Dr. Oby Ezekwesili – Chairperson, Founder and Nexford Board Member

As a former Minister of Education, Former VP of the World Bank, co-chair of the World Economic Forum Africa Regional Stewardship Board, and recognized as one of Time-100 Most Influential People and by New York Times as one of the 25 Women of Impact in 2015, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili hardly needs any introduction.

In addition to those posts that form a fraction of a glittering CV, it is her work in education that brings hope to so many people who may be currently disadvantaged. As Founder-CEO of Human Capital Africa working in the education sector across Africa, she is constantly campaigning for young residents of Nigeria, especially young women, to have access to a world-class higher education degree. This, she believes, will form the grounding that will provide the launchpad for them to achieve greatness in Nigeria and indeed across the world in a growingly competitive work landscape.

Her constant desire to open the door to quality affordable education across Africa really excites us at Nexford University, as we are working to provide all learners who come through our virtual doors with the information and skills to develop and achieve their career goals, in a cost-effective and flexible way with learners being able to study at their own pace.

Education, education, education

Looking back on the glittering Nexford graduation ceremony in Lagos, March 2021, with fond memories, Dr. Oby reflects on feeling the energy in the room of people filled with pride and hope of a better tomorrow.

She says, “I just remember seeing this large group of graduates located in Nigeria full of the excitement of having completed a milestone of achieving their dream of earning a next-generation American degree that would form the basis of their campaign to land their dream job in a work environment that is hugely competitive.”

Like Nexford, Dr. Oby agrees that quality education continues to be incredibly relevant for young Nigerians to succeed on the global stage. This rings true when you consider that the world is going increasingly digital as fast as anyone can imagine. To succeed in the digital economy, workers must procure the skills and continue to acquire those deemed necessary to excel within it. Having a quality relevant education that Nexford offers is something that she believes learners would welcome as they set their sights on succeeding not just in Nigeria, but on a global scale.

Getting the dream start

As always in life, wanting something and getting it are two separate things. Dr. Oby agrees with Nexford that affordability is a major hindrance to young people getting a quality and relevant education, not just in Nigeria, but also across the continent of Africa.

“Nexford has designed an educational model that is low-cost in nature and yet enables the learner to get the best in education content via affordable monthly tuition.”

Using technology to help to spread affordable education and the delivery of quality content near and wide, she believes that Nexford has broken through the barrier of cost, the barrier of learners having to get a visa to travel abroad to get an American education, the barrier of tuition and accommodation costs, and the barrier of crippling living expenses when abroad.

This, she believes, has been accomplished by bringing an affordable American education that people seek abroad to many in their home country, and which can be accomplished at a flexible pace that allows all people, of all ages, to learn and earn at the same time.

Online education is revolutionizing an outdated education industry

Obviously to succeed, learners must first be given every opportunity to have access to a quality education. With banditry, kidnappings, and crime still prevalent, many parents are scared to let their children out of their sight. The alternative is to send them abroad to earn an American education, but sadly a sizeable percentage simply can’t afford to do that. There is no doubt then that online education is the way to go as it’s affordable, flexible, safe, and relevant.

“Quality education continues to be increasingly relevant to young Nigerians looking to succeed on a global stage. The world is going digital and online education is taking centre stage.”

About an online education and the success that Nexford has found in this modern model of higher education, Dr. Oby is adamant that a Nexford education ticks the boxes. She remarks, “Nexford learners fare so well in the workplace post-graduation because the curriculum that they are exposed to and the skills they acquire readies them to excel and arrive at organizations ready to hit the ground running. When they get into the workplace, they are readier than those that have not had the same opportunities.”

So, what does the next six months look like for this incredibly busy and knowledgeable lady? She will continue with her work as the Senior Economic Advisor of the African Economic Development Policy initiative that supports economic reform across the continent of Africa, and along with other vital posts, she will continue to campaign for Africans to have the opportunity of affordable, quality education.

In closing, she says, “Across all these busy roles, one thing is permanent, I want what my dad wanted me to be. He said that when you are privileged, your duty is to support others that are less so by making opportunities available to them.”

Nexford is proud to have Dr. Oby Ezekwesili as a Board Member and supports and wishes her the best in her endeavors campaigning for young people in Africa to acquire an affordable quality global education.

Ready to take the next step? Download our brochure or book a call with our Nexford Advisors!