Security, institutional reforms and jobs are priorities for Nigeria’s transformation – Monye

Ahead of the 2023 general election, a social innovator and philanthropist, Chukwuka Monye has declared his intention to contest for the office of the President of Nigeria. In this interview with Seyi John Salau, he outlines three focal points for Nigeria’s rapid transformation.

What inspired your quest to contest for the office of the President of Nigeria?

My love for Nigeria and the desire to see the country fully maximise its potential is what drives me. I see how most Nigerians are suffering, living below the poverty line. The statistics are alarming, which makes me more determined than ever to lead the transformation. I am contesting for this position because our nation is fast on the brink of collapse and in dire need of an inspirational and competent leader that can deliver the nation that we desire. There’s no better time to act than now.

You have not held a prominent political position in Nigeria, don’t you think aspiring to become president seems to be a tall dream at a time when this position is highly sensitive and competitive?

The position requires a competent leader not necessarily someone who has held a political office. The mindset and skillset of the candidate should be our focus. I have been able to leverage my skills, leading innovative and transformative projects with both the public and private sector. These skills include stakeholder management, problem solving, strategic thinking, international relations, and people skills. I believe any leader that possesses these skills would be able to govern the country.

Under what political party would you like to run?

I belong to a political party, but consultations are ongoing for the best choice for the people. One of the key considerations for me is a party that is forward-thinking and in touch with the reality of the nation. My decision would be communicated to the public in due course.

What political structures do you have on ground to help you emerge a winner?

I am leveraging my network of friends, clients, and associates to do some of the groundwork required. These people have benefited from the work I have done in the past and are willing to contribute their quota to drive this movement in different states and in the diaspora. I also have a robust team and a network of close to 1,000 newly registered volunteers across the six geo-political zones. They are all spreading the word – the future we have been waiting for is now and we must take ownership of it.

What societal and economic challenges would you be looking to address if you emerge the winner of the presidential position?

My focus areas for the restructuring of Nigeria will be security, institutional reforms, and jobs. These three areas are interconnected in the sense that the success of one leads to the success of the other. For Nigeria to become the country of our dreams, we must reorganize our security systems and institutions. This in turn, creates the environment that will lead to job creation and poverty alleviation.

Read also: Five big companies enjoying Nigeria’s low-interest rate

As a 43-year-old technocrat, could you take us through your success stories and failures in life and how you have learned from them?

In life, you learn a lot from failure. In the 21 years of my career, I have gone through different challenges such as serious issues ranging from revenue generation to people management, and these have taught me how to manage an organization and its people. For example, how do you pay salaries on time when clients are owing? How do you encourage young people to prioritize value over money? 21 years of managing people and businesses have taught me vital lessons that have strengthened my ability to lead empathetically and inspirationally. In all, I am appreciative of the experiences I have gone through because it has formed who I am today. In terms of successes, being able to achieve certain goals and milestones, encourages me to do more and propels me to growth. Today, I have built successful companies, written an Amazon, Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling book – Business Success Secrets, I have a balanced life and continue to create impact through a Foundation I co-founded.

Knowing that Nigeria’s politics is one that requires funding, what organisations or persons are supporting you in this regard?

There are quite a number of stakeholders that I am partnering with on this project. Individuals who are interested in the pursuit of a better Nigeria are involved and I am glad that I have such collaborations.

One of Nigeria’s biggest challenges is insecurity. How are you looking to address the insecurity issue in Nigeria if you emerge as the president of the country?

We can look at the issue of security as a core challenge but let us also consider the indirect implications of lack of security. In the area of our security infrastructure, I will employ short, quick interventions to address the current problems but on a medium to
long term basis, I will address building capacity and empowering security forces so that it is strengthened significantly. The second approach for me will be to tackle social insecurity – why do we have insecurity issues in the first place? It is due to the poverty and lack of jobs. Hence, an indirect way to solving public security, is to deal with social security.

Another teething challenge is youth unemployment. Do you have a clear-cut plan to address this challenge as the president? If any, tell us?

The plan is to ensure that we prioritize some of the reforms in the three pillars for restructuring the country. I believe strongly that if we address those issues, there will be a lot of jobs created. I also particularly interested in how we can increase the commercial value that the youth can gain in areas such as entertainment, technology, and arts, both locally and globally.

Who is/are your role model/models?

I have quite a few people that I respect and look up to such as Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Barack Obama, and Denzel Washington.