Rodgers Lubilo grow up in a rural Zambia near the South Luangwa National Park in the Eastern province of Zambia. He started off his conservation career as a community volunteer in supporting Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) programmes through the Norwegian government support Luangwa Integrated Resources Development Project (LIRDP) in the mid-90s. As a young man he understood the politics of managing Africa’s natural resources. He has risen through the ranks to work and support CBNRM programmes not only in Zambia but the Southern African region. Dr Lubilo holds a PhD in Development Sociology from Wageningen University Netherlands with key focus in wildlife conservation and CBNRM, prior to his PhD, Lubilo obtained a Master of Science degree in Conservation and Rural Development at Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology.
For more than two decades he has worked with various communities in Zambia south Luangwa, Kafue and now North Luangwa. He also worked with conservancies in Zambezi region of Namibia supporting institutional development. In South Africa, he supported the institutional development of Somkhanda Community Conservation in KwaZulu Natal. In Mozambique, he worked through with the Southern African Wildlife college and WWF-SA to support CBNRM in Mangalane community of Mozambique. Conducted various governance research and support to conservation Trust in the ngamiland and Okavango Delta of Botswana.
He is currently, the Chairperson of the Zambia CBNRM Forum and Senior Technical Advisor to the Frankfurt Zoological Society North Luangwa Ecosystem project in North Luangwa. He is a strong advocate for community rights in conservation, devolution of rights and revenues and good governance. He brings years of experience in building strong community institutions, partnerships and networking.