E.E.R: Leading Woman for this week and strategic business entrepreneur with global relevance Chinwe Maduike

Chinwe Maduike, M.B.A

It is quite encouraging to find people who have been away from the country for a while return to Nigeria perhaps not staying as long as we would wish but at least seeing good in the country so much that they choose not only to invest, but bring others in to do same.

Such is my Leading Woman for this week, the industrious and passionate Chinwe Maduike.
Chinwe is the CEO of Rare Gem Consultancy (UK) and Arkright Consultancy (Nigeria). She is a board member of various companies under the Rare Gem Umbrella. Chinwe has led various teams to bring about an all round improvement in various businesses even as she maintains the value and brands of such organisations.

Whether oil and gas, automobile, the financial services sector, insurance services, education, training, real estate domain and even events planning (in Nigeria and outside), Chinwe has proved her onions across these borders.

For instance, she part chaired and organised an investment roundtable between the Federal Ministry of Power and Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and some investors in November 2013 in London. Currently, she is working on the following projects: Global oil and gas leadership awards London 2014, (which is one of the biggest gatherings of oil and gas representatives from around the world). Others include: Eko Honours Awards 2014, organising an investors summit in Lagos and Abuja, strategic management consultancy for the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations, NACCIMA Business Women Group on their fort coming trade fair (NIWEX) to be held in Ogun State, consulting for some multinational companies in Angola and Botswana, within the mining and oil and gas industrial sector to mention a few.

Talk about a dogged and globally positioned management consultant and Chinwe naturally comes to mind. She has played a crucial role in structuring some multi-million dollar investment deals between some African Governments and forging investors. With an impressive background in politics and international relations from Coventry University and MBA bagged from the University of Hertfordshire, Chinwe’s academic feat has helped her in her day-to-day activities and in running her businesses.

“I owe everything to God and thank Him for all He has helped me with and all He is still doing for me. I have had my fair share of challenges but even in the midst of it all, God has never failed me. No one can sustain a business without the help of God. Since I discovered this years ago, I have never let Him out of anything I do.” She tells me and adds “Having said that, there is a place for preparation so that even when you meet with opportunities, you will know what to do. I am hardworking, I do my best and God blesses what I do, I do not believe you should lazily fold your arms and expect a ‘miracle’, you have to put in your best to get the best result and God will always back you up” she advices.

I asked Chinwe how she believes Nigeria can better position herself for positive global significance and she responds “Nigeria’s economic potential is well recognized. It is the biggest economy in Africa. As Nigerians, we must be strategic. We must also equip ourselves adequately so that when global opportunities come, we know how to handle it. Nigerians sadly, have been projected in the wrong light for various reasons but truth be told, those who represent us badly whether within or outside do not constitute the majority. Nigerians are doing well abroad, even in Nigeria; there are those who still eschew giving the country a bad name. We are good at what we do and we must project this goodness wherever we are.” She says.

Chinwe believes that there is more to Nigeria than crude oil. For her, “the major strength of the Nigerian economy is its rich agricultural resource base, its human resource base and its huge market. Agriculture holds huge potentials in Nigeria. This sector holds a major branch of the economy, providing employment for 70% of the population. This is the sector that contributes highest to the GDP. The opportunities are endless for investors in this sector. However, the agricultural potential of Nigeria is barely being tapped and this explains the inability of the country to meet the ever increasing demand for agricultural produce for her citizens.” Chinwe explains.

Though Chinwe is mostly outside Nigeria, she has been coming to Nigeria often and speaks about the reasons many Nigerians in the Diaspora have not decided to come back home to settle down. In her words, “Nigerians in Diaspora have great ideas but are held back simply because Nigeria lacks the infrastructure to turn their idea into a viable business.

In Nigeria at present, to register and run a business, it takes at least thirty days to start off a business but in some other countries only a day is enough. Even at that, Nigeria is growing in leaps and bounds and is ripe for development. Truth is that, we must remember anything great is not easy to obtain, and we can’t run away from our father’s land.”

“The challenges of Nigeria should not discourage people in the Diasporas; it should in fact encourage us to transfer our skills to build up Nigeria. At $31 billion dollars, the state of Lagos alone is bigger than the economy of Tanzania and is Africa’s 13th largest economy, according to Renaissance Capital estimates. Fitch ratings recently upgraded the state’s long-term credit rating to positive at AA….. this is by far better than that of Italy which is currently on BBB and almost rivalling that of France and the United Kingdom, so why would I not as a seasoned entrepreneur invest or tap into the lucrative Nigerian Market?” she insists.

Chinwe is of the opinion that Nigeria at present needs a new strategy and idea injected into the current system to re-configure the current socio-political and economic landscape of the country.

Concluding the interview, she bares it all. “I do have my country’s interest at heart and would like to play a role in developing it further because the future of my children and those of her other citizens is at stake. Having said that, Nigeria needs a new strategy and idea injected into the current system to re-configure the current socio-political and economic landscape of the country. Being a patriotic Nigerian however, I will be willing to give my professional advice if required to do so to any party in government for the smooth running of Nigeria. As I do know that I have a wealth of experience gained within the fast paced business environment in America, Europe and the Middle East which will be of immense benefit to Nigeria.”