ESSIEN AKPANUKO, PhD.
Akpanuko is a Professor of Accounting and Vice-Dean, at the University of Uyo. He is a graduate of accounting with a first-class degree from the University of Uyo and was immediately offered the position of graduate assistant in the same department. He also had an MBA (Accounting) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Doctorate in Accounting from the University of Uyo. He was the first student to have been sponsored by a major oil company; Exxon-Mobil to carry out a holistic embedded case study of the company operations as a part of his Master’s Degree thesis. The outcome of that study is a model for valuing human assets (to determine each employee’s contribution to the growth of a company). This model is in use at Exxon-Mobil to date.
For ten (10) consecutive years, he led the University of Uyo Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team. In 2003, the UNIUYO SIFE team represented Nigeria at the global competition in Germany and emerged with the Gold medal in the continental category and the Bronze medal overall. It was at this competition that Prof. Akpanuko was inducted as the Sam Watson Fellow.
He has practised Accounting and Entrepreneurship in partnership with several international and local institutions to reduce poverty in Nigeria. He has been involved in several training for INTELs, WAIFEM and STEP to mention a few. He specializes in the use of EXCEL, SPSS, Eviews and MATHLAB for data analysis. Prof. Akpanuko has been the Director, of the Centre for Skills Acquisition and Rural Development, University of Uyo, Nigeria and a Senior Lecturer at the University. He is engaged in the programmes at the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development as a consultant, and carrying out basic and applied research as necessary. He has published 2 books; Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship and Valuation of Human Asset for Enterprise Development and has to his credit over 27 Journal articles and presented over 30 papers in conferences across the Globe.
He is a Motivational Speaker, an Enterprise developer and currently a Consultant with GTA Consulting. Beyond all of these, Prof. Akpanuko is serving the faculty of business administration, at the University of Uyo, Nigeria, as an orator, an ICT expert, a consulting accountant, and a brand ambassador. Dr. Akpanuko has attended local and international conferences on Entrepreneurship that have resulted in over twenty publications to his credit. He is a member of several professional bodies and is well-traveled.
IKEGBU EPHRAIM AHAMS, (Esq) PhD. (LLB, BL)
Ikegbu, an Associate Professor, is a legal practitioner and a lecturer at the Department of Philosophy, University of Calabar. He is a seasoned academic with intellectual depth in the areas of philosophy, law, social and political philosophy, leadership philosophy, ethics, public administration and administrative law.
His research interest spans gender issues, leadership, ethnicity, conflict management, resolution and prevention. He has written articles in both local and international journals. Dr. (Barr) Ikegbu is a seasoned trainer in leadership, human psychology, organization development, conflict resolution, and management development, among others
He holds several academic qualifications, which include; a bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, a Master’s Degree in Philosophy and Public Administration, a Law Degree and a Doctor of Philosophy.
He is the Legal Adviser to GTA Consulting as well as handles all legal-related activities for the firm.
PATRICK EZECHUKWU, PhD.
Dr. Patrick EZECHUKWU began his studies in Philosophy, graduating with First Class Honours in 1999 from the PontificalUrbanUniversity, Rome, Italy. He experimented with journalism as a reporter, and worked his way up, becoming an acting Editor in Chief of Forum Newspapers Ltd, Orlu in 2001 and in the process acquiring a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the International Institute of Journalism, Abuja. Patrick went back to Philosophy in the last quarter of 2001 at the University of Calabar, Nigeria, acquired a Master of Arts Degree (MA) in Philosophy in 2003 and a PhD in Political Philosophy in 2006, after spending some time as a recognised research student at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Because of his availed interest in Human Resources Management and Organizational Development, Patrick advanced further for yet another Master’s Degree, this time a Master of Science (MSc) in Human Resources Management in the Employment Relations and Organisational Behaviour Department of the London School of Economic and Political Science, London, United Kingdom.
A Chattered member of the Chattered Institute of Personnel and Development (United Kingdom), Patrick has years of experience in the Media Industry, Human Resources Management, Human Resources Consulting, Politics and Public Policy Analysis, Public Relations and Business Development Consulting.
An existentialist in orientation and a tested lecturer, Patrick has researched, written and taught extensively in numerous areas, including Transformational Leadership, Leadership Outcomes and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour, his main area of research at the LSE, Project management, Political Philosophy, Human capital development, Talent management organizational structure and organizational development.
JOHNSON ATEGHIE, PhD.
Finance Strategist | Author | Management Consultant | Technology & Innovation Leader | Strategic Adviser
Dr Johnson Ateghie is a finance strategist, author, management consultant, and technology and innovation leader with over 25 years of professional experience across strategic leadership, finance, project management, corporate strategy, ICT, security technology, business development, enterprise transformation, governance, and public-sector advisory.
Previously, he served as Executive Director, Research and Strategy, at Landmark Exposures Ltd., where he played a key role in the organisation’s establishment, early growth, and operational stabilisation before joining GTA Consulting.
Throughout his career, Dr Ateghie has advised federal and state governments, businesses, institutions, and international organisations on specialised assignments covering finance, public-sector management, corporate strategy, security, technology, and development. His consulting engagements have included a specialised assignment for Coffey International Ltd., involving work with Nigerian public institutions.
He has also coordinated multi-state election-security training programmes for the Nigeria Police, contributing to institutional capacity building, operational preparedness, and effective security management to support democratic processes. His broader security-technology experience includes work with high-tech electronics and security technologies for crime prevention and security management.
His professional expertise spans corporate strategy, business and technical consulting, project management, ICT design and implementation, digital transformation, enterprise and security technologies, public-sector financial management, governance, business turnaround, organisational performance, and start-up development. He has worked with organisations facing stagnation or declining performance, helping to develop strategies for recovery, transformation, growth, and sustainable profitability.
Dr Ateghie holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Finance from the University of Benin, an M.Sc. in Finance from the University of Lagos, and a B.Sc. in Finance from the University of Calabar. His professional credentials include the Certified Management Consultant (CMC), Certified Facility Manager (CFM), and Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination (FAFE). He also holds certifications and has completed professional training in Project Management, Cybersecurity, Enterprise and Infrastructural Security, and Entrepreneurship, including programmes undertaken through the University of West Virginia, IBM, New York University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
He is an experienced trainer, facilitator, speaker, and business strategist, with a track record of delivering professional and executive training in finance, accounting, entrepreneurship, management, ICT, security, customer service, marketing, and business development. He also has a background in business journalism and strategic communications, having served as a media adviser and columnist for Business Update, a leading business publication.
Dr Ateghie brings together academic rigour, more than 25 years of executive and consulting experience, multidisciplinary expertise, and practical knowledge across finance, technology, management, governance, and security. His work focuses on helping organisations and leaders navigate complexity, embrace transformation, strengthen institutional and organisational performance, and unlock opportunities in a rapidly evolving global economy.
His hobbies include research, reading and learning new skills.
ELUE, JOSEPH CHUKS. (BA, PGD, MBA, MNIM, FAHERI)
Elue is a Conference Speaker and a business professional, author and one of Nigeria’s foremost motivational speakers. He is the author of the popular books “Poverty is not hereditary”, and “The Ultimate Manager” and he propounded the “Triangular Distrust Analysis”.
He is an Alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Lagos and the University of Ife. He belongs to several professional bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Management and is a fellow, of the African Heritage Education and Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He is a sort after Change Management and attitudinal re-orientation expert.
He currently consults for several government and multinational organizations, which include UBA Plc, UACN, Navy Training Command, BPE, Delta and Rivers State Governments, Nigeria Export Promotion Council, National Planning Commission; in areas of Customer Service/ Relationship Management, Change Management, Personal Effectiveness, Performance Management, Emotional Intelligence, Coaching, etc.