Some people are created to learn and acquire knowledge from others. Some are created to be a beacon through which others see the light. However, some are the vision themselves and like the legendry King Midas, whatever they touch turns to gold. This group of people are said to live before their time. They see the future and live the future even though existing within the current and have experienced the recent past. Dr. Matthew Chima Amadi falls into this category of people.
Dr. Amadi, popularly known as Maazi Gburugburu hails from Umuehieze, Umuekwune in Ngor Okpala local government area. He had his earliest education in Kano, where he was born and then in Umuekune his home town. He later went to the University of Ibadan where he pursued a Bachelor’s in Human Nutrition and later obtained a PhD in the same area. While at the University of Ibadan, Chima demonstrated his leadership potential when he served as the Secretary General of the Students Union’ Government. This experience stimulated his passion for advocating transparency and good governance.
In continuation of his academic pursuits he went to prestigious institutions such as the London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London, and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. He obtained Master’s degrees in Comparative Public Policy and Administration, Democracy and Comparative Politics, and Economics and Development Studies. His extensive and impressive academic attainments equipped him with a deep understanding of diverse disciplines and enabled him to approach complex issues from a multidimensional perspective.
Armed with these academic excellence, Dr. Amadi commenced his professional calling to serve his country towards good governance as a dedicated patriot.
In October 2020, He took up the responsibility as the Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) where he provided strategic leadership and oversaw the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the organization’s programmes. He ensured that the CTA’s initiatives aligned with its mission and reflect the priorities set by the Board. He had also served as the Senior Programme’s Manager at Partners for Electoral Reform from June 2010 to October 2014. He was responsible for implementing election operational plans, coordinating operations and observer teams during elections, and conducting training workshops for observer teams. His work in this role contributed to promoting free and fair elections in Nigeria.
Dr. Amadi also served as the Consultant Networks Manager at Publish What You Pay (Nigeria) from May 2007 to May 2010. In this capacity, he trained coalition partners on best practices in the extractive industry and designed training manuals for advocacy. He facilitated zonal training workshops and strategically supported coalition partners involved in advocacy campaigns. Furthermore, He worked as the Programme Manager for Democracy and Good Governance at the Centre for Transparency Advocacy from August 2004 to March 2010. He conceived, coordinated, and managed projects related to civic and voter education, human rights monitoring, and transparency and accountability in governance.
As an expert in governance, the young professional has presented several papers at various forums to contribute towards credible elections, transparency related issues and good governance. Some of his notable publications include “2019 Elections in Nigeria: The Clear and Present Dangers,” where he highlights the challenges of elections in Nigeria, and “Engaging With Public Institutions on Accountability Issues,” which examines the experiences of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy. He has also presented papers on topics such as the rejection of the global North’s development ideology for Africa’s development, gender, politics, power, accountability, and democratic processes.
Apart from his contributions to promoting accountability, transparency, and good governance in Nigeria and beyond, he has also contributed towards the human and materials development of his people and community in Imo State. Within a very short time, he set up various small scale industries which created employment for many young people in his community. He empowered many youths by providing means of income in transport, agriculture and other technical skills. May women, especially the widows are regular beneficiaries of Maazi Gburugburu’s largesse.
He has been promoting sports through annual football completion redeemed with millions of naira. He also promotes culture and tradition through cultural music competitions and promoting existing musical talents. Maazi has created opportunities for his people to participate actively in politics through which some of them have succeeded in various positions at the state and national levels.
Dr. Chima Amadi’s exceptional contributions especially to his fields of expertise and beyond have earned him several awards and honors. In 2016, he was recognized as a Chevening Scholar, a prestigious award that acknowledges outstanding individuals with leadership potential. He was awarded the Jide Owoeye Prize for Foreign Policy Analysis in 2015 and was named the Best Graduating Student in International Relations in the same year.
Recently, he was honoured by The Telegraph newspaper as the Social Crusader of the year 2024. These accolades reflect Dr. Amadi’s dedication to academic excellence and commitment to positively impacting his field. He is one of the young people set to change the political dynamics of this country.
