Former Vice President of Nigeria and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has appointed Dr Benjamin Chika Ugwu as Special Assistant and Coordinator of Southeast Support Groups.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued by the Atiku Media Office in Abuja on Thursday and signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe.
According to the statement, Ugwu’s role covers Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. He is expected to coordinate, professionalise and support all Southeast-based support groups aligned with the former Vice President.
Dr Ugwu is described as an academic, entrepreneur, public servant and philanthropist with experience spanning education, business, governance and community development.
Born on 22 December 1970, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Studies, a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics, a Master’s degree in Economics and a doctorate in Petroleum Economics.
He previously served as Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan between 2010 and 2015 on Projects and Special Duties.
He has also held positions including Regional Director of the African and Caribbean Business Council covering Northern, Eastern and Western Africa; Director of Projects and Programming at the Project for Human Development NGO in the United Kingdom and Nigeria; Manager of Credit Control Management Fund in London and Lagos; and Director General of the Ikenga Award for Excellence Foundation.
Ugwu is the Executive Director of the Ben Ugwu Foundation, through which he undertakes philanthropic initiatives.
He is a recipient of the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), a Fellow of the Corporate Institute of Administration, and holds traditional titles including Okeagu Ndigbo and Ezeanyanwu Edem.
