From public service and education to pensions and energy, four senior Nigerian professionals are applying doctoral research to challenges in their industries.
Four Exeed College alumni are helping to shape major areas of Nigeria’s economy and public life through leadership, research and institution-building.
The group includes a former commissioner, a university pro-chancellor, a pension executive and an oil and gas chief executive. Although they were already accomplished professionals, each pursued doctoral study to deepen their knowledge and find practical answers to problems encountered at work.
C. Don Adinuba: Researching Leadership in Nigeria’s Power Sector
C. Don Adinuba is the founder of Foresight Public Affairs Consulting and a former Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment.
His career spans journalism, strategic communication and public service. He previously advised the Presidential Task Force on Power and later served as Special Adviser to the Minister of Power. He also led Discovery Marketing Communicators as chief executive for 11 years.
He consulted to the BBC London on the production of a 1992 documentary on Nigeria’s transition to civil rule, presented by Wole Soyinka, the 1986 Nobel Prize winner in literature. He also consulted to the New York University’s Department of Peace, War and Communication Studies and the University of Sussex’s Institute of Development Studies on the Armswatch project. In addition, he has consulted to various Nigerian state governments, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and a number of private sector firms.
Adinuba holds an MSc in International Management from the University of Liverpool, an MPhil in Organisational Leadership Research and a Doctorate in Management from UCAM. His doctoral research examines transformational leadership in Nigeria’s electricity sector—a challenge he observed closely while working in the Ministry of Power.
For Adinuba, leadership must serve society. “A successful leader is one who serves the common good,” he said.
He said his Exeed experience sharpened his understanding of modern leadership in the public and private sectors and strengthened his determination to contribute to Nigeria’s transformation.
The programme also reinforced his belief that Africa’s development challenges can be overcome by Africans through ethical, informed leadership.
Adinuba praised the college’s teaching approach, administration and prompt response to students, describing the learning experience as rewarding.
Mallam Hassan Nuhu: Building Sustainable Institutions
Mallam Hassan Nuhu is Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Newgate University Minna, the first private university in Niger State’s capital. He also founded Newgate College of Health Technology, Newgate Comprehensive Academy, Newgate Hospital and the Minna Business School.
A former public servant turned entrepreneur, Nuhu has built a career across education, healthcare and human capital development, with a focus on expanding opportunities for vulnerable groups.
His Doctorate in Management at Exeed specialised in Management and Institutional Sustainability. His research explored how Nigerian private universities can balance financial survival with quality education, focusing on staff pay, infrastructure and regulatory compliance.
Nuhu said the programme deepened his understanding of the link between leadership, organisational structures and sustainable development. It also reinforced his commitment to continuous learning, evidence-based decisions and institutions that create lasting value.
Olumuyiwa Oshin: Applying Research to the Future of Work
Olumuyiwa Oshin is Executive Director, Finance and Investment, at the Lagos State Pension Commission, where he oversees finance and investment activities connected to workers’ retirement.
He brings more than 30 years of experience in investment banking, capital markets, corporate finance, pensions and public service. Before joining the commission, he held senior executive and board roles, including Managing Director and CEO of Unicorn Capital Limited.
Oshin is pursuing a Doctor of Management with Exeed College and UCAM. His research examines how remote work affects employee productivity, individual performance and organisational effectiveness.
Despite his long career, he said the programme reminded him that learning never stops. It challenged him to question familiar assumptions and examine workplace and leadership issues from a fresh perspective.
Engr. Dr Ifeoma Jane Kamanya: Building Businesses That Outlive Their Founders
Engr. Dr Ifeoma Jane Kamanya has spent 28 years in Nigeria’s oil, gas and lubricants industry. She has worked with National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company, Conoil Plc, Eternal Plc and MRS Plc. She is now Managing Director and CEO of 1st Magnificent Energy Ltd.
A chemical engineer, Kamanya leads operations covering energy, lubricant manufacturing, industrial products, business development and technical training.
She earned a Doctorate in Management from UCAM through Exeed College. Her research focused on the strategies small and medium-sized lubricant businesses in Nigeria need to grow sustainably, compete, innovate and survive.
Kamanya said the programme strengthened her view that leadership means building beyond oneself. In her words, a business designed to outlive its founder must be governed as though “the founder is temporary, but the vision is not.”
What the 4 Exeed Alumni Have in Common
Although they work in different sectors, all four leaders turned workplace challenges into research questions. Adinuba studied leadership in the power sector; Nuhu examined private university sustainability; Oshin explored remote work and productivity; and Kamanya investigated the growth of lubricant businesses.
Their stories point to one conclusion: experienced leaders still have reasons to return to the classroom. For these alumni, doctoral study became a tool for testing ideas, improving decisions and building organisations that can serve future generations.
