By Amaechi Agbo

A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka (OFR) will deliver the 2^nd edition of  Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT’s Distinguished Personality Lecture, www.esutmonitor.com can authoritatively report.

Chief Chidoka was Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation under President Goodluck Jonathan and also served as Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps under President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Under the chairmanship of the ESUT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, the Distinguished Personality Lecture will hold on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at the Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah Multi-purpose Auditorium, ESUT, Ebe-Ano City, Enugu State commencing from 10am.

Anchored on the theme: “Beyond Participation: Rebuilding Nigerian’s Political Culture for a New Generation,” Chief Chidoka will be dissecting the Nigerian political culture beclouded by growing apathy and leadership mistrust and advocates for shifting from transactional politics to a value-driven culture, prioritizing sustained civic engagement over mere voter turnout. As well as emphasize fostering institutional trust and empowering youth through economic independence and local, grassroots political organization to break cycles of apathy.

Launched in 2024, the first ESUT’s Distinguished Personality Lecture was delivered by His Excellency, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah on November 19, 2024 on the topic: “Experiential Learning: Building the Wealth of the Nation”

Osita Chidoka’s Profile

ESUT’s 2^nd Distinguished Personality Lecturer, Chief Osita Benjamin Chidoka, a politician, public servant and administrator, was born on July 18, 1971 in Enugu State, South-East Nigeria but hails from Anambra State.

He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in management from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and also holds a Masters of Public Policy degree from the School of Public Policy at George Mason University in the United States of America. He has a Certificate in Global Strategy and Political Economy from Oxford University UK, and a Graduate Diploma in Maritime and Ports Management from the National University of Singapore.

Chidoka won the National Youth Service Corps FCT Honours Award and gained automatic employment with the Federal Capital Development Authority. As a public servant, he contributed to national development through his services as the Secretary to the National Committee for the visit of Pope John Paul II to Nigeria in 1998, which earned him a papal commendation. He also served as a member of the Committee for the Review of the Abuja Master Plan. He also led the Committee for the Drafting of Nigeria’s National Policy on Non-Motorized Forms of Transportation and was the Assistant Secretary of the Committee for the Military-Civilian Handover in 1999.

After a public sector career, Chidoka joined Mobil Producing Nigeria, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, as a senior adviser on government and business relations. In 2007, while serving in that role, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at the age of 35, making him the youngest ever to hold the position.

His leadership of the FRSC led to the transformation of the Corps into a functional lead agency for road traffic administration and safety management in the country, driven by information and communication technology. Under Osita’s leadership, FRSC built a reliable offenders’ register and database of drivers and vehicles in the country, leading to ECOWAS’ adoption of the Nigerian model in the planned Regional Vehicle Administration Information System for other West African countries.

He also introduced the fully biometric and globally acceptable driver’s license, revamped the number plate issuing system making it possible to search and identify vehicle owners on the go and linked to their vehicle insurance and built the ultra-modern number plate production facility in Abuja and Awka as well as a modern world-class Academy in Udi, Enugu State.

Chidoka was appointed the Federal Minister of Aviation on 23 July 2014. Prior to his appointment as a federal minister, he chaired the Presidential Committee on Nigeria’s Centenary Transportation Subcommittee and was later appointed Chairman of the Transportation Committee for the World Economic Forum, which was held in Nigeria in May 2014. As aviation minister, he initiated several programmes to deepen service delivery in the sector. In 2015, he initiated the “one Nigerian pilot in the cockpit” policy for all domestic commercial airlines, aimed at employing Nigerian qualified staff in the aviation industry. He was also responsible for the opening of four new terminals in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt, which he left at over 80 per cent completion. He also awarded the contract for the runway lighting for 22 airports, including solar lights as redundancy.

With greater urge to serve his people in Anambra State, in 2017, Chidoka vied for governor of Anambra State, under the United Progressive Party, but lost to Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. Chidoka had been one of the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party.

An award winner with multiple accolades including; Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria Merit Award on 27 November 2010, Institute of Logistics Management of Nigeria Fellowship Award in July 2011, Distinguished Alumnus Award for Good Governance and Model on Road Safety by the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka on 12 November 2011, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR by the Federal Government, Sun and Hallmark Newspapers Public Servant of the Year 2012 awards as well as Leadership Newspapers Government Agency of the Year 2012 award, Chief Osita Chidoka is a strong advocate for public policy and has written many articles, essays, and delivered speeches in many areas of public policy and safety management.

He writes a regular column, “Bridge Builder,” for Leadership Newspaper, where he outlines pragmatic ideas for good governance.