Odera Ozoka: A story of resilience and determination in pursuit of excellence

When Mr Odera Ozoka embarked on his Doctorate degree in Business Administration, he hadn’t expected some life defining tragedy in the form of the death of his mother, Chief (Mrs) Uju Uchendu Ozoka, a prominent business woman from Anambra, and one time Vice Presidential and Gubernatorial candidate in Nigeria.

The filmmaker, business executive and Social Entrepreneur was halfway through his program when his mother briefly fell ill, and within a span of five months in July 2023 was pronounced dead. Odera who was half way through his doctorate was at a crossroad, quit the program to mourn his beloved mother, or stay the course.

After much soul searching, he determined to finish it, and so began juggling burial planning and school work. “It was one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do, mourn my mum in silence”, he said.

He successfully buried his mother in November of the same year, and continued with his education, insisting that the best way to honor her was to complete the program and be awarded his Doctorate.

Odera Ozoka grew up in the United States where he worked as a banker. His love for the cinematic arts made him an overnight Entrepreneur, when he launch a film company Black Tower Productions in California in 2006; and produced several award winning films laurels in Nigeria, United States, and the United Kingdom with accolades such as Best film by a filmmaker in the Diaspora at the prestigious Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Audience Favorite film at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, a prestigious festival considered the largest black film festival in the United States.

Ozoka who is a product of Columbia College Hollywood and Harvard University, earned a Masters of Business Administration (cum laude) from the University of Business and International Studies (UBIS) Switzerland. Upon returning to Nigeria and completing his NYSC, he founded the solar company SunPawa Energy ltd, and qualified for the Federal Governmnent Initative: the Nigerian Electrification Program( NEP ) under the Rural Electrification Agencys (REA), which aims to provide off grid power to rural areas across the country.

Ozoka who many had expected would work under the current Anambra Governor Prof Chukwuma Soludo given his world view and experience, said he was just grateful to have participated in the Soludo 80-member transition committee, headed by former Education Minister and ex-Vice President of World Bank, Oby Ezekwesili.

He said: He said: “Completing my Doctorate in Business Administration is a testament to my mother’s legacy and a reminder that life’s challenges can be overcome with determination and hard work.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to honor her memory by achieving this academic milestone. My journey has been shaped by my experiences in the United States, Nigeria, and Switzerland, and I am proud to be contributing to the growth and development of my community through my work in filmmaking, entrepreneurship, and renewable energy”.

For him, achieving the pinnacle of academic success by earning a Doctor of Business Administration from the highly respected UNIZIK Business School, is a testament to his character and tenacity.

He said he decided to pursue his PhD in Nigeria to gain deeper understanding of the local context and contribute to the development of the country’s academic landscape.

“By choosing to pursue my PhD in Nigeria, I aimed to leverage my knowledge and experience to make a positive impact on the country’s education system and economy,” he stated.