Dr Salamatu Jidda-Fada, founder of the North Wales Africa Society and a Bangor City Councillor has been awarded an honorary degree at Bangor University.
A Nigerian-born conservation scientist and educator, Dr Fada was a research fellow at the Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation, and visiting researcher in the School of Natural Sciences at Bangor University. Still based in Bangor, Salamatu works as a conservation consultant in promoting a greener Wales and is active in promoting environmental awareness amongst ethnic minority communities and the wider Welsh society.
Stemming from her work as founder of the North Wales Africa Society, Salamatu contributed to the Welsh Government Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) group as a member and is the Vice Chair for Adult Learning Wales. She is also an advisory member of the RSPB Cymru and is the first black person to be elected as a Councillor for Bangor City Council.
Addressing the students, Dr Salamatu Jidda-Fada, said, “My ambition was to earn a PhD at Bangor University and go back home to Nigeria. I never imagined that 12 years later, Bangor would be my second home. I have family, very good friends and a community that I love and feel a sense of responsibility towards.”
