Social justice champion receives honorary degree

A distinguished policy adviser and advocate for equality has received an honorary degree from the University of Reading.

Dr Nero Ughwujabo, Senior Strategic Adviser for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at the King's Trust, received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters in a ceremony on Wednesday 10 December.

Ughwujabo served at the highest level of UK government as Special Adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May, becoming the first person of African descent to hold this position. His portfolio covered social justice, young people, and opportunities, where he played a pivotal role in shaping policies on community cohesion, youth empowerment, and equality.

Born in Nigeria, he first arrived in the UK at the age of 14. His career has spanned government, business, and the voluntary sector. He led the groundbreaking Race Disparity Audit at No. 10, which exposed the many ways in which ethnicity shapes people's experiences of public services. This resulted in the Explain Or Change programme, covering areas such as stop and search, home ownership, mental health services, and employment.

Ughwujabo introduced Stephen Lawrence Day, Windrush Day, and the Windrush Commemoration Statue at Waterloo Station as national symbols of remembrance, resilience, and belonging. He also helped to create the £19 million Youth Futures Fund, which continues to open doors for young people across the country, while continuing his charitable work in his home country of Nigeria.

Before his work in government, Ughwujabo served as Chief Executive of the Croydon BME Forum for sixteen years. Under his leadership, voluntary and minority community groups united to challenge structural inequalities across public services, health and education. One of his most remarkable achievements was reducing school exclusions in the borough – of which 99% were Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani boys - to zero, through a model tying exclusion to performance funding.

Ughwujabo graduated from the University of Reading with a degree in Film and Drama, and later completed an MBA at the University of East London. 

Professor Parveen Yaqoob, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Reading, said: "The struggle for equality is not a distant ideal, but a daily responsibility – a call to act wherever we see unfairness or exclusion. Few people embody that conviction more strongly than Nero Ughwujabo. Through his vision, compassion and unwavering commitment to justice, Nero has made and continues to make a difference to the lives of others.

"From his work uniting community organisations in Croydon to his groundbreaking policy work at No. 10, Nero has consistently fought to ensure that all people have the opportunity to realise their potential and contribute fully to our shared future."

Today, Ughwujabo continues his work at The King's Trust, a charity established by His Majesty the King to build a future that works for young people. He is also a regular television and radio commentator, including on the BBC and ITV's Good Morning Britain.