Former Chief of Staff to the Imo State Government and ex-governorship candidate, Uche Nwosu, along with Sir Richard Odibo, a former Federal Commissioner on the Board of the Nigeria Population Commission, Barr. Freedom Friday Ibritam, a Senior Legislative Aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and three others have been awarded Master’s degrees (MSc) in Public Governance and Leadership, as well as in Policy and Strategic Studies. These degrees were conferred by the Abuja Leadership Centre (ALC) at Yakubu Gowon University, previously known as the University of Abuja.
Professor Philip Dahida, the Director of the Centre, disclosed that these achievements were awarded after the recipients completed all requirements, including the successful external defense of their dissertations on Monday, March 16, 2026.
Nwosu, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Imo State Government, Ibritam—a former senior police officer—and Odibo received their MSc degrees alongside real estate developer Egbe Oloche Daniel and Gila Ibiere Dikko. Additionally, Dr. Success Tosin Ademeso, a lecturer at the University of Abuja, earned an MSc in Policy and Strategic Studies.
After the event, Professor Dahida praised the external examiner, Professor Charles Nwekeaku from Nasarawa State University, for his thorough and professional evaluation of the MSc candidates. He urged the graduates to strictly adhere to the examiner’s counsel and ensure all suggested corrections are implemented. Dahida also encouraged them to apply the knowledge they gained for the betterment of society.
Reacting to this academic achievement, Sir Richard Odibo explained that he chose the programme (public governance and leadership) because of his interest in the subject. He noted that his research on the census in Nigeria could help the country plan more effectively and take its rightful place among nations. Odibo emphasized that the findings from his academic work could motivate scholars and citizens to advocate for the depoliticization of the census process.
He advised the Federal Government to conduct a new national census, recalling that the last one occurred in 2006. Odibo stated, “For Nigeria to have a good development plan, reliable census data is essential. Without accurate figures, planning becomes impossible. You can’t develop evenly.”
He further explained, “The need for a census is critical for us; it’s like oxygen. Without it, we’ll continue to make misguided plans, and if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
Odibo expressed that one major challenge Nigeria faces is obtaining reliable and acceptable census data, a problem that has persisted since before independence. As a former Federal Commissioner, he felt a personal responsibility to investigate these challenges, stating, “This became a challenge that drove me to look deeper into the reasons behind our difficulties with censuses. I believe my research will help persuade citizens and scholars alike that we must remove politics from the census process. If we can achieve that, Nigeria will benefit greatly.”
The Abuja Leadership Centre at the University of Abuja is recognized as a TETFUND Centre of Excellence for Public Governance and Leadership, dedicated to enhancing public governance and leadership in Nigeria and beyond.
