim (Germany) and University of Maiduguri (Nigeria).
His thesis entitled “Cultural Performances: A Study on Managing Collective Trauma amongst Displaced Persons in Daudu Community of Benue State, Nigeria” was published by Peter Lang International Academic Publishers in 2021. Dr. Ukuma also co-edited the volume “Recentring Cultural Performance and Orange Economy in Postcolonial Africa: Policy, Soft Power and Sustainability” which was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2022.
In 2022, Dr. Ukuma was trained and certified at The Festival Academy of the European Festival Association as a Festival and Cultural Manager. Between 2022 and 2023, the Alumni Network of the DAAD Graduate School also trained him extensively in a series of three workshops held in Ghana, Germany and Uganda under the theme “Co-creating Avenues for Culture and Sustainable Development.”
Dr. Shadrach Teryila Ukuma won the Reinholdt Würth Foundation Global South Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cultural Management and taught International Cultural Management to Master’s students at the Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, Campus Künzelsau, Germany, in the Winter Semester of 2021. He has also given invited lectures to postgraduate students in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Warwick, UK, and the Universities of Bielefeld and Hildesheim in Germany.
Shadrach also served as a Researcher in Residence for Pengo International Academy Lab of the Hildesheimer Wallungen Festival, Germany, from May to July 2023. In August 2024, Dr. Ukuma was selected by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation as one of twelve Fellows across the world for a Residency Programme in Berlin, Germany, to engage on the theme “Power and Knowledge: Confronting Imbalances in Our Knowledge Systems between Global North and the Global South” with a target to produce a policy paper for research funding and development cooperation, as well as other output formats.
His research interests include Cultural Performance and Aesthetics, Cultural Management, Transculturality, Cultural Sustainability, Theatre Tourism, and Creative Peacebuilding. In addition, Shadrach belongs to many academic societies and has participated in over 30 Conferences and Workshops at home and abroad, while also serving on many committees in Benue State University.
Since 2015, Dr. Ukuma has been serving as the pioneer Director of the Kyegh Sha Shwa Cultural Festival (www.kyeghshashwa.org), an annual multidisciplinary cultural celebration event, which he co-founded. His involvement in the development of the Creative Industries in Benue State is quite noticeable, particularly in the area of Filmmaking, Festival Management, Entertainment Design, Mentorship, and Cultural Promotion.
He is happily married to Mrs. Mnena Nelly Ukuma and the union is blessed with a son, Master Simon Tor-er Ukuma.
With over 23 years of experience in tourism development and management, Alice has successfully spearheaded initiatives to promote Benue State’s rich cultural heritage and natural attractions.
She has managed high-profile projects, including:
– Akata Fishing Festival
– Benue International Hotel
– Benue Hotel
– Makurdi Zoological garden Her responsibilities have included regulating, grading, and registration of hotels in Benue State, overseeing parks and gardens, and showcasing the culture and potentials of the Benue people to the world. She was also instrumental in establishing the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism in Benue State.
Alice played a key role in developing the ‘Benue Tourism Policy,’ a comprehensive framework guiding tourism development in the state, awaiting government approval. She has also proposed a law for tourism activities.
As Director of Tourism, Alice works closely with stakeholders to drive economic growth, job creation, and cultural preservation. She holds a B.Sc in International Studies from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria and an M.Sc in International Law and Diplomacy from Benue State University (now Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi). Alice has received recognition for her outstanding contributions to the field and is a respected leader in the tourism sector, dedicated to promoting Benue’s cultural heritage and natural beauty.
Born 53 years ago to the family of Hon.MT Azaatse and Mrs BM Azaatse of Mbaduku,Shangev-Ya.Second in the family of 8 he had his primary education at Nativity Private school, Makurdi, Benue State and passed out in 1984.He proceeded to Bristow Secondary School Gboko and passed out in 1989 as the best graduating student in the arts classes.
He obtained a B.A(Hons) degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Jos,Plateau State.He was also a student Union parliamentarian. For his one year mandately National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) he served as assistant Cultural officer with the Akwa-Ibom State council for arts and culture.He was also the artistic Director of the NYSC Theatre Troupe. After his service year in 1999 he was employed into the service of the Benue State government in The Teaching Service Board to teach English and literature.
In 2004 he transferred to the Benue State council for arts and culture as a Cultural officer1 from where he grew up and served in various capacities and appointments with the council till 2024 when he was appointed the Ag Director/CEO of the Benue State council for arts and culture.He is a dramatics, scriptwriter,short films producer, cultural activists, choreographer and Scholar.Pursuing a PhD in Theatre Arts from Benue State University, Makurdi. His hobbies includes reading, writing and jogging.
Mrs. Nenge Grace is a dedicated civil servant of Benue State, with a distinguished career spanning over three decades. Born on the 21st of July, 1967, she is a proud daughter of the Ahura Kpile family from Vandeikya Local Government Area.
Her academic journey is marked by excellence and a focus on the arts. She laid her educational foundation at St. Theresa’s Girls Primary School, Jos, from 1973 to 1978. She then proceeded to Tilley Gyado College, Makurdi, for her secondary education from 1979 to 1983. She later completed her A-Levels at the School of Basic Studies, Makurdi, between 1983 and 1985, before obtaining a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Jos from 1989 to 1991.
Mrs. Nenge Grace began her distinguished career in the civil service with the Teaching Service Board (TSB) in 1993, where she served diligently for twenty-three years. In a strategic move to align her profession with her academic background, she transferred to the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICT).
Currently, she holds the position of Acting Director of Culture within the Ministry. Serving at Grade Level 15, she is actively steering the affairs of culture department in the State and is duly awaiting her well-deserved promotion to Grade Level 16.
A woman of strength and grace, she is the widow of the late Mr. Emmanuel Nenge from Tarka Local Government Area.
Mrs. Nenge Grace’s life and career, built on a foundation of over 30 years of public service since 1993, stand as a testament to her commitment, resilience, and immense contribution to the civil service and now the cultural landscape of Benue State.