Admin l Tuesday, January 25, 2022
LAGOS, Nigeria – Chima Christian is a public policy analyst, good governance advocate, former broadcast journalist, media consultant, change maker and a budding politician. Born in 1992 in Nnewi to Late Mr. David Chukwudolue and Mrs. Chinwe Chukwudolue, both traders, the later a strict disciplinarian, Chima describes his sustained interest in politics as “both an accident and a grand design.”
He recalls having to ask the proprietor of his alma mater, at the age of seven, for old newspapers to wrap the cover page of his text and exercise books. “What I later noticed was that I would eventually unwrap the cover pages of my books just to read the newspapers I previously wrapped them with.”
He was to later form the habit of consistently borrowing and reading national dailies from the school library, school proprietor’s house, principal’s office and neighbours’ houses when school was not in session.
“All through my primary and secondary school days, you could count on your fingers days I missed reading newspapers. As a result of those early exposure to newspapers” he recounts, “I developed an unusual amount of interest in politics and governance.”
“I see my sustained interest in politics as an accident of nature because I did not start off looking for newspapers to read. I just wanted to wrap the cover pages of my books. If I was supplied with perhaps an old almanac or something else to wrap those books, who knows, the story could have been different today.”
“I also see my interest in politics as a grand design. This is because something was pulling me to voraciously read those newspapers knowing full well that no one could have had such sustained exposure to political news and commentaries, and getting to daily read of the pains and miseries of Nigerians, from such a young age, without being moved to the point of itching to get involved in the change process.”
While it his common with his peers to either remain apolitical or see politics as an opportunity to grab power and in turn amass money, Chima sees political participation as a vehicle for massive societal change at scale. A view he formed at a very tender age. Chima has stayed true to this political worldview and motivation in his nearly one decade of active civic and political engagements.
Chima’s views are bold, issues-focused, nuanced and carefully-considered. And, he communicates them so eloquently. As he often argues, “Nigeria is only one President away from disaster. The country is also, in equal measure, only one president away from massive course-correction. We just have to painstakingly put systems that identify, train, empower and recruit leaders in a way that is sustainable.”
Chima navigates both worlds of traditional and new media with ease. His social media posts, newspaper articles, conference speeches, television and radio appearances are focused on Nigeria’s socio-political issues.
Chima’s approach is unique. He does not just highlight what is wrong with Nigeria’s political leadership, governance, electoral process, economy, security, civil service and the civic space, he, through his periodic interventions, offer workable public policy alternatives.
In consequence, his views on regional and national issues are highly sought after. His interviews and opinion pieces have been featured on the backpage of Daily Sun. They have also been variously published by The Nation, Business Day, THISDAY, The Cable, Punch, Daily Trust, Vanguard, Leadership, Daily Post, Gamji.com, Opinion NG, Signal NG, Opera News, BBC News Igbo and other reputable platforms.
Chima has appeared live on NTA Network. His interviews have also been featured on AIT and other television stations. Additionally, Chima’s views have been severally sought by more than a dozen different radio stations.
Chima’s career to date gives a new outlook to civic participation. As a broadcast journalist, Chima’s “In-house Analyst” appearances on Blaze FM’s flagship political talk show inspired thousands of listeners, trying to give the listening public a better appreciation of the issues around them and how they can quit feeling helpless and be involved in the change process.
At Blaze FM Oraifite, Chima was variously deployed to cover events and produce news reports. He later edited and cast the news, all with the same radio station, before he quit broadcast journalism to explore more exciting opportunities in politics, media advocacy and consulting.
Chima volunteered for the campaign of the then governorship aspirant and eventually the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in the Anambra 2017 governorship election where he served as a media aide to the governorship candidate.
Following his resourcefulness and spectacular contributions to Oseloka H. Obaze’s 2017 governorship bid, Chima was hired as a Research Associate at Selonnes Consult Ltd., one of Nigeria’s top public policy and governance consulting firms, where he contributed to, authored and co-authored a number of public policy briefs.
Chima was later appointed a Member of the Publicity Committee of Atiku/Obi 2019 Presidential Campaign Council, Anambra State Chapter. In 2021, Chima was invited by the 2017 Deputy Governorship Candidate of the PDP, Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe, to spearhead the Media Directorate of her 2021 governorship bid. Chima, working in concert with a few others, deployed their creative best in propagating Onyemelukwe’s candidacy. The party, in her wisdom, however settled for Valentine Ozigbo to be the flagbearer of the party.
At the conclusion of 2021 party primaries, Chima was invited to serve in the Media Directorate of the Valentine Chineto Ozigbo (VCO) Campaign Organisation. Working closely with Mrs. Azuka Enemo, the Deputy Governorship Candidate of the party, Chima used social media, radio, television, news blogs, print media and indeed all the platforms available to him to brilliantly promote the Ozigbo-Enemo joint candidacy.
Politics, they say, is local. Also in 2021, Chima was appointed a member of the VCO Campaign Council at his ward, Otolo Ward 2, Nnewi and also a member of the Nnewi North LGA VCO Campaign Council. He also served as a Polling Unit Agent of the PDP on the November 6, 2021 gubernatorial election.
Chima previously served as an observer, representing YIAGA Africa (#NotTooYoungToRun) at the Anambra State Judicial Panel of Enquiry on Police Brutality, Extra-Judicial Killings and other Related Matters. He also sat on the board of Save Tomorrow Initiative, a non-governmental organisation working on providing better educational support for today’s school age children.
Motivated by the need to impact his generation, Chima, between 2010 and 2012, taught Mathematics and mentored dozens of secondary school students at two different secondary schools in Nnewi, including his alma mater, Nneoma Secondary School, Nnewi. He also devoted some time as a traveling moral instructor to various secondary schools, devoting his time and energy to inspiring fellow young people to become active participants in Nigeria’s civic space.
Chima Christian is now the Convener of COBRA, a public policy think tank focused on addressing issues surrounding the political leadership of Nigeria’s southeast region. He is also the Head of Business Development at Preshdub Media, a multi-disciplinary media outfit.
In 2011, he founded Inspaya Konzult, a public relations and reputation management consulting firm through which he has helped and continues to help a lot of individuals and corporate organisations design, implement and evaluate their PR, media, communications and branding strategies.
Chima received executive education in Entrepreneurship from University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business. He also holds a Professional Certificate in Public Relations Planning and Execution from Metropolitan School of Business and Management, United Kingdom. Chima audited several massive open online courses from some of the world’s finest institutions. He took courses on “Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking” from Harvard University.
“Introduction to Public Speaking” from University of Washington; “Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content” from University of Pennsylvania. He also audited courses on “Leadership through Social Influence” from Northwestern University; “Storytelling for Social Change” from University of Michigan
“Journalism for Social Change” University of California at Berkely; “How to Finance and Grow Your Startup – Without Venture Capital” from University of London; “English Composition” and “How to Reason and Argue” both from Duke University. Chima is a recipient of “Excellence Award” by Nigerian Top Executives in the Advertising, Marketing & PR Industry (2015 Publication and Rating. Rated in the top 7 percent of all Nigerian executives based on company size and international business network strength.)
He is married to Chinaraotito Precious Chima, MD/CEO of Preshdub Media, and their marriage is blessed with two children. He enjoys reading, travelling and experiencing new cultures.
Chima is presently running for the office of the Publicity Secretary, Anambra State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) where he insists that Anambra PDP’s political thinking needs the infusion of new insights. Chima sincerely believes that his enormous vitality, intellect and extensive media reach can be brought into the service of rebuilding Anambra PDP.
