Member’s Corner takes a closer look at Dority International Alumni Association members. This week features Okechukwu Nwankwo from Class of 2001.

How would you describe yourself?
Okechukwu Nwankwo is a hardworking and creative person. A wonder to myself most times.

What are your academic qualifications? 
I have a BSc in Applied Geophysics and Physical Oceanography from the University of Calabar.

What are your job experiences and where do you work presently?
I worked for Ebonylife TV as a set dresser and assistant art director from 2012 to 2016. Right now, I’m a freelance art director. My media firm is Frosted Media.

What keeps you busy outside the office?
I started a women empowerment organization. I give seminars and encourage young women, especially those between twelve and twenty-five years, to be the best they can be in life. They shouldn’t be discouraged by what society thinks about them, they should be bold and show that they have the same potential for greatness as men.

Which projects have you handled?
I have worked on films like Wedding Party 1 and 2, Royal Hibiscus Hotel, King of Boys, New Money, The Setup, Bling Lagosians, Ojo’s in the House, Up North and the drama series, Dere. I have also worked on TV commercials for Maggi, Glo, Star, Gulder and Onga.

Which project challenged you the most?
I have had a few challenging projects but The Setup was the most challenging. The script was deep creative wise and I had to imagine a lot of the art direction and develop a concept. The script was so challenging that the entire production team had several meetings about it. We had to change locations to fit the script and the film’s characters and bring in coloured walls because we couldn’t paint the walls of the houses we rented to shoot the film. It was awesome at the end. Truly amazing.

What motivates you?
The fact that I love beautiful things helps to motivate me when I work. A lot of Nollywood films lack set translations and depictions. Standing apart from the crowd motivates me to do awesome stuff.

What do you remember most about your time as a student at Dority International Early Learning School?
I remember a lot of happy times as a Dority student but the goals I scored during inter-house sports and break periods are what I remember most. I hardly played soccer again and it hurts me till today. My classmates took football seriously.

Have you been to Dority since you graduated?
I went to Dority a few years ago and I barely recognized any of the students but they did remember me. They clapped and shouted and called out my name as I passed the windows. It was surreal.

Where do you think you will be in the next 5 years?
In the next five years, I’ll be one of the biggest filmmakers in Nigeria. I’ll be all around the world making my own films and bringing joy to homes. Maybe I’ll consider politics too.

Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
I am proud of even the smallest jobs I have done. Because nobody gave me a chance. I didn’t study film making but God led me through the right path to what makes me happy.

Which issues or topics are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about jobs and about women and the way women have been relegated to nothing in this county and all over the world. Ten years ago, I started a campaign against child molestation and rape. I am a different person when these topics are broached or I’m working on a case concerning this. I am also passionate about the service of God.

If you had the chance to mentor a Dority student today, what advice would you give him/her?
Look at yourself and see what makes you happy, what you will wake up every day and be happy to do. Whatever that is, follow it because life is too short to struggle at a job.

Where do you see Dority International Alumni Association in the next 5 years?
The alumni association’s growth is quite fast. My own class of 2001 started something too and it’s the best group I’ve joined in years. I see Dority alumni making great strides in the next five years.

Member’s Corner takes a closer look at Dority International Alumni Association members. This week features Chijioke Okogbue from Class of 2000.

How would you describe yourself?
I’m a motivated, resourceful and hardworking man who has a pragmatic approach to life. I believe in having a good work-life balance and I relish a little bit of fun every now and then.

What are your academic qualifications? 
My quest for academic excellence was nurtured within the four walls of Dority International Secondary School. After graduating from Dority with a ‘perfect’ result in 2000, I gained admission to study Industrial Chemistry at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I graduated in 2005 as the second-best graduating student with a GPA of 4.32.

I hold a masters degree in Project Management from the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom (2012).

Are you a member of any association?
I am a Technical Member of the Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH), an executive member of the Institute of Roofing (IoR), Secretary of the Institute of Roofing in North East England and a member of the Association of Project Management (APM).

What are your job experiences and where do you work presently?
My career started in 2006 with Oceanic Bank. I worked in Operations and became Departmental Head in 2007. I joined the Project Management Office at Oceanic Bank headquarters as a Lead Operational Excellence Expert for the South East Region.

I currently work as a Project/ Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Manager in the UK construction industry.

What keeps you busy outside the office?
I love football. I am actively involved with Newcastle United Football Club and Sunderland AFC where I spend most Saturdays as a safety steward. I don’t let the rivalry between the two clubs get in my way (laughs).

I love dancing. I used to be part of a dance group at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I still dance and won’t let an opportunity to move to a good rhythm pass me by.

I love travelling and discovering new places and culture. My wife and I are hoping to visit all the countries in Europe by 2022.

Which projects have you handled?
My first ever project was developing a system of treating sewage in an environmentally friendly way. I was 17 years old then and submitted the project to Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany and became a member of World Young Researchers on Environment (WYRE).

During my banking career, I was involved in a change management program called Operation Excellence. The key deliverables for the project were a positive change in the behavioural mindset of staff members and the implementation of the Lean waste-reduction technique in all branches of Oceanic Bank in Nigeria.

I have also been involved in various construction projects including refurbishment works to the iconic BT Tower in London.

Which project challenged you the most?
Every project has challenges and the ability to adapt throughout the lifecycle of a project is exciting.

What motivates you?
I am self-driven and result oriented. Creating solutions to problems is a huge motivation for me.

What do you remember most about your time as a student at Dority International Early Learning School?
Life in Dority was exciting with the constant academic competition among classmates. I always remember the general assembly and the end of term event where Honour Roll students are praised by Mrs Zovannah Onumah. I remember aspiring to be like the brilliant students who always achieved Honour Roll. Following consistent hard work and study, Honour Roll became a regular achievement for me at the end of every school term.

Have you been to Dority since you graduated?
Unfortunately, I haven’t. However, I plan a visit in the nearest future. I am sure it will feel amazing to be back and connect with the place that had a massive impact on my teenage life and made me a better person.

Where do you think you will be in the next 5 years?
I picture myself in a position to actively contribute to the development and advancement of knowledge in project management.

Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
I will always be proud of representing  Nigeria in an international science competition in Germany 19 years ago.

Which issues or topics are you passionate about?
I am a lover of green environment and passionate about the maintenance of a balanced ecosystem.

If you had the chance to mentor a Dority student today, what advice would you give him/her?
A combination of hard work and the right attitude will keep you at the top of your chosen field of study. Always remember the Dority motto: Sursum ad Summum–Rise to the Highest. It is okay to fail, but you must strive to get up, dust yourself and try again until you achieve your goal.

Where do you see the alumni in the next 5 years?
I see a well-established institution positively influencing young lives in our alma mater and beyond as well as contributing to shaping the world around us.

Member’s Corner takes a closer look at Dority International Alumni Association members. This week features Chimdi Ifeakanwa from Class of 1997.

How would you describe yourself?
A very laid back, easy going young man, who loves life, loves God, loves his family, loves what he does, and is always willing to try new things. Hard worker to a fault, and passionate about a lot of things.

What are your academic qualifications?
I hold two degrees and numerous IT certifications. My first degree is in Computer Network Engineering Technology from Cincinnati State, and the second is in Business Information Systems from Indiana Wesleyan. CompTIA A+ certification, Microsoft Certified Professional are some of my certifications.

Are you a member of any association?
While in school, I was a very active member of the Black Data Processors Association (BDPA). I volunteered my time to the Habitat for Humanity organization (non-profit organization that aids less privileged families by building their homes and assisting in various capacities. I built homes in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. I donate to charities when I can and I volunteer in my daughter’s marching band association as a pit crew member (we coordinate the entire equipment storage, transportation and logistics for the high school band of 400 musicians). I also belong to a lot of IT-based groups and forums like the HPE branch of Vivit and BMC software’s Control-M community.

What are your job experiences and where do you work presently?
I have been in the information technology field for over 19 years. The work I did ranged from a helpdesk analyst to owning my own IT company and finally working as the Director of Global IT Infrastructure for Sun Chemical. Below are some of these job experiences with the responsibilities elaborated for the most current position:

• Director, Global IT Infrastructure – Sun Chemical Corp

As the Director of Global IT Infrastructure at Sun Chemical Corp, my role is to drive technical innovation and growth through strong leadership, by implementing technology, product and managed services to meet goals set forth by ambitious IT strategies, in areas covering infrastructure operations, cybersecurity and digital transformation.

Responsibilities include:

• Oversee all infrastructure planning, development, enhancement, and maintenance efforts across the centralized infrastructure operations group (This covers 256 locations in 65 countries and supports over 10K employees).
• Administer IT infrastructure operating and capital budget
• Advise the CIO on the benefits, risks, and costs of all major IT infrastructure projects and drive strategy for infrastructure, telecommunication and data centers. Ensure solution alternatives have been carefully considered and that the chosen solution minimizes the cost of ownership.
• Participate in Architecture governance bodies (e.g. Architecture Review Board) to weigh-in on the financial and budgetary implications of technical architecture decisions.
• Participate in the IT Portfolio Management Council to collaborate on prioritization and approval decisions for strategic projects and large infrastructural enhancements.
• Understand current customer operations and technology challenges with regards to all aspects of the IT infrastructure.
• Participate in the Cyber Security Council to aid in the advancement of our cybersecurity initiatives.
• Advise the CIO on strategic could initiatives that extend our capabilities into all layers of the “as-a-service” architecture.
• Senior Manager, Global Information Technology Infrastructure
• Manager, SAP BASIS Support
• SAP Technical Operations Lead
• IT/Manufacturing IT System Engineer
• Network Engineer
• CEO/CIO Chimdi Technologies

What other things keep you busy outside your regular work?
Being a father of 3 wonderful children, I take every available moment to spend as much time with them as I can. I am very involved with my kids and take pride in watching them grow and flourish into young women. I am at a lot of extracurricular activities like sports (soccer, diving, gymnastics, band competitions, music symphonies and more). My amazing wife and I also like to spend time going to shows, musicals and more. I am also a bit of a foodie, so I can be seen at events that open my mind up to food from various parts of the world. I love to travel, and I’m currently covering Europe and Asia.

What projects have you handled?
With more than 19 years of core IT experience, I have participated, managed, and funded numerous projects. Here are some summaries:

• Global Data Center consolidation projects
• Global Data Center technology refreshes
• Various SAP ECC upgrades
• Document archiving implementation projects
• Various manufacturing system SCADA deployments
• Hyper-converged infrastructure projects
• Application design and development projects
• Various cloud deployments (Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and Platform as a service (PaaS) projects)
• Business services management projects (using workload automation platforms)
• Various database migration and installation projects
• Various acquisition IT work from a foundation projects perspective
• Disaster recovery and high availability projects

Which of your project was the most challenging and why?
In general, every project that I have been a part of has its unique challenges and can all fit the title of most challenging. In my line of work, nothing we do is easy and usually poses enough challenges that require innovation. However, for the purposes of this interview, I guess I can pick one of my projects.

I was a part of a team tasked to deploy SAP onto windows for the first time, running on untested, un-approved Itanium IA-64bit systems. The challenges here were from a very high level as follows:

1. There was no Windows operating system for IA-64bit systems
2. There was no Windows SQL database system running on IA-64bits systems
3. There were no device drivers especially for printing and more for IA-64bit systems running windows
4. The HP IA-64bit servers were still under development at the time and this project lead to its final general acceptance/release (GA)
5. SAP didn’t have a working kernel for IA-64bit systems running windows

As one of the certified system engineers on the project, I had to work with Microsoft to come up with a valid O/S (Windows 2003 server – IA-64-bit Enterprise edition) build that eventually went GA after the success of the project.

We had to work with an 80-year-old engineer out of Germany to eventually program the CMOS chips that made it into the eventual motherboards for the HP G5/G6 DL 785 servers that ran the new Windows O/S in HA cluster mode for SQL and SAP ECC R3 in true IA-64bit mode. We had to write code with Lanier and Ricoh to provide basic black/white print drivers for an IA-64bit windows system.

With all of this, we had to overcome language barriers, location barriers, technology inconsistencies and complications, and meet a very strict timeline. We had to then migrate over 700 system/guests into this new platform, then work on run support. We had to do this within a 1-year span and maintain it for 5 years.

What motivates you in the things you do?
I have always been a very curious person. Knowing how things came to be always intrigued me. This has led me to various amazing journeys over the years. I believe this desire was first cultivated in Dority. When we participated in the project “Providing portable drinkable water in contemporary Nigeria” something in me woke and my love for technology started. I haven’t looked back since then.

What do you remember most about your time as a student of Dority International Early Learning School?
Believe it or not, I was the shortest person throughout my IELC/DISS journey, until SS3. I had to endure teasing (all fun and games, nothing bad, no regrets) about my height. To say that I felt like the king of the world when I started SS3 taller than 60% of the class would be an understatement. That defining moment stayed with me till today.

Have you been to DISS since you graduated? If yes, were you able to engage with the students?
Unfortunately, no, I haven’t been back. However, I have engaged with former classmates and school mates in any way I can. It has been an absolute pleasure to see how successful Dority have become on the world stage. I am so proud.

Where do you think you will be in the next five years?
Technology as we know it changes every 18 months due to Moore’s Law. I see myself managing and contributing to the innovations and technology disruptions that will shape the world in the next 5 years. Always at the forefront of advancements, always rising to the highest with every chance I get. 

Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
Without a doubt, becoming a parent. Being able to pass on what I have learned to the next generation of Ifeakanwas.

Which issues or topics are you passionate about?
Information technology (obviously), food and utilizing technology to end poverty.

If you had the chance to mentor a Dority student today, what advice would you give him/her?
No one gets to any level of achievement without failing a few times. My advice would be to expect failure, and when it comes, fail epically. You will always learn the best when you learn what NOT to do in any situation.

Where do you see the alumni association in the next 5 years?
If we can continue to grow, and bring all these amazing minds together, there is nothing we cannot achieve. I see our association achieving feats that will stand the test of time.

Member’s Corner takes a closer look at Dority International Alumni Association members. This week features Ogochukwu Igboerika from Class of 2009.

How would you describe yourself?
I’m Ogochukwu Igboerika; a super social, introverted extrovert who needs her alone time to ‘recharge’. I am a go-getter and quite meticulous. A culture lover who believes so much in the saying, ‘laughter is the best medicine’.

What’s your job as a banker?
I’m an operation’s staff – cash and teller unit. As a cash and teller staff, I handle cash and cheque transactions.

What makes you different from the average banker?
The ability to listen attentively to customer’s complaints and provide solutions to their problems with a touch of empathy (exceptional customer service and effective communication).

What motivates you to work hard every day?
I’ve always wanted a platform to render services to people in the best way possible and the thought of giving essential services to people motivates me a lot.

What do you remember the most about your time as a student at Dority International Early Learning School?
Oh! The nostalgic feeling. The days of cultural activities –  the dance, drama and songs. Those were the days I always looked forward to.

Where do you think you will be in the next five years?
With some required professional exams on human resources completed, I should be a great human resource manager

What did you study after graduating from Dority?
I studied Foreign Languages and Literary Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka ( French and German ).

Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
The self-development has been an amazing journey with some attained professional certificates.

Which issues or topics are you passionate about?
The knowledge about people’s way of life (culture) is an overwhelming one. The general welfare of people and finance are exciting topics too.

If you had the chance to mentor a Dority student, what advice would you give him/her?
In the world today, peer pressure is one of the strongest ways of ‘tagging along’. Do not do something because your friend wants to do the same. Be you, be original and do not limit yourself
to particular career choices. The world is a large place and every career is important. Just find yourself and the world will locate you.