CHUKWUKA MONYE My Organisationg is Driven By Innovative Kids
Passionate about changeg and innovation, the Managinggg Partner Ciuci Consulting,g Chukwuka Monye,y in this interview with Azuka Ogujiuba talks about his childhood and his youth-driven innovative firm
TdifferentTaroundTell us about yyourself?f I’m a local boyy from Delta State, who ggrew upp in Lagos.g I have jjourneyedy the cultures,world to ideolpogiesexposeg myselfaynd waysto y of doingg things.g I like to create and build new thingsg as well as transform and lead thingsg that are different and cutting-g edge.g Myy mother once said one of the waysy to gget me to do somethingg is to tell me that I couldn’t do it, that’s when I would be motivated to do it.
I attended Marylandy Convent Private School, and Federal Government College,g Ijanikin,j Lagos.g I did a short stint at Ogung State Universityy before I went to Warner University,y Florida, United States of America where I studied Business Management.g I attended Universityy of Oxford for myy two ppostgraduateg degreesg in Strategygy and Innovation, and a Master’s in Business Administration.
I’m happilyppy married with two wonderful ggirls; amazingg ggirls with remarkable ppersonalities; one acts like her mother and the other, like me. So, I’m a happyppy man.
Growingg up,p myypparents embraced and loved education, althoughg I would sayy myy mum wanted me to be a well-balanced individual. For example,p all the kids had to learn how to cook before ggoingg to boardingg school which reallyyppaid off when I travelled. So, even now if myy wife should tryy me, I can give her a run for her money in the area of cooking.
Are there specificpfifi events in youry lifef that had a part to pplayy in the pperson yyou’ve become?
There have been a few, but I’ll mention two. One was ggettingg myy scholarshipp to studyy abroad. The entire pprocess was divine because I didn’t feel like I was the most intelligentg kid, but the wayy thingsg unfolded includingg how I ggot myy visa and how the school completedp myy scholarshipp to ensure I didn’t owe anythingyg was amazing.g It made me realise that when yyou’re destined for somethinggggood there is nothingg under the sun that can stoppyyou. The second event was when I lost myy dad a few yyears ago.g It made me realise that the thingsg that we strugglegg for all don’t mean anything; we need to live a life of purpose.
You are ppassionate about innovation and change.g Tell us about some offyyour projects.p j
We’ve done over 200 pprojectsj at Ciuci Consulting, the companypy I founded 10 yyears ago.g I alwaysy tell ppeoplep that one of the thingsg I find most innovative is not even what we’ve done for clients but what we did internallyy in the company,py which is how we were able to developp capacitypy locally.y
Manyy ppeoplep complainp about human capacityp y in Nigeriag and it was one of the thingsg I wanted to tackle head-on within the organisation.g We were able to developp an analysty traininggpprogrammeg that we have been runningg for 10 yyears. It has been largelygy successful. As a matter of fact, some of my y friends from different industries tell me that Ciuci Consultingg is the best pplace to ppoach ppeoplep from. It is jjust a testament to the qqualityy of ppeoplep Ciuci has. For me, it’s one of the great things I think we’ve been able to achieve.
We have also worked with a lot of companiesp and have helpedp them developp some innovative pprod - ucts and strategiesg such as Bestman Games with the launch of Cityy of Lagosg Monopolypy Game; Iyay Foods in the US; House of Tara; DBH Solutions and Massey Street Children’s Hospital.
As the Managinggg Partner off Ciuci Consulting,g what mode off operationp have yyou broughtg into consultingg that’s different from what all others have to offer?ff
I can sayy that we have an amazingg culture; the typeyp that encouragesg yyoungg folks. Ciuci is made up p of largelygy millennial kids that think outside the box and are ready to compete with their peers anywhere
in the world. We have been able to successfullyy create an environment that fosters an innovative spirit,p tenacity,y integrity,gyyyouthfulness and a learningg atmospherep that encourages everyone to think as leaders.
What was youry best subject in secondaryy school?
I don’t know if I had a ppreference because all subjectsj had to be ppassed irrespectivep of whether I liked them or not, but I enjoyed Mathematics and Commerce.
Would youy describe yourself as a nerd while in school?
(Laughs)g No. I don’t think so but some sayy I was because of myy accomplishments.p I think I was far from being a nerd. I was very playful.
How do you unwind and let off steam?
I like to dance, most especiallypy salsa. I also like to play basketball and listen to music.
Iff yyou could visit anywherey in the world,, all expense paid, where would it be?
I’m at a stageg where I want to explore Nigeriag and Africa more. So a trip p round sub-Saharan Africa will do. But starting with Nigeria.
What are your hobbies? Singing,gg playing the drums and basketball.
How would you describe your fashion? Iff youy could be elected as the next president of Nigeria, what would yyou do differentlyffy ffrom what the present leadershipp is doing?g
Be more deliberate about empower - ing more entrepreneurs.
I was the most intelligentg kid, but the wayy thingsg unfolded includingg how I ggot my visa and how the school completed my scholarship to ensure I didn’t owe anythingy g was amazing.g It made me realise that when yyou’re destined for something g good there is nothingg under the sun that can stop you. The second event was when I lost myy dad a few yyears ago.g It made me realise that the thingsg that we strugglegg for all don’t mean anything;yg we need to live a life of purpose