User:NixonOduka/sandbox

Early Life
Nixon-Nickson Emeka Oduka (Nixon Oduka) hails from an academic, industrialist and political background. He was born on the 15th of February 1984 in Iyienu Hospital, Ogidi, Idemili South, Anambra state to Chief James Uchechukwu Oduka (JP) an industrialist who played a key role in the industrial revolution of Southern Eastern Nigeria by setting up one of the first indigenous plastic producing factories. Nixon’s mother - Honourable Chief Dr (Ph.D.) Mrs. Gertude Ego Oduka is an astute administrator and a political scholar in Imo State.

Nixon attended Army Day pre-nursery school from 1988  - 1991. He then transferred to Santa Maria Seminary School Onitsha managed by Holy Trinity Cathedral Onitsha for a brief period before moving on to Creative Minds Foundation British School located in the upscale suburbs of Onitsha, Anambra State, and eventually finished at the prestigious Learning Field Academy. While at the Creative Minds Foundation, Nixon won many awards including :


 * Best reader from primary 1 - primary 3
 * He was appointed class prefect from primary 1 - primary 3 when it was based on 1st position attained in class studies
 * As a very young student, Nixon attained great heights when he was selected as the captain of a special group called the World Young’s Club to represent Creative Minds on live television at Anambra Broadcasting Service, Awada Anambra State for national school debates, dramas, and competitions.

At Learning Fields Academy, Nixon's exceptional intellect allowed him to skip from Primary 3 to Primary 5, qualifying him to take the common entrance examinations for secondary school ahead of schedule.

As Nixon got older and ready for secondary school, he took the state and federal common entrance exam where he scored a high aggregate above 30, which enabled him to gain 1st class admission into the prestigious Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS) Onitsha, Anambra State, the oldest secondary school in the Southeastern region known for producing prominent and well learned Nigerians. At the same time, he gained a notable score of 521/600 in the federal common entrance, good enough to gain him admission into Federal Government Boys College Abuja in 1994, but Nixon opted to study at DMGS.

Nixon, distinguished in his science studies at DMGS, embraced his calling by pursuing Medicine at the University of Calabar, dedicating two years to honing his medical expertise. His innate leadership and creativity, coupled with exceptional intellectual prowess, set him apart from his peers, prompting a move to Leeds, England. There, he sought to expand his medical knowledge in Biochemistry and acquire international exposure. His academic journey led him from Park Lane College Leeds to the University of Leeds for his foundational year, culminating in a double honours degree in Biochemistry from the University of Huddersfield.

During his undergraduate studies at the University of Huddersfield, Nixon received direct tutelage from Dr. Shamus Burns, a part-time senior lecturer at Imperial College London, they have remained close friends to date.

As an inspiring Biochemist, Nixon's brilliant mind once again earned him a fully sponsored scholarship program as an exchange student to study at the highly prestigious world’s largest private university, Brigham Young University (BYU) Provo Utah, USA, the school is known for producing great alumni such as Mitt Romney, Aaron Eckhart, Stephanie Meyer, Steve Young, Kevin Rollins and a host of other titans of industries.

Working and Political Career
Nixon has over 15 years of operational waste management experience, from on-field experience where he worked as a Project Manager for Enserve Leeds in the United Kingdom under the supervisory guidance of Dr. Andrew Nicholson to strategic and operational experience working as Imo State Coordinator for waste management and eventually Acting Managing Director for Imo State Waste Management Agency (ISWAMA)

Nixon has been praised for his dedication and commitment to Imo State for creating job opportunities during his tenure as coordinator and Acting Managing Director. He spearheaded and established the first waste-to-energy, waste-to-wealth initiatives and the first waste seminar in Imo state that raised awareness and created thousands of jobs (directly and indirectly across the 27 local government areas of Imo State. This initiative comprised structures that penetrated the local communities to the heart of grassroots specifically the electoral ward levels. This Initiative also created awareness of the need to establish recycling and waste sorting centres at the community level.

Working Life
While studying in the UK, Nixon cultivated a keen interest in environmental cleanliness. He followed this passion by apprenticing at a Leeds-based environmental firm focused on post-construction services. His composed demeanour and capacity to stay calm in remote locations and while traveling led to his swift advancement to Project Manager within a year. He also took on roles in recruitment and financial decision-making. Nixon's work had him traveling across the UK, from the Northwest to the deep South, managing and overseeing the company's environmental projects.


 * Landscaping
 * Post construction cleaning
 * Skip monitoring
 * Remediation and Clean-up
 * Materials logistics

July 2005 -2007 - Project Manager ENSERV, Leeds UK  - working on the logistics of delivering sanitizing materials and executing environmental projects across the United Kingdom. ENSERV was a contractor to William Hill - offering recycling services. Enserve’s biggest client was MEARS Group, an engineering consortium responsible for large-scale engineering projects across multiple UK sites, from Northwest to Southeast England. Nixon played a key role in supervising and overseeing multiple post-construction clean-up projects for ENSERV at multiple MEARS group project sites.

April 2007 - Employed Research assistant (HIV pathogenesis) at Brigham Young University, Provo Utah - Nixon was granted a United States working visa alongside a social security number to undertake his Research Assistant role at Brigham Young University. Nixon worked under the careful supervision of Dr. Gregory Burton, a permanent lecturer at BYU who often visited Yale and Johns Hopkins University for joint research and lecture assignments. Nixon specifically worked with Prof. Burton in investigating the role of follicular dendritic cells during HIV pathogenesis. Nixon was part of a team of 3 international research assistants from China. Techniques acquainted with Protein isolation and purification techniques, Tissue culture, cloning, gel electrophoresis, RT-PCR, Sequencing techniques, and use of cluster X program.It is noteworthy that Nixon made a positive impact on his superiors and received commendation for his commitment to delivering quality outcomes in his laboratory work.. After his short and successful stay in Utah, Nixon returned to the University of Huddersfield in August 2007 to complete his studies.

April 2010 - March 2011 -Nixon, a true Nigerian patriot, returned home to fulfill his duty at the National Youth Service Camp (NYSC) in Abuja. Serving as an Office Assistant in Budget & Planning at the ETD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), he also became the first male President of his Community Development Service (CDS) group for Breast and Cervical Cancer, now known as Breast Without Spots. During his presidency, Nixon initiated various community outreach programs in rural areas such as Gbagi, and Kado, where he oversaw the successful completion of breast screening exercises and handed over breast cancer screening kits to Girishi village in Abuja.

May 2011- September 2019 - Managing Director and CEO Environmental services company  - Nixon became the Managing Director of an Environmental services company that provides consultancy services to public and private organizations on the utilization of waste-to-energy initiatives. Recycling, waste disposal, landscaping, landfill management, and clean-up execution.

Political Career
Nixon’s political career began early in his teenage life as his mother Honorable (Chief) Dr. Mrs Gertude Oduka was elected the first Deputy Chairman of Ideato South Local Government Area (LGA), she then contested and won Chairman of Ideato South LGA but the courts overturned results. Dr. Mrs Oduka then went on to have a distinguished political career in Imo State as  -


 * Vice Chairman Ideato South Local Government
 * State woman leader of PDP from 1993 to 2003
 * Director / Board Member Imo State Housing Corporation
 * Two-time Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development during the Achike Udenwa regime with a landmark of construction of a Children`s park at Orlu and a shopping mall at Mbari from 2003 to 2007.
 * member Board of Governors of National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) Zaria, Kaduna State
 * Special Adviser on Women Mobilization from 2012 to 2013
 * Executive Chairperson, Imo State Universal Basic Education Board. At the IMSUBEB
 * Honourable Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology
 * Honourable Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Local Government Affairs
 * Chief Mrs. Getrude was very active in politics  from 1993 - 2019

Throughout her distinguished political career, Nixon spent a lot of his time in very close proximity to his mother as her strategic advisor and trusted confidant, This is where Nixon’s political and leadership qualities were nurtured and developed. These outstanding leadership qualities were showcased at the University of Huddersfield where Nixon was a student representative for the biochemistry department in the school’s senate.

Political Appointments
2012 - 2019 - IMO State Environmental Waste Management Coordinator for Imo State

Nixon was appointed as the coordinator for the Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission by His Excellency Governor Rochas Okorocha. He worked under the direct supervision of Her Excellency Nkechi Rochas, where the Office of the First Lady oversaw beauty, nature, and environmental aesthetics as part of Imo State Waste Management. His responsibilities included


 * Strategic Planning Developing long-term waste management plans aligned with Imo State rescue mission vision goals for sustainability, waste reduction, and environmental protection. Nixon remains the only coordinator to maintain a healthy clean environment of the famous Douglas marketplace and all other key strategic markets in Imo State
 * Policy Creation: Drafting and implementing policies and procedures regarding waste collection, recycling, composting, hazardous waste disposal, and landfill management.
 * Legislation Compliance: Staying updated on relevant local, state/provincial, and federal environmental regulations, ensuring all waste management operations adhere to these laws. Nixon set up a task force team that monitored sensitive waste disposal hot zones throughout Imo state environs including marketplaces, open fields, and landfills.
 * Operations and Services Waste Collection Oversight: Managing waste collection routes, schedules, and contracts with private haulers. Ensuring efficient, safe, and timely collection of residential and commercial waste.
 * Facility Management: Overseeing the operation of transfer stations, recycling centers, composting facilities, and landfill

2012 - 2013 Focus Group on Economic Strategies to promote Imo State investment opportunities.

Nixon was nominated by Her Excellency to a special economic group of Public and private professionals to come up with a white paper on economic strategies to improve and boost Imo State's Economy.

Nixon served as a waste management contractor and consultant to -


 * Ministry of Environment Enugu State Government 2013 -2021,
 * Ministry of Environment, Anambra State Government, 2017 -2019
 * Akwa Ibom State Government (Brief consultancy on Waste Management with the then Commissioner of environment in 2016 )

2020 - 2021 - Acting Managing Director Imo State Waste Management Agency

Upon a distinguished recommendation, His Excellency, the current Governor of Imo State, appointed Nixon as the inaugural Acting Managing Director of the Imo State Waste Management Agency (ISWAMA).


 * Budgeting and Finance; Budget Development: Preparing and managing the budget for waste management operations, covering staff, equipment, facilities, and services.
 * Cost Control: Seeking cost-effective solutions for waste management without compromising efficiency or environmental standards.
 * Grant Writing: Identifying and applying for grants to support waste reduction, recycling, and other sustainability initiatives.
 * Public Education and Outreach Community Awareness: Developing and implementing educational campaigns to inform residents and businesses about proper waste disposal, recycling, composting, and hazardous waste management practices. Nixon established a grassroots program to educate individuals in rural areas, markets, and communities on the importance of proper waste disposal.
 * Collaboration: Working with schools, community groups, and businesses to promote waste reduction and recycling initiatives.
 * Program Promotion: Publicizing and encouraging participation in the city's recycling, composting, and other waste diversion programs.
 * Problem Solving: Investigating and resolving waste-related complaints, illegal dumping issues, and service disruptions.
 * Technology Evaluation: Researching and recommending new technologies or systems to improve waste management processes.
 * Stakeholder Engagement: Building relationships with other city departments, community organizations, waste industry partners, and regulatory agencies to foster collaboration.
 * Nixon put together the first waste management workshop on waste-to-energy initiatives which took place in October 2020 and had distinguished speakers such as Vice Chancellor FUTO, Hon. Commissioner of Environment Imo State

2021 - Director Commercial and Business Development Imo State - As Director Nixon was charged with


 * Creating different avenues for the revenue generation of waste management and sustainability.
 * Creating employment through the use of technology in improving the delivery of waste management schemes.
 * Creating Business opportunities in the form of local and foreign direct investment into the sector in the form of Private Public Partnership (PPP)

This was a short tenure held by Nixon due to his aspirations, Nixon relocated to Abuja to further pursue his aspiration of serving his country Nigeria at the Federal level. Nixon firmly believes that Waste-to-Wealth initiatives will be a key economic driver in reducing the high employment rate. Nixon believes that given the conducive business environment and the right local and foreign  Investment, Waste to Wealth Initiatives could create 4 million jobs in 4 years.

Waste-to-wealth projects are beneficial for the economy in numerous ways. They create jobs, generate new business opportunities, conserve resources, drive innovation, and improve our health and environment in the process.