Chukwuka Monye
The Emerging Technocrat and 2023 Spotlight
The New Class
A relative newcomer to the political scene, much of Chukwuka Chukwunedum Paul Monye’s prior experience to his January 15th Presidential declaration has been hinged on management consulting, and innovation strategy. A member of the class of the new “third force” technocrat contingent of presidential hopefuls, Monye comes packaged with a history of corporate innovation and business leadership.
Early Years
Hailing from from Delta State the 42 year old Igbo businessman is a Christian from Onicha-Ugbo in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. He was born in Lagos state and had his primary education at Maryland Convent Primary School, he attended the Federal Government College in Ijanikin for his secondary education.
He thereafter proceeded to the US on scholarship for his B.Sc in Business Administration at Warner University, Florida. According to EDTimes, he “was always interested in fighting for the rights of fellow people and was also the first black student union president” at the University. Perhaps indicative of his sense of idealism
Upon the completion of his degree programme, Monye attended the renowned Oxford University in England for his PGD in Strategy and Innovation as well as a Masters of Business Administration (MBA).
According to his personal website, Monye is also currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration at the University of Warwick where he is “researching the factors that affect the commercialization of ideas in Africa.”
Career
After his academic sojourn at Oxford University, an illustrious corporate career soon followed. With Monye starting out his career as a branch manager for Citigroup, a US based company.
He has also worked as an independent consultant for companies including ICT firms such as SocketWorks and Etisalat. After that, entrepreneur Monye led teams to develop the Public Private Partnership framework; serving as the CEO of the Edo Specialist Hospital (ESH) , and interim Chief Executive Officer of the EkoCorp Plc owners of the Eko Hospital. He has also served as the Chief Marketing Officer of Suburban Telecom.
Chukwuka Monye is the founding partner of Ciuci Consulting. He is also a business trainer and often speaks at seminars and conducts business workshops in Nigeria and abroad.
Personal Life
He is married to Ifeoma Monye and has 2 children. He is also currently based in Asaba, Delta State.
According to his personal website, Monye enjoys social welfarism; from spearheading a state owned health insurance scheme in Edo State, hosting several social impact initiatives including – iQube, a “knowledge sharing platform for young innovative entrepreneurs”; Comforter’s Companion which was established in 2004 to cater to the vulnerable in the society; AGCare Foundation which is dedicated to improving the lives of the vulnerable; and Delta Economic Summit Group, a think tank where he served as the Inaugural Director General.
Politics
A relative greenhorn in Politics, Monye made the very bold decision to declare his intentions to contest for the 2023 elections on the 15th of January. In a public address at his hometown of Onicha-Ugbo, Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State, Monye gave a well articulated retort on the basis for his decision. Citing his age and corporate experience as anchor points for his candidacy.
“I am offering myself to serve Nigeria in the capacity that will unify and engage the citizens to embrace and execute a plan that focuses on resetting the foundation of the nation so that the transformation of the country into a true African leader can begin. We must re-organize our security systems and our institutions in order to create the environment that will lead to job creation and poverty alleviation.”
Monye, 2022.
With a three point agenda anchoring his vision on security, institutional reforms and job creations, Monye has since begun his strategic moves into working his way into political conversation around the country. With moves that have seen him join one of the premier “third force” parties, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) interestingly alongside another member of the aforementioned “technocrat contingent of presidential hopefuls”’; Kingsley Moghalu.
Monye has also created a rallying crowd, under the SPEC umbrella that has seen him set up regional and local chapters of supporters. SPEC being a play on his projected characteristics as a “Social Innovator”, People Driven”, “Excellence Driven”, “Community Oriented” politician. While quietly amassing interests on social media via active engagements on different platforms and a generally approachable demeanour.
One could conclude that for a first timer, Monye has the social graces of a veteran.
Challenges
It’s however important to note that Monye is by all accounts, a first timer. In comparison with some other “third force” candidates, he doesn’t even have the experience of being a “one time candidate”. And the political clime in Nigeria isn’t exactly kind to upstarts, especially those outside the APC/PDP status quo. Take the 2019 General Elections; with President Muhammadu Buhari (APC) polling 15,191,847 votes, and Abubakar Atiku (PDP) polling 11,262,978 votes, the distant 3rd was one Felix Nicolas (PCP) polling a mere 110,916 votes, a wide gap away from 2nd placed Atiku.
And this conversation has come up severally, with Nigerians often discarding the idea of a 3rd force candidate as mere “moonshine” and fantasy based talk. In a bid to muster any kind of challenge in 2023, Monye would first have to contend against the established order, then again against fellow Nigerians who have been socially conditioned to believe in nothing outside the options provided by the APC/PDP group, and then finally against the creeping shadow of self doubt. It’ll be a battle for only the strongest wits.
Funding may also be a problem, as elections in Nigeria are not for the tight fisted. Nigerian elections are often a test of deep pockets vs other deep pockets and Monye might find himself thinking on his feet to find funds, quickly. A candidate in the 2019 elections was on record to have said that he had to spend #200 million of his personal fortune to stage a respectable campaign. In a BusinessDay column dated Jan 24, 2022, investigative journalist David Hundeyin wrote a well articulated piece on the “expensiveness” of Nigerian elections. With figures running into billions, one would expect Monye to either have deep pockets, or easy access to those with deep pockets.
Optimism
Regardless of the mountain of challenges, Chukwuka Monye represents a new class of Nigerian technocrats with varied experience outside mere politicking. With over 20 years of business innovation all before the age of 45, Monye is an ideal candidate if the consideration is a President who knows how to run government operations with the effectiveness of a private business. And this is one of the many type of candidates that Nigeria needs looking forward — people with precedents of actually making things happen.
Monye can also look at the recent governorship elections in Anambra state and the ascent of another technocrat outside the APC/PDP bloc in the brilliant Charles Soludo in said election as inspiration.
All being said, it’s a bright future for this political greenhorn. Regardless of the outcome at the 2023 polls.
