The Founder and President of the Ugwumba Center for Leadership Development in Africa, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu is an illustrious son of Umunwokwe, Eziama-Obaire in Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State. He was born on the 8th of August, 1975 into the family of late Rev. Daniel Nwaobi Nwosu and Mrs. Jemaimah Nwosu.
He is a professional town planner by training, a successful businessman and a politician who takes delight in serving the people with his philanthropic dispositions.
Between 2015 and 2019, he served as the Chief of Staff to the Imo State Government of Nigeria, an office that earned him a national award as the Best Performed and Youth-friendly Chief of Staff across the federation.
During the 2019 Governorship elections in Imo State, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu was elected the Governorship Candidate of the Action Alliance and was adjudged the most popular candidate by Imo youths. This was later confirmed when he won a popularity contest and survey nicknamed "The 2019 Imo Man of the Year Awards" organized by bossgist.com, an online media company.
This change maker started his educational pursuit at the Shehu Sanda Kerimi Primary School, Maiduguri where he had his primary education between 1982 and 1988. He had his Secondary School Education at the Government Secondary School, Gubio, Borno State and at Comprehensive Secondary School, Eziama-Obaire, Nkwerre LGA, Imo State where he obtained the West African School Certificate in flying colours between 1988 and 1994.
In 1995, he secured admission into the Imo State University, Owerri where he obtained a B.Sc in Urban and Regional Planning and is currently pursuing a Masters in International Management from the University of Liverpool in United Kingdom.
As an active citizen, while in the University, he was a union leader and was elected into the first Students’ Union Government of the Imo State University, Owerri as Director of Transport. His performance in this office earned him other higher offices, such as:
- a) Secretary, SUG Caretaker Committee of Imo State University, Owerri; and
- b) Secretary, National Association of Nigerian Students, Imo State Chapter.
Upon graduation from the University, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu had the privilege of working in several establishments and organizations in various capacities, such as: Personal Assistant to the President of Rochas Foundation International; Executive Assistant to the President of the Nigerian Red Cross Society; Executive Assistant to the Special Adviser on Inter-Party Relations to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; etc before he joined politics in 2009.
In June 2011, he was appointed the Deputy Chief of Staff, Imo State Government of Nigeria by His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha (OON), the then Executive Governor of Imo State.
In appreciation of his sterling performance in that office, he was thereafter appointed the Honourable Commissioner for Ministry of Lands, Survey, and Urban Planning until May, 2015. It was in this office that he was honored and decorated as the Best Commissioner in Urban Development in the country in November, 2014 for his giant strides in reviving the urban development sector in Imo State.
As they say, “the reward for hard work is more work”, his outstanding performances in the office as Hon. Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development coupled with his great sense of humility and responsibility earned him a higher appointment as the Chief of Staff, Imo State Government of Nigeria in June, 2015.
Ugwumba Uche Nwosu’s contributions to the growth and development of the State did not go unrecognized as evidenced by the following traditional titles.
- a) Ugwumba of Eziama Obaire;
- b) Ugwumba Orlu Zone;
- c) Ugwumba Ohanile of Mbaise;
- d) Ugwumba Ngor Okpala;
- e) Enyi Ka Ibe Ya of Obowo;
- f) Dan Zaki Dass of Dass Emirate in Bauchi;
- g) Adeyemi of Yoruba land by the Yoruba Community in Imo State;
- h) Ugwumba of Imo State, a title from Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers
One of the titles deserves further mention. Do you know that Ugwumba Uche Nwosu was turbaned as the first non-Muslim to be conferred with the title: Dan Zaki Of Dass Emirate by His Majesty, Alhaji Bilyaminu Usman Othman, the Emir of Dass, Bauchi State in the history of the Emirate?
That is not all, in far away United Kingdom, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu won the African Youth Empowerment Award from the Africa Achievers Awards International in the UK House of Parliament. In the United States of America, Senator Curren D. Price appreciated Ugwumba Uche Nwosu’s contributions to humanity with a Certificate of Recognition.
Other corporate organizations such as; the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors; Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers; Nigerian Institute of Builders; Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) also took turns in honouring a young man, whose commitment to the empowerment of youths and women in Nigeria is unprecedented.
He is the Grand Patron of the following organizations: The Ambassadors Worldwide; Rochas Foundation Old Students Association (ROFOSA), Actors Guild of Nigeria, Imo state chapter, Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), etc.
He is an active member of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), a fellow of the Chattered Institute of Corporate Administrators of Nigeria (FCAI); an Associate member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Imo state chapter, Member of the Chartered Management Consultants, Vancouver, Canada.
As a devoted union leader in his days in the University, coupled with his enviable support to student bodies across the country, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu received the following awards from Nigerian youths and student groups:
- a) Architect of Good Governance from the National Association of Nigerian Students,
- b) Pillar of Students’ Unionism by the SUG, Imo State University, Owerri.
- c) National Patron, Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN),
- d) Grand Patron Arewa Youths Ambassadors Congress (AYAC), a group uniting youths in the 19 Northern states of Nigerian.
e)National Patron, National Union of Imo State Students (NUISS) in 2013.
f)Patron, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)
- g) Patron, National Association of Imo State Students (NAISS)
- h) Patron, National Youth parliament.
- i) Grand Patron, National Association of Persons with Disability,
- j) National Patron, Youth Association of Nigeria,
- k) Patron, Junior Chambers International, Ikoyi (JCI),
- l) Grand Patron, Police Community Relations Committee, Imo State Chapter.
Some of his charitable causes and community services include:
a)Founder, Ugwumba Center for Leadership Development in Africa, which has empowered over 1,000 youths from across the country since inception in 2019
- b) Founder and President of the Ezihe Foundation, which has empowered over 5,000 Imo youths since inception in 2014
- c) Built 5 markets in 5 communities across Imo state
- d) Empowered 1000 youths and women in Imo State with business starter kits
- e) Renovated 10 churches in Imo State
- f) Sank 20 boreholes in 20 communities across Imo State
- g) Sponsored electricity projects in 5 communities across Imo state
- h) Awarded various levels of educational scholarships to 100 Imo indigenes
As a certified Town Planner, he has competence in Real Estate Development and Consultancy and equally ventured into other sectors of the economy, such as Hospitality, Aviation and Human Resources Management.
Above all, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu is happily married to his amazing and beautiful wife, Mrs. Uloma Nwosu (Nee Okorocha) and their marriage is blessed with three boys.
