Bem Asem
Co-founder of Pension Justice

Bem Asen is a young development expert that is very high achieving. He has obtained a Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in Zoology.  He also has a Ph.D. in Post Harvest Management (Fisheries Specialty).

In May 2022, he received the award of Master of Science in Global Ageing and Policy at the University of Southampton, which was fully funded by the Commonwealth secretariate making him a Commonwealth scholar.

In the last ten years, he has had an impactful career in the development and humanitarian space in Nigeria cutting across; poverty alleviation; climate change; gender and vulnerability inclusiveness; education; water; health; food security; building resilience through livelihood development; conflict management; governance. He has helped in the implementation of UN, USAID, and World Bank Projects, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands directly particularly in the poorest of the poor communities in rural Nigeria.

He is the co-founder of Pension Justice, a civic tech organization that leverages data, technology, and community activism to deliver user-friendly justice to retired and older people in Nigeria who suffer from pension corruption and grievous inequalities in later life.

His exploits as a social innovator have gained him awards such as the Microsoft Insider for Good, Fellowship; LEAP Africa Social Innovators Fellowship; Commonwealth fellowship (Scholar); Innocent Chukwuma Social Impact (ICSI) Fellowship.

Bem is of the Tiv ethnic group in Benue State, Northcentral Nigeria. He was born on the 19th of November 1988.

He spends his free time reading science journals for fun and also enjoys reading biographies and books on how the world works.

Dr. Asen thinks success is when he provides a soft life for his family (Nuclear and extended), help strangers have a good day, and achieve professional goals for himself and the organization he is working for.