Onyema Ugochukwu

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Onyema Ugochukwu

Born	November 9, 1944 Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
Political party	People's Democratic Party
Religion	Christianity

Onyema Ugochukwu is a seasoned Nigerian economist, journalist, and politician, who currently serves as the Senior Special Adviser on Communication to President Olusegun Obasanjo.

[edit] Early life

Onyema Ugochukwu was born on November 9, 1944 in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. He graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka with a BSc in Economics.

[edit] Career

Ugochukwu with Cuban President Fidel Castro, Havana Cuba

Economics and Journalism

Ugochukwu abandoned a promising career in economics — with the Central Bank of Nigeria — to pursue his true passion, journalism. He joined the Business Times group as an Economic Analyst and a pioneer staff of what would later become the most influential financial newspaper in Nigeria. Ugochukwu rose in the ranks to become the Editor of the Business Times newspaper (1977 to 1982). In 1983, Ugochukwu became the Editor in Chief of the London-based West Africa Magazine, where he wrote extensively on development issues, to provide a better understanding of the African debt crisis. He eventually returned to Nigeria to become the Editor in Chief of the Daily Times of Nigeria and he was subsequently appointed to its board as the Executive Director of Manpower and Development. He retired from newspaper journalism in 1994 as the Executive Director of Publications. Ugochukwu remained active as a media consultant for the Dow Jones Financial News Service. Throughout his distinguished career as a journalist, Ugochukwu has interviewed numerous Heads of States — including then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, South African President Nelson Mandela, Nigerian Presidents Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu Buhari, and Sani Abacha.

Ugochukwu with US President Bill Clinton

Politics

With Nigeria's return to democracy in 1998, Ugochukwu became the Director of Publicity at the Obasanjo for President Campaign Organisation, and contributed immensely to the election of Olusegun Obasanjo as the President of Nigeria. Ugochukwu was appointed as the Special Adviser to the President on National Orientation and Public Affairs. He spearheaded a "National Rebirth" campaign aimed at instilling patriotic virtues into a national psyche ravaged by years of political instability and corruption. To sooth the political unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo signed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) act of 2000 into law. Ugochukwu was appointed as the pioneer chairman of the newly created comission, charged with developing the nine oil producing states of the country, with excess oil revenues. On December 13th 2006, Ugochukwu emerged as the People's Democratic Party's candidate for the 2007 Abia State gubernatorial elections.