Bernard Nyarko Owusu Sekyere—also known as Bernie and Nana Akwasi Nyarko—is a seasoned African scholar, policy analyst, and development practitioner whose work bridges academic rigour, cultural intelligence, and practical impact. With over three decades of experience across academia, civil society, faith-based development, and consultancy, he is widely respected for his contributions to peacebuilding, public policy analysis, food security systems, and African endogenous development frameworks.
Bernard holds postgraduate qualifications in International Relations, Political Economy, Peace and Conflict Studies, and Theology and Development, earned through the University of KwaZulu Natal and affiliated institutions. His academic career includes lecturing at the University of KwaZulu Natal, where he taught modules in international relations, global security, public policy, and post-apartheid governance, achieving consistently high student success rates and introducing innovative teaching methodologies.
He is the Founder and Director of the Afrika Centre for Intangible Phenomena Studies (ACIPS), an institution dedicated to advancing African cosmology, traditional governance systems, and culturally grounded policy discourse. Through ACIPS, Bernard leads research initiatives, scholarly publications, ceremonial dialogues, and institutional partnerships that foreground African epistemologies in contemporary development and governance conversations.
Bernard’s research and publications have had tangible policy influence, most notably his widely cited work on peace and reconciliation in Côte d’Ivoire, which informed post-conflict peacebuilding frameworks and Truth and Reconciliation processes. His scholarship is referenced by international institutions, including the United Nations, African security bodies, and leading universities across Europe, Africa, and North America.
Beyond academia, Bernard has served as a principal evaluator, policy consultant, and training facilitator for government agencies, universities, donor-funded projects, and private institutions across Southern and West Africa. His expertise spans monitoring and evaluation, project sustainability, public policy implementation, food security monitoring systems, and institutional capacity development. He has designed and delivered executive training programmes for senior officials, project directors, and development practitioners from multiple African countries.
Earlier in his career, Bernard worked extensively in community development and humanitarian leadership, managing poverty alleviation, women’s economic empowerment, youth entrepreneurship, and food security initiatives in Northern Ghana. His lived experience includes direct involvement in conflict mediation, humanitarian response, and grassroots peacebuilding during periods of inter-ethnic violence—experience that continues to inform his scholarly and policy work.
A committed social entrepreneur and mentor, Bernard combines analytical depth with ethical leadership, cultural sensitivity, and strategic foresight. He is known for his ability to translate complex ideas into accessible frameworks, inspire cross-cultural collaboration, and integrate African values into modern institutional practice.
Bernard is fluent in English and few Afrikan languages, and he demonstrates advanced proficiency in research methodologies, data analysis, and the use of digital tools—including AI-driven research platforms. His work reflects a lifelong commitment to African self-definition, sustainable development, peace, and knowledge systems rooted in dignity and cultural continuity.