Nigeria Getting Ready for Female Presidency in 2023 -By Pat Agu

MEET AMB. PROF. FUNMILAYO ADESANYA-DAVIES

AMB. FUNMILAYO ADESANYA-DAVIES, a linguist educationist public servant since 1988, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, has served as a University lecturer and administrator for thirty-six (36) years, 1985 to-date as a consultant, researcher and activist to-date. Mercy Olufunmilayo, a multi-talented teacher of teachers is a member of POLAC Int’l Peace Advocate, who currently serves as the Country President, International director, as well as, the Deputy Chairperson on the board, serving humanity towards achieving ECOWAS millennium goals. POLAC – Positive Livelihood Award Centre, alias UN-POLAC ‘s mandate is to enhance the effectiveness of the UN millennium development goals and UNESCO Culture of Peace Programme particularly the maintenance of peace and unity in diversity.

Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies hails from Ira, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. In the political parlance, once an ardent Member of ACCORD Party in Kwara State over the years, then a prominent People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member, and presidential aspirant in 2019, she later emerged as the presidential candidate of Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA) in the 2019 election. She is the editor and co-author of the celebrated and popular presidential endorsed book, Jonathan/ Sambo Presidency in Nigeria: A Symbol of Peace, Unity and Progress, placed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in every University and National libraries of the Country, in line with the Commission’s continued efforts to promote publications, research quality and global visibility of academic staff in the Nigerian University System.

Princess Mercy Adesanya-Davies, from a royal lineage, was born on October 15th, 1962 and always believesin “Power to the Women and to the Youth of this generation for the prosterity of our unborn children.” She says “when a woman is in power, the Youth and Children are better empowered and catered for, so also is the entire society.” As a member of Women for Change Initiatives, within the power play of PDP in 2017, she saw the need for the registration of a party as APDP – Advanced Peoples’ Democratic Party, if the Makafi-faction of the PDP had not won. A versatile academic and educational prodigy, prolific journalist, widely read, travelled, linguist, poet, author, editor, pastor, psychologist, activist, expert in the field of communication studies, who was in the Versity in the 80s, when Nigerian Universities were well respected in the global academic community, her vision is to pay back to the Nigerian community which nurtured her to the current status.

A credible woman of impeccable character, she believes in determination, professionalism, excellence, accomplishment and experience. One who cherishes the ideals of a democratic, free and egalitarian society, she thus emerged as the ticket bearer of MAJA and a female candidate in 2019. She is known for her leadership prowess and competence, strategic mind, ability and skills, vocal audacity, strong presence and personality. She demonstrates resilience as well as versatility, locally, nationally and internationally and political interest, education, humanitarian activities, general experience in administration, in over three decades.

Mercy Olufunmilayo Adesanya-Davies with her B.A (Ife), M.A English (Ilorin), Ph.D Applied Linguistics & Communication Studies (Port Harcourt) and P.G.D.E (Port Harcourt) holds a Doctor of Divinity (D.D) and Professor of Divinity (Honoris Causa) of Northwestern Christian University, USA. She is also working currently on her second Ph.D in Clinical Linguistics and Psychology at TBU-GE, New York, USA, where she serves as an adjunct professor and consultant.

Mercy is an academic and educational consultant, on professorial cadre, at Rivers State University of Education, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, where she has lectured in language, linguistics and communication studies in the past thirty-two years. She also facilitates courses in Language and General Studies at the National Open University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria and has served on sabbatical, as Deputy Provost at Life gate College of Education, Ilorin; Kwara State, Nigeria; Dean at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of Regent University of Science and Technology, Accra, Ghana and a Visiting Professor to the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. Mercy, an international educationist, is an External Examiner, supervisor of Doctoral dissertations, for the School of Postgraduate Studies of one of the African number One Universities, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Mercy Davies facilitates Seminars and Workshops for Longman Pearson, Nigeria and Cinefores, Brainfriend Project, Lagos, Nigeria.

She has over one hundred national and international published articles, books and poems to her credit and has delivered several scholarly, professional and public lectures in Nigeria, Africa, UK, Europe, United States, Canada, etc. Mercy is a member of; The British Association for Applied Linguistics (UK), Internationale de Linguistiquee (AILA), International Phonetics Association, UK., Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) Nigeria, The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), and Teachers Registration Council (TRC) Nigeria etc. She also serves as External Examiner supervising Doctoral dissertations for the School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Winner of several awards which include:
a. Great Woman of the 21st Century Award by American Biographical Institute USA
b. Woman of the Year Award by International Biographical Centre (IBC) UK
c. The Teaching Excellence Award by American Biographical Institute (ABI)
d. The Achievement in Research Award by American Biographical Institute (ABI)USA
e. Universal Federation Ambassador of Peace Award. Nigeria
f. The Best Adjudicator Award- South–South University Debate Championship, University of Calabar
g. Human Capital Development and Good Governance Award, Abuja, Nigeria
h. Legend of Courage Award, Merit house, Abuja, Nigeria
i. UN-POLAC World Peace Ambassador Award (Amb.P.) Merit House, Abuja, Nigeria
j. Nigeria Woman of Excellence Merit Award, (WEMA), with the theme ‘Women Inspiring
k. Positive Change’ in commemoration of international Women’s Day (IWD), 2014
l. African Achievers Merit Award by The Africa Media Executives, Accra, Ghana, 2014
m. Great African Legacy Award by Noble Global News Magazine, Dubai, UAE, 2014
n. Nigeria Woman of the Year Award, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, 2014
o. Nelson Mandela Life of Legendary Achievement Medal Award, Dubai, UAE, 2014
p. Kwara’s Foremost Scientists and Thinkers Award, Kwara State, Nigeria, 2015
q. Child Dream Award by Child Dream International, Abuja 2016
r. World Ambassador for Christ WAFC, USA, 2017
s. Outstanding Leadership and long service award by National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), 2018
t. Sir Ahmadu Bello Platinum Leadership Award of Excellence, Abuja 2018
u. ‘JARMAN MATASAN AREWA’ (War Lord of the Northern Youths), Abuja 2018
v. The Award of Excellence Leadership for Great contribution and effort in fighting against COVID-19 by Oga Ndi Oga Foundation, 2021.

She is currently in the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 as she commences another Ph.D degree in Clinical Linguistics and Psychology. She believes, “the Coronavirus curve must be flattened and each country should work towards producing their own prevention and cure, booster/vaccine and no one should be left behind in the fight against COVID-19. As she takes a lead in the discovered combo-herbal supplement SAAABMAL for COVID-19 in Nigeria; she has of recent also written over twenty four (24) poetry books on the deadly Coronavirus pandemic, in year 2020.

Passionate about the transformation, development, progress and unity of Nigeria, she is an accomplished educationist, who believes she can boost Nigeria’s Human Capital Development Index and its Competitiveness in the area of skills and talent management. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, the Chairperson of Princess Mercy Ade-Davies International Foundation (PMADIF) is the newly appointed Country President of POLAC vying for the position of Nigeria President as the only Amazon Aspirant of Nigeria’s largest party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.