Danboyi Nuhu

I am a Program Performance Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning, Research, Leadership, Civic Engagement, Proposal and Strategic Planning Expert.

[Danboyi Nuhu @NuhuDanboyi]

@GRA_Nigeria @FranceInNigeria Let's showcase this !!!

[ElectoralCollegeNG @electoralcollng]

BREAKING NEW GROUNDS: THE MAIDEN EDITION OF THE SUG POLITERACY COHORT

On the 15th and 16th of January 2025, The Electoral College Nigeria, in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and the University of Jos Student Union Government (SUG), shattered barriers with the historic SUG Politeracy Cohort. This transformative event has ignited a wildfire of knowledge and accountability in the heart of university politics.

It is undeniable that being part of the SUG in any tertiary institution in Nigeria often serves as a direct path to mainstream politics. However, this journey is fraught with challenges, such as leaders forgetting the promises in their manifestos or reducing welfare responsibilities to mere events. This cohort was a critical intervention, a chance for student leaders to recalibrate their priorities and redefine leadership, ensuring they transition seamlessly into the broader political landscape with purpose and competence.

The intensive training featured a robust syllabus that covered the roles and responsibilities of the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary arms of government, as well as manifesto development, communication strategies, and declaration processes. This curriculum was designed to equip student leaders with the tools to excel in their respective offices and prepare them for the future.

The facilitators were nothing short of extraordinary—seasoned professionals with practical experience in politics and governance, who are driving meaningful change in their respective spheres. They delivered engaging, insightful sessions that left participants inspired and empowered.

The event wasn't just about lectures; it was also about building connections and fostering teamwork. A strategic football match between the University of Jos SUG and the Electoral College management and associates created a space for camaraderie and effective communication. The match was kicked off by the Chairman of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) Hon. Plangji Cishak adding a touch of prestige to the occasion.

The transformation in the participants was remarkable. From a pretest that revealed gaps in their understanding of governance to witnessing them draft, defend, and debate bills with confidence was nothing short of inspiring. They developed communication strategies and gained a profound understanding of their roles, setting a strong foundation for their leadership journeys.

This groundbreaking initiative by The Electoral College Nigeria has redefined the narrative of student leadership in Nigeria. The SUG Politeracy Cohort has ignited a movement that will spread like wildfire, ensuring we produce a generation of student leaders who are not only accountable but are also prepared to shape the future of governance in Nigeria.

Participants included SUG Executive officers, parliamentarians, hostel governors, faculty presidents, and SUG senators, all of whom have become ambassadors of responsible leadership.

We are proud to have set this milestone in student governance, and we are confident that this is just the beginning.

Together, we are fostering the leaders who will take Nigeria to greater heights.

@CanHCNigeria @EUinNigeria @FordFoundation @pwajok_jane @plasiecorg

#Electoralcollng #CJID #NED #Politeracy #SUG

[Danboyi Nuhu @NuhuDanboyi]

@electoralcollng @fisayosoyombo @DooshDennis A Honour well deserved

[Danboyi Nuhu @NuhuDanboyi]

@EParty89633 @electoralcollng 🔥♥️

[Grassroot Researchers Association (GRA-Nigeria) @GRA_Nigeria]

LIVE from Sokoto! We're launching a community campaign awareness on GBV with @FranceInNigeria, GRA & ILSWASI! Together, we're tracing the roots of #GBV in our communities.
#Day2
#GBVAwareness
#EndGBV
#Sokoto
#FranceInNigeria

[Danboyi Nuhu @NuhuDanboyi]

@AlsisiOfficial, On 29 September, prominent Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah will complete the length of his five-year unjust prison term simply for exercising his human rights. #FreeAlaa Now!

[Danboyi Nuhu @NuhuDanboyi]

@Presidence_gn, ensure the protection of civilians from human rights abuses by all parties. Provide swift medical assistance to anyone injured or affected during protests, including those detained. #ProtectTheProtest #HumanRights #keepProtestsSafe

[Dr Joe Abah, OON @DrJoeAbah]

What did I tell you about people who are completely bald but have a heavy beard? Didn’t I tell you that their heads are upside down? Now this one said that formation doesn’t matter. Would he have said that if the hair was on top and the chin was clean-shaven? 😂

[Ndubuisi Ekekwe @ndekekwe]

Yes, I am always happy when our community members ask me to comment on some important policies. The one today is how I view Nigeria’s plan to issue domestic USD dollar bonds later this year, considering all the efforts to wean Nigerians of US dollar. First, Nigeria needs this money for many reasons which include defending Naira, funding the national budget, servicing our debts (about 75% of revenue), and other national matters. They call it a "bond" but it is nothing but a loan which investors give to the government, and the government will repay the loan, with interest and the principal as agreed.

The government wants to entice us to bring those hidden US dollars which are in special bunkers into the banking system in Nigeria. Possibly, if you have US dollars under your pillow when you see the promise of getting that money back with interest, you will participate in the bond offering. This one is home, and domestic, which means villagers in Ovim, Abia State, can participate.

Are you excited already? Yes, the promise is to lend USD dollars, and be paid back in USD dollars with interest, by the Nigerian government. You have been waiting for that, and the government is going to make it possible soon.

As a village boy, the idea is good on paper, but this policy will destroy Naira further. Yes, he is coming again. Hold on - and chill. My point is simple: if you allow Nigerians to invest in USD to be paid interest in USD, people will sell Naira to look for USD to invest in this bond. In other words, Naira will weaken because this bond will put pressure on the local currency.

The implication is this: as the nation hopes to attract some local USD into the system, there is a risk of messing up Naira further in the process. In other words, the government is bringing this fight home, no more in New York or London, and Naira may not be prepared. https://t.co/v9Y5gcFZJf

[Ndubuisi Ekekwe @ndekekwe]

Many comments on the Naira. Yes, there is good news in the land; the trajectory of the Naira is promising as it is obeying gravity, trending downwards. The update is that it is hitting about N1,100/$, from the high of N1,700/$. Good People, we desperately desire that it returns to N650/$ which was the median market rate before the float.

I commend all the team members working to stabilize the FX rate. They have created a potent scenario, and that is the perception that the Naira could even get down to N900/$, ...N600/$, and as a result, currency traders are afraid. With that, demand could go low! There is a reverse osmosis in some quarters in Nigeria where some people with USD are swapping for Naira because they do not know how much the Naira could appreciate against the USD.

That said, it is not yet uhuru. I have written in the past that Nigeria has enormous resources to fight and win a short-term battle with special loans, collateralized commodities, etc. Six months ago, I wrote: “Sure, Nigeria has tools which can bring Naira back to sub-N800/$ ... The real challenge is a long-term playbook. Yes, how do you keep Naira stable over a long-term view via endogenous policies which support Naira from inside to outside?” Simply, what we need is how to WIN the war on FX, not just the battles.

Since the Naira was introduced in 1973, there have been many battles, with some wins and many losses, but if you look deeper, we have continued to lose the war. So, over 50 years, we have moved from at worst N1/$ to now above N1,100/$. Winning the war for Naira begins with 24/7 electricity, security in the land, improved rule of law, a mindset of innovation and making things in Nigeria. (This is my response to members asking for my comment on the improving FX) https://t.co/dWcVRS2z58

[Ndubuisi Ekekwe @ndekekwe]

Typo: "afo", not "afro"

[Ndubuisi Ekekwe @ndekekwe]

Growth solves most problems in companies. And when an investment works, everyone is a genius. Yes, if a CEO has great numbers, before Board members, the CEO is a great communicator, during a Board review. But if the numbers are terrible, even if the CEO has been trained by the best coach on business communication and presentation, the job may be gone before the presentation ends.

That takes me to this: “In the mid-1990s, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos persuaded his siblings, Mark and Christina, to invest $10,000 each in his company. Little did they anticipate that this investment would one day transform them into billionaires. In 1996, Mark and Christina each purchased 30,000 shares of Amazon for $10,000.. Fortunately, Bezos’ vision for Amazon proved fruitful, propelling the company to extraordinary success. What began as a $10,000 investment in 1996 has since ballooned into a staggering $1.30 billion (excluding dilution), representing a remarkable gain of 13,025,889%” BusinessBulls

Get this from me: find ways to pay yourself; feel free to borrow my personal finance strategy which I developed as an entry level staff in Diamond Bank.

"As a banker, I understood one thing: how much you make is a small part of your financial success and independence. Interestingly, getting that independence requires moving from a static phase to a dynamic phase (as in mechanics in physics). Simply, you need to take action – and that action means having a plan.

"In my first month as a banker, I developed a 45-20-20-15 Strategy, allocating wages to different “catalysts for success”. Doing simple calculus and regression, I figured out that by putting 15% on dividend paying stocks and other investable assets, for every 5 years of work, I will get wages for two years free, keeping inflation and currency losses constant."

Have you developed your personal economy strategy, not just your company's corporate plan? Good luck.
https://t.co/Y1Y9LybeMa

[Ndubuisi Ekekwe @ndekekwe]

The Enyimba City, Aba, will host the world on April 19, 2024, showing the creativity, the ingenuity, and the maker spirit of Aba. Yes, you’re cordially invited to the Abamade Trade Fair and Exhibition at Aba Sports Club. Come and see products created by builders and makers in Aba.

We’re expecting His Excellency, Dr Alex Otti, to grace this event because his vision of a Greater Abia will go through empowering innovators and builders in Abia. Abia is a home of innovation with a slogan of “prosperity through enterprise”. We offer many benefits to investors including a top-grade human capital.

Nigerians in diaspora, Abia has a vehicle to support your mission. We are working to make things easier for you to execute those missions in Africa. The playbook will be unveiled very soon.

Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe
Member, Abia State Global Economic Advisory Council
Co-Chair, Abia State Economic Transformation Council
Board Member, Abia Diaspora Commission

*If you are organizing a productive event in Abia State, let me know, for some shouts. Let us see how to support you as you bring people together, to advance the mission of making Abia State the #1 in Nigeria on opportunity and human welfare. https://t.co/BOeDyHtEWz

[Ndubuisi Ekekwe @ndekekwe]

The Johns Hopkins University archived it permanently in the Sheridan Libraries. The United States Library of Congress also recorded it. Getty Images got the rights to distribute it around the world. A photo taken on the day I recorded a major breakthrough in my PhD research. The University Press came over and covered it. Later, we filed a patent which was awarded. In 2017, I signed some documents, assigning some rights to the US Government, to use in many national projects, including space.

Next week, I will be going back to that special school. Yes, only the favoured few are honoured at home.  Join me at the 2024 Johns Hopkins University Africa Business Conference, under the theme of Africa’s Renaissance, as I keynote this important conference, on April 13, 2024.

Date: April 13, 2024
Venue: Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center,  555 Pennsylvania Ave,  Washington DC.
Distinguished Keynote Speaker: Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe

Everyone is invited for the in-person conference at one of the world’s finest universities https://t.co/iH8aJlKSO9

[Ndubuisi Ekekwe @ndekekwe]

Good People, the man of the moment is Chief Allen Onyema of Air Peace - Tekedia 2019 Businessperson Of The Year. In the Igbo Nation, it takes the killing of one leopard to be called a killer of leopards. But what happens when a man has killed many leopards? You give him a plural pronoun - and that means when the man arrives to an event, you say “unu abiala” [you people have come] even though one person is standing right there. Hahahaha.

Chief Allen Onyema is a legend and we commend his entrepreneurial vision. The voyage from Nigeria to London, UK, is a great one. And as he did that, he took a really good part of Nigeria: our culture and our heritage. That attire is “isi-agu” and it is a symbol of strength and unbounded energy. And they capped it with a red cap which depicts royalty and leadership. An amazing combo in aesthetic splendour. I hope they add more Nigerian attires especially for the international routes: let us use those attires to project Nigeria and Africa.

Meanwhile, some have written that the latest Netflix movie on the Igbo Apprenticeship System did not cite my work appropriately. Good People, there is nothing to worry: I am happy they cited the Harvard University work even though they muted the name of the village boy behind it.  As a teacher, you consider it an honour when your work can even get to the big screens; I thank the producers for that honour.

Sure, the Showmax’s Freemen did a better job by even interviewing me for the movie. With that, I could be entered for the Oscars! I am working for my speech ...who knows I could be nominated. Lol https://t.co/q8RULh3QvC

[Danboyi Nuhu @NuhuDanboyi]

We need your help to protect anti-corruption human rights defenders in Africa. Sign the petition to demanding more measures to protect them. https://t.co/U0OI3cmGBH

[Danboyi Nuhu @NuhuDanboyi]

Saudi authorities are imprisoning and sentencing people to decades in prison or even death for posting about rights and reforms on social media. Act now and call for their release! #KingdomofRepression https://t.co/mfxAEokuEW

[Ndubuisi Ekekwe @ndekekwe]

Two precious awards from my alma mater - Federal University of Technology Owerri Nigeria (FUTO). One for delivering the University Public Lecture and another for the Commencement/Convocation Lecture. Only the favoured are honoured at home; thanks FUTO for picking a kid from Ovim and preparing him for the world.

I knew the day I left the village for a journey into engineering, and I knew how I felt, when all was done in FUTO. I carried my small bag from the hostel on a Friday, to resume as a Systems Engineer in Bourdex Telecoms, on a Monday (furnished 3 bedroom, driver with assigned Mercedes Benz, etc). My Head of Department, Prof SOE Ogbogu, had told Bourdex, “Ekekwe is not available for an interview; you either hire him or not, because out of respect to this department, you do not have to interview our best”.

The same Prof called me months later for another opening in Schlumberger Dowell. The instruction was clear: “Ekekwe, even if you do not want this job, go and decline it’. I entered the plane the first time just to decline a job, to save the reputation of my alma mater.

FUTO offered the finest engineering education in Africa and companies came at scale. Nine months to graduation, jobs came. What do you want as a young graduate? Left and right, Nigeria worked for me, and FUTO played a role. That is why we have to work harder to make sure today’s young people experience the unbounded opportunities many of us had.

#FUTO >> thank you for your service to the world.

[Ndubuisi Ekekwe @ndekekwe]

Communication is the operating system of commerce and money does the handshaking. In this video, the seller is speaking Igbo, and has adopted Anambra State as his State. More so, he gave the price in Igbo!

In China and some Southeast Asian countries, sellers are finding how to win the hearts of their customers, by learning their languages. In Awka, in China’s Confucius Institute, the traders in Anambra are also learning Mandarin and languages to help them thrive in the remote parts of China where they get bargain prices.

The first time I tasted zobo during NYSC, I asked the woman who sold it how to say certain things in Hausa: if a seller has has zobo (kuna zobo?) and how much is zobo (nawa zobo), etc. Armed with those, I did get discounts from sellers who truly appreciated the efforts to speak Hausa!

Competitive advantages in markets come in many ways. Language, especially in trading, should not be neglected.

[Inibehe Effiong @InibeheEffiong]

I was on the same flight to Abuja this evening with Pastor @SarahOmakwu, the Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre.

While waiting for my luggage, I walked up to her and greeted her for being a conscientious voice.

As I was approaching her, she paused her phone call and we exchanged pleasantries. She was warm and receptive; she even introduced a woman that she said is her sister to me.

All that I could say was “God bless you, we need more people like you in this country”.

It takes conscience in Nigeria to openly and bluntly preach against corruption, bad governance and nepotism.

While some religious leaders are bowing before corrupt politicians, Pastor Sarah Omakwu has continued to preach the gospel of righteousness.