Tochukwu Chukwueke

Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imports and weak manufacturing base have fuelled economic stagnation and unemployment. Tochukwu is spearheading a comprehensive strategy to revitalize the engineering and manufacturing sectors through education reform, SME development, and policy advocacy. The strategy aims to create a self-sustaining industrial ecosystem that drives economic growth and reduces poverty across Africa.

Nigeria imports roughly 20 times more than it exports, in terms of manufactured goods. There is very little capacity for manufacturing and engineering capabilities. This is having a huge impact on the economy and unemployment, creating a vicious cycle of stagnation and poverty. Tochukwu is spearheading a transformative movement aimed at shifting Nigeria from being predominantly users and importers to becoming producers, targeting the reduction of unemployment and poverty through a holistic intervention in the engineering manufacturing ecosystem.

Tochukwu is fostering an engineering and industry development model that focuses on revamping engineering education by modernizing curricula, upskilling lecturers, and equipping students with the necessary skills to create a robust pool of engineering talent. Moreover, by fostering and incubating a thriving ecosystem of start-ups and collaborating with SMEs, Tochukwu is also boosting the manufacturing sector by setting up the building blocks for turning Nigeria into a manufacturing nation.

To institutionalize and scale these efforts, he is working at the government and policy level to develop a four-year framework in partnership with the Abia state government to enhance local production as a blueprint to be replicated by other states in Nigeria and across Africa. Furthermore, he is partnering with industry leaders like GIZ and AfriLabs to pilot a new program in five states called "Bridge for Scale", designed to support SMEs to scale their production capabilities to cover more grounds.

Tochukwu’s vision involves generating awareness and influencing the perspectives of both the public and politicians on the importance of engineering manufacturing. He is also working with agencies and international organizations to influence how they design their programs and allocate funding. His vision is to create a sustainable, pan-African change that operates independently of his direct involvement. This vision includes developing a sustainable, scalable model that can drive economic growth through manufacturing and reduce poverty across Africa.

In Nigeria and Africa, the engineering skills gap isn’t a mere technicality; it’s a critical roadblock hindering progress on multiple fronts. Universities and polytechnics, prioritizing theory over practicality, leave graduates unprepared for the realities of the field. This disconnect between academia and industry renders many engineers unemployable, jeopardizing their financial security and hindering their ability to contribute to the workforce. Further compounding the issue is resistance to change within academic institutions, perpetuating outdated curriculums and hindering the adoption of modern teaching methods.

The ramifications of this skills gap ripple outwards, impacting the entire economy. The lack of a skilled engineering workforce creates a crippling dependence on foreign imports, stifling the growth of domestic manufacturing and hindering economic diversification and innovation. This reliance on imports creates trade imbalances, where the value of imported goods far exceeds that of exports. The resulting scarcity of foreign exchange further cripples investments in infrastructure development and technology acquisition.

The most immediate impact, however, is felt by young engineers brimming with potential. This skills gap translates to high unemployment rates, hindering their personal growth and contributing to societal frustrations. It represents a lost opportunity for a generation that could be driving advancements across various sectors. Their unrealized potential translates into a missed chance for national development, creating a vicious cycle of stagnation and poverty.

The engineering skills gap is not an isolated problem; it’s a symptom of a larger systemic issue. Addressing it requires a multi-pronged approach. By fostering a culture of continuous learning within academia, promoting industry involvement in curriculum development, and encouraging the development of practical skills, the educational system can be revamped to produce a workforce equipped for the demands of the 21st century.

Tochukwu is implementing a comprehensive strategy that involves reforming the education system, empowering small and medium-sized enterprises, and fostering a supportive environment through government and societal engagement. Combining these elements, Tochukwu aims to create a sustainable and inclusive economic ecosystem.

Tochukwu is revamping Nigeria’s engineering education curriculum. By partnering with key regulatory bodies like the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the Ministry of Education, and the National Universities Commission (NUC), he is leveraging data-driven insights to bridge the gap between theoretical education and the practical needs of the industry. He is focusing on aligning engineering curricula with real-world demands, ensuring engineering graduates are relevant to meet the manufacturing needs of the industry. This collaborative approach led to the formation of an inaugural Industrial Board at the University of Uyo. The university tasked the board with overseeing a complete overhaul of its curriculum, ensuring it remains current and responsive to the evolving needs of the industry. To complement the schools’ efforts, Tochukwu facilitates internships for their engineering students to help equip them with practical experience.

To further garner attention from both universities and the media, Tochukwu organizes an annual national competition called the Nigerian Genius that features hackathons and the creation of practical products that practicalize engineering learning. Through this, Tochukwu helps the relevant bodies rank universities based on the performance of their engineering students at the competition. This competition serves as a platform to spotlight innovative solutions and foster a spirit of healthy competition among educational institutions.

In addition to his work at the tertiary level, Tochukwu strongly emphasizes bolstering STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in secondary schools. This focus benefits both students and teachers in technical secondary schools who face limitations due to inadequate resources and training. He provides them with his innovative STEM kits, which allow students to gain practical experience with scientific and engineering concepts early. Leveraging on his partnerships with the Ministry of Education, he conducts workshops across public schools, reaching thousands of students and raising their interest in engineering. This intervention has enhanced student learning while equipping teachers with improved methodologies, fostering a shift from rote memorization to a more experiential approach to learning.

At the second level of Tochukwu’s strategy for Nigeria’s industrial resurgence is a commitment to empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) recognizing them as the crucial backbone of the nation’s economy and employment landscape. He has established key partnerships with Afrilabs, an innovation-focused organization that empowers and builds communities of innovation hubs, and GIZ to drive the Bridge for Scale program, an ambitious program designed to create scalable solutions for social and economic challenges leveraging the combined expertise of innovation hubs. The program has successfully incubated 12 engineering-based start-ups in five Nigerian states, transforming them into job creators within the local economy. The most pressing challenges of these startups, such as access to funding, technical support, and market reach, are taken care of through seed funding provided by Tochukwu’s partner organizations. He also offers incubation services to them, leveraging the vast resources of his partners. This has significantly improved local production, contributing significantly to economic development. Beyond the direct impact on these startups, Tochukwu’s work is reshaping the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. He is inspiring others to pursue entrepreneurial ventures by showcasing the potential of innovation-driven SMEs.

Tochukwu’s commitment to driving industrial growth extends to the policy sphere. He has taken on an advisory role to the Abia State government, actively shaping policies that foster engineering manufacturing and local production. His influence was pivotal in the creation of a comprehensive four-year framework designed to bolster and support SMEs in the engineering and fabrication sector. This strategic plan outlines specific initiatives to support these businesses, providing them with the necessary resources and infrastructure to thrive. Through his policy advocacy, Tochukwu is not only influencing the direction of the state’s industrial development but also creating a sustainable environment for local manufacturers to flourish. His ultimate goal is to transform Abia State into a hub of engineering excellence.

Tochukwu’s aspiration extends beyond the borders of Nigeria as he is committed to replicating his successful model across the African continent by leveraging his existing partnership with AfriLabs, an organization with a pan-African focus. He has successfully advocated for the creation of a dedicated track for engineering manufacturing at the annual AfriLabs gathering in Cape Town, South Africa. This platform will serve as a catalyst for knowledge sharing, and collaboration in the engineering sector across the continent.

Furthermore, Tochukwu’s membership in the Africa Makerspace Network (AMN) provides him with a strategic opportunity to influence institutional change on a broader scale. By working closely with network members in other countries, he aims to promote the adoption of engineering manufacturing as a key development priority. Through these initiatives, Tochukwu is positioning himself as a leading figure in the drive to build a robust and sustainable engineering manufacturing ecosystem across Africa.

Born and raised in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria, Tochukwu is the youngest of six children from an educated family. His mother was a secondary school teacher, and his father worked in a manufacturing company. Growing up in Aba, a city known for its innovation and enterprise, he was deeply influenced by the city’s culture of invention. His early education at Iheorji Secondary School and later at Abia State Senior Science School Ihie, where he consistently excelled, laid a strong academic foundation. His passion for engineering was ignited in primary school when he apprenticed with his uncle, learning to repair electronics. This early exposure to practical skills was complemented by his formal education in Electronic Engineering at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. Despite facing a theoretical curriculum that did not meet his expectations, he persevered, driven by his childhood inspirations like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.

Tochukwu’s relationship with the problem of limited engineering resources and local production capabilities in Africa is deeply personal. During his university years, he encountered significant challenges in finding spaces to build and test his engineering prototypes, leading him to create a makeshift workshop in front of his room. His resolve to change the situation of manufacturing and engineering in Nigeria came after a pivotal moment during his time at the University: while presenting his water-powered engine design to a professor at the Centre for Energy Research and Development, he was met with skepticism and disbelief that a Nigerian could produce such innovative work. This response was a turning point, reinforcing his resolve to challenge the status quo and prove that Nigerians could indeed be inventors and innovators.

Instead of giving in to offense, he embarked on a study of countries that had achieved citizen-led success in driving engineering manufacturing to learn what worked and how much could work in Nigeria. This led him to set up his non-profit, Clintonel Foundation dedicated to promoting engineering and local production through mobilizing resources and forming partnerships with government agencies, local NGOs in the same space, and international organizations.