Nigeria Tribune reported that Dr. Chibuzo Okereke, Baze University’s best graduating student in the Masters Program, Public Administration Department, School of Post Graduate Studies, has tasked youths on best efforts for the development of the country.

Okereke who scored a cumulative grade of 4.95 out of 5.0 to emerge the best of 26 Master’s students in the department, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Okereke, who is a legislative advocate and founder of Project Hope Alive, spoke on the sidelines of a ceremony organised in his honour after the Baze University 10th Convocation in Abuja.

“I urge all Nigerian youth not to relent in spite of the difficult times but strive to be the best in all they do.

“Nigeria can only become that desired country only when everyone puts in their best in all sectors,” he said.

Research and Policy Advocacy by the Baze University Best Graduating Student

Okereke said that his academic accomplishments were a product of self-determination, inspiration and support from family.

He also attributed his successes to his exceptional lecturers and the variable of the institutional environment designed to enhance quality learning behaviour of students.

Okereke said that his research interest was on the ‘Socio-economic and Political Development Impact of Constituency Development Projects in Enugu East Senatorial District.’

According to him, the urgent need to improve the quality of governance and representation in the rural areas was the reason behind his research focus.

He said that the outcome of the research had informed critical policy advocacy that would redefine the design, implementation and governance framework. This work directly affects the outcomes of constituency/zonal intervention project management in Nigeria.

Okereke, who is also a co-convener of the National Legislative Conference had earlier bagged a Master’s degree in Legislative Studies from the University of Benin (UniBen) in 2018 where he emerged overall best-graduating student.

As a reward for his academic excellence, he also won the eighth President of the Senate Academic Excellence Endowment Award in 2018.