Staff

Joyce is the Project Coordinator for R-NEET at the University of Pretoria, with extensive experience in managing projects across various sectors, including public health, capacity building, development and advocacy, early-career research fellowships, and multidisciplinary research in sub-Saharan Africa. Her primary focus is on health programmes, particularly those addressing the needs of adolescents and youth. Joyce holds qualifications in the basic sciences and a Master of Public Health (MPH).

Joyce is delighted to be part of the R-NEET team, contributing to the collaboration and success of the project’s initiatives to promote the health of African youth.

Fidelis Allen is a Professor of Development Studies in the Department of Political and Administrative Studies at the University of Port Harcourt. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His research interest covers natural resource conflict, environmental politics, decoloniality, intersectionality, youth, climate policy, oil politics, social cohesion, and social movements. He has authored several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and co-authored two recent books, Decolonising African Development Models: A New Post-Colonial Critique and Global Food Politics and Approaches to Sustainable Consumption, Emerging Research Opportunities. Allen has led several research projects.

I am excited about my role as R-NEET project coordinator, as this study offers the opportunity to promote our understanding, and support knowledge-driven change over the next five years, and beyond.

Alberta Ofosu (BSc, MSc) is the R-NEET doctoral research assistant based at the University of Leicester. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Criminology and Social Policy, with a focus on gender-based violence, social justice, and mental health, particularly within African and UK diaspora contexts. Her research interests include exploring how past sexual violence traumas and societal expectations shape young people’s self-identity and resilience.

With strong commitment to supporting vulnerable youth, Alberta is excited to be part of the R-NEET team, working on a project that allows the sharing of insights and knowledge as well as contributing to a project that highlights challenges faced by youth.