Patrick Okedinachi Utomi (born 6 February 1956[1]) is a Nigerian professor of political economy and management expert.[2] He is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria[3] and a former presidential candidate.[4] He is the founder of Centre for Value in Leadership (CVL)[5] and the
African Democratic Congress. He is a professor at
Lagos Business School,[6] and has served in senior positions in government, as an adviser to the president of
Nigeria, the private sector, as Chief Operating Officer of
Volkswagen Nigeria.[4]
Within a few months of his return to Nigeria from Bloomington, Indiana, United States, Pat got enlisted by the former Vice President
Alex Ekwueme to provide consultancy services on some public policy papers. Soon after, he was appointed Special Assistant by former President
Shehu Shagari[4] a position he lost following the military coup of December 1983, which terminated the Second Republic.[10]
Following the end of the Second Republic, he became Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Utomapp Holdings Limited, 1984 – 1986, and Assistant General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Volkswagen Nigeria
Lagos, 1983 - 1993.[3]
Utomi was Scholar-in-Residence, American University, Washington DC, USA, 1996 and Research Associate, the
Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 1996.[11] (Lagos Business school started operating in 1991.)
Utomi also belongs to many professional bodies. He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR,
Institute of Directors, IOD, Nigeria Economic Summit Group and Nigeria Economic Society.
Utomi coordinated the establishment of several civil society groups on good governance and accountability such as Transparency in Nigeria, the Centre for Values in Leadership, the Concerned Professionals, and the Restoration Group. In the business sphere, Utomi was the Vice Chairman of Platinum–Habib Bank. He is a columnist and chairman.[12][13]
Utomi has served in various private sector associations including the
Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the National Council of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, he is also the Chairman of Poise Nigeria Limited, and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA). He has spoken on issues in the following areas on various international platforms; growth economics, comparative development, leadership, oil, and China’s economic surge and growing influence in Africa. He has collaborated frequently with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, and Chatham House, in the UK. He has also written commissioned papers for the UK's DFID including the latest collaboration with Colleagues from
Oxford on the Political Economy of growth in Nigeria. (2006).[14]
Utomi also ran a failed attempt for presidency of Nigeria in 2011.[15]
In 2021, Pat and other political stakeholders pioneered the formation of a new political opposition ahead of the 2023 Nigerian general elections.[16]
Governorship candidacy
Pat Utomi was declared as the governorship candidate of the
All Progressive Congress for the 2019 general election in Delta State by a faction of the All Progressive Congress.[17]
The national working Committee of the All Progressive Congress overturned the factional declaration and declared Chief
Great Ogboru as its Delta state gubernatorial Candidate for the 2019 general Elections.[18][19]
Honors and awards
Nominated and voted by the Public as one of Nigeria’s top ten Living Legends in the Vanguard/Silverbird Television Awards.[20][21]
Utomi, Patrick Okedinachi. Golden Thoughts: Creative Views and Writings of Professor Pat Utomi on the Nigerian Economy, Politics and Social System. Godfrey Obioma, 2004.[29]
Keynotes speeches
Keynote speaker at the Annual Conferences of the following:
Has been guest speaker at the annual Business Club meetings of the Africa Business Club at the
Harvard Business School, Wharton, Kellogg School and the TedxEuston at the
University of London.
^"Channels Television - Nigeria's Award Winning Television Station". 10 November 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2017. The challenging health conditions in areas affected by the flood disaster should be the critical emphasis of policy makers as the floods begin to recede. This was the call made by the founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), Prof. Pat Utomi, at the presentation of relief materials to officials of Delta State Government at St Patrick's College, at the Asaba camp for displaced persons.
^Pegg, Scott (2005). "Book Review: Rotberg, Robert, editor. CRAFTING THE NEW NIGERIA: CONFRONTING THE CHALLENGES. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2004". Africa Today. 52 (1): 137–139.
doi:
10.2979/aft.2005.52.1.137.
ISSN0001-9887.
^Monga, Célestin; Lin, Justin Yifu; Sachs, Jeffrey D. (2015-07-01), "Africa's Demographic Transition and Economic Prospects", The Oxford Handbook of Africa and Economics, Oxford University Press,
doi:
10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199687107.013.051,
ISBN978-0-19-968710-7
^Nkamleu, GB (2009-07-10). "poverty and child farm labour in Africa: Wealth paradox or bad orthodox". African Journal of Economic Policy. 13 (1).
doi:
10.4314/ajep.v13i1.44181.
ISSN1116-4875.
^Obioma, Godfrey. (2004). Golden thoughts : creative views and writings of Professor Pat Utomi on the Nigerian economy, politics and social system. [Godfrey Obioma].
OCLC609425463.