Frank Nnaemeka Nweke Jr (born 18 September 1965) is a Nigerian Politician, Entrepreneur, Teacher and Social Innovator. He is a two-time Federal Minister in Nigeria and former Director General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). He is a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and is currently vying for the position of Governor of Enugu in the

2023 Nigerian General Election The 2023 Nigerian general election will be held, in large part, on 25 February and 11 March 2023. The President and Vice President will be elected on 25 February, with incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari ineligible to run, being term-limited. A ...

, upon emerging the party candidate at the primary election in May 2022. Until recently, he was a Senior Visiting Fellow of the Lagos Business School and a member of the faculty, th
School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG)
Nigeria, where he lectured on Ethics and Values. He is a
Edward S. Mason Fellow
and an alumnus of the Aspen Institute, Colorado. Nweke speaks Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa, the three major Nigerian languages fluently.

Early life

Frank Nweke II (FNJ) was born in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

, Nigeria to the family of late Igwe Frank Nweke, Okeifufe Napkparu Ujo Nku I, of Ishi Ozalla, Nkanu West Local Government Area of

Enugu State Enugu State ( ig, Ȯra Enugu) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the south, and Anambra State to the west. ...

Education

Frank’s early years were spent in Lagos where he began his primary school education at St. Paul’s Catholic school. Following his family’s migration to

Maiduguri Maiduguri is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River which disappears into the ''Firki'' swamps in the areas around Lake Chad. Maiduguri was founded in 1907 as a mil ...

, he completed his primary education a
Shehu Garbai primary school
thereafter proceeding to Federal Government College, Maiduguri for his secondary school education. He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Zoology from the

Federal University of Technology, Yola Modibbo Adama Federal University of Technology, Yola is a public research university in Girei, a town in Adamawa State in Northeastern Nigeria. It is one of the four federal technology universities established with the sole purpose of advancing sc ...

. Thereafter, he earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from the

University of Maiduguri The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) is a Federal higher institution located in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State in northeast Nigeria. The university was created by the federal government of Nigeria in 1975, with the intention of its ...

. In 2007, FNJ attended the

Harvard Kennedy School of Government The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...

where he obtained a second master’s degree in Public Administration and a certificate in Strategic Management. He was elected President of th
Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Association of Nigeria
(2020 - 2022). He is a
Edward S. Mason Fellow
and an alumnus of the Aspen Institute, Colorado.

Early career

Nweke began his career as the General Manager of FONA Nigeria Limited, an office automation and industrial safety systems company with headquarters in Enugu.

Public service

Enugu State In 1999, Nweke was commissioned as a resident consultant to the

government on development planning and general public sector reforms. The following year, he was appointed Enugu State coordinator of the Community County Council.. In these positions, Nweke provided counsel on economic development, restructuring and privatization strategies for state-owned enterprises, and led the implementation of public-private investment projects in concert with development partners i.e
UK Department for International Development, United States Agency for International Development
and

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

. Chief of Staff to Enugu State Governor From June 2001 to June 2003, Nweke held the position of Chief of Staff to Governor

Chimaroke Nnamani Chimaroke Nnamani (born 30 May 1960) is a medical doctor and Nigerian politician from Enugu State. He was elected Governor of Enugu State in the 1999 Enugu State gubernatorial election from 1999 to 2007. He subsequently served as a People's D ...

, where he managed the office of the Governor and coordinated the overall government activities. Obasanjo Cabinet In June 2003, Nweke was appointed Federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Special Duties. He became Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs, Special Duties and Youth Development in April 2004. In July 2005, he was appointed Minister of Information and National Orientation and then, Minister of Information and Communication in January 2007, an office he occupied until May 2007. During his tenure in Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council as Minister of Special Affairs, Nweke coordinated and led the implementation of bold policy reforms in the information and telecommunications sector.

Civic career

NESG Nweke was appointed Director General of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). Under his leadership, Nigeria successfully hosted its firs
World Economic Forum for Africa
NzukoLabs In 2018, Nweke co-founde
NzukoLabs
He is the chairman of the Advisory Board for

Malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

, Child
Maternal Mortality EradicationMACMME

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. Until recently, he was a Senior Visiting Fellow of the Lagos Business School and a member of faculty
School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG)
Nigeria, where he lectured on Ethics and Values.

Entrepreneurship

Nweke is an entrepreneur and investor with interests in media, construction and technology-based ventures. Upon return from Harvard in 2008, He established Stellar Constellation Group, a diversified holding company with interests in Technology Solutions, Fintech, Media, Real estate and Construction and Trading. In 2012, he co-founded ONTV and currently sits as the chairman. In 2011, he co-led the establishment of a methanol and gas processing plant in Nigeria
Brass Petrochemical and Fertilizer Company Ltd. Nigeria
with the capacity to provide 15,000 jobs upon commencement of construction in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Board roles and committees

* Board member, Nigerian Breweries Plc. (2011 – 2014) * Board member
Brass Fertilizer
(2011-2022) * Board member, Callphone Nigeria Limited (2020 – Present) * Chairman, Communications sub-committee
Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation
* Trustee
Rise Networks Human and Education Development
* Trustee
Mothers United and Mobilized
* Chief Executive Officer

* Member, Nex
Generation Nigeria Task Force
* Member
Private Sector Working Group (PSWG)
* Member, National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria (NCCN) * Member, World Economic Forum (WEF) Africa 2014 Steering Committee * Member
WEF Global Agenda Council on Africa (2014 – 2016)
* Member
Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation
* Member
World Bank Consultative Group
* Member
National Steering Committee on the Growth and Employment (GEM) Project
* Consultant to th
DFID, Program Support Group (PSG)

Memberships and affiliations

Frank Nweke is a member of: *

Nigerian Institute of Management The Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) is a non-profit institution that defines the required skills and standards for professional managers, and offers courses leading to diplomas in Management. History The Nigerian Management Group was formed ...

Nigerian Red Cross Society The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) was founded in 1960, and it has its headquarters in Abuja. It has over 500,000 volunteers and 300 permanent employees. The Nigerian Red Cross Society was established by an Act of Parliament In mo ...

Political aspiration

Nweke ran for Enugu East senatorial district seat in 2015 under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He later defected from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). In April 2022, he announced his intention to run for the APGA nomination for Governor of Enugu in the 2023 gubernatorial election.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nweke, Frank Living people Federal ministers of Nigeria 1965 births Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria) politicians Igbo politicians University of Maiduguri alumni Modibbo Adama Federal University of Technology, Yola Harvard Kennedy School alumni Mason Fellows