Dr. Lawal Marafa is a Professor at the Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is the founding Director, Postgraduate programme in Sustainable Tourism. He is a Senior Fellow of the World Leisure Academy and serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the World Leisure Organization. He also serves as a member of the Uited Nations World Committee on Tourism Ethics. Dr. Marafa was awarded the “Exemplary Teacher Award” in 2005, and received the Royal Belum Inaugural Ecotourism Award, Perak, Malaysia, and served as Facilitator at the (Bill) Clinton Global Initiative.

Dr. Marafa worked with various organizations in Nigeria including as a Principal Land Use Planning Officer at the World Bank assisted Sokoto Agriculture and Rural Development Authority; and as a Principal Forest Planning Officer, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Federal Department of Forestry, Abuja. While residing in Hong Kong, he serves as the regional coordinator for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Business Group (NEPAD-BG), and also coordinates for the African Business Roundtable in Asia.