OKEREKE, Mike Mazi

Date of Birth: State of Origin: Local Government Area: Saturday (Eke) 9,h July, 1938 Abia Arochukwu & Mike Mazi Okereke is a distinguished Public Administrator with age long experience in human and industrial development. He has displayed diligence and commitment lo work in various capacities at major multi-national company the Unilever (UAC) where he has devoted greater part of his life as top and honest administrator. His transparent honesty gave him an age over his colleagues in the work place. Education St George's School Zaria First School Leaving Certificate National High School Arondizuogu WASC • Government Secondary School Owerri II.SC (A-Levels) • Charing Cross School of Distributive Trade London • The Ashridge Management College Britain • Cranlied School of Management • Oxford Centre for Management Studies. London CAM graduate • Professional Certificate oflhe British Institute of Public Relations. Job Experience oined UAC International Trade, Member of the Unilever London 1964 as Management Trainee • Eastern Regional Public Relations Manager for UAC Group in Nigeria with his base at Enugu (posted from the UCA International London Head Office. This appointment was a challenge because at 25, the young Okereke was in a position to advise the Board of UAC Group on Public Relations Matters, networking with the premiere of the then Eastern Regional Government and his Ministers, interpreting UAC Group Policies and Programmes to the media and other stake holders of the company. Implementing the Community Relations policies of the Company, supporting the marketing strategy of the company in the region. • Promoted Public Relations Adviser to the Board of UAC of Nigeria Pic & the Head of Department 1980. In this capacity MikeOkereke was responsible for: • The Public Relations Policy and the annual Public Relations plans for the UAC Group of Companies. • He was the authoritative spokesman for the UAC Group. • He launched new products. He designed and mounted Award Wining exhibition pavilion. • He introduced UAC national award for journalism. • He was in charge of the UAC Group University Scholarship Scheme. He strengthened UAC relationships with Nigerian Universities through visits, lectures, scholarship awards, providing industrial attachment to a member of the faculty and students. • He conducted several external and Internal Communications & Public audit for UAC Group. Contributions to the Nation • Mazi Okereke's contribution to the nation can be grouped into four category namely (a) services to education, (b) services to Training and Development ( c) Services to Commerce and Industry (d) Services to Nation and Africa. Membership ofAssociations • Past President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations - he changed the face of Public Relations by implementing a 40 point Action Plan. His vision was to give the practice of Public Relations in Nigeria an intellectual base. He realised that the major characteristic distinguishing a 'profession' from an 'occupation' is the intellectual base of the former. Public Relations education worldwide is based on a solid body of knowledge that continues to develop and expand. It is for that reason, that he led the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations to establish the first in Public Relations in Africa at the University of Nigeria • He then arranged for the First M. Sc Public Relations degree programme in Africa to be launched at the Institute of International Affairs in Lagos by the then Vice Chancellor of the University. The programme received world wide recognition and was reported in International Public Relations Journals. Mazi Okereke is very delighted that the University of Nigeria is now the Centre for Excellence for the teaching of Public Relations and Marketing in Africa. He visited the Vice Chancellors of the Universities of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Bayero University Kano, and University of Ibadan for the introduction of same programme in these universities. He established the NIPR and BEEC Professional Examinations in Public Relations. He established NIPR Secretariat. He ensured that NIPR has a law that regulates the Practice of Public Relations. • Mazi Mike Okereke as President of The Business Education Exams Council runs a global consulting service in Manpower Development & Training. His organisation is Africa's leader in Human Resources Development & Training. He runs programmes in Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d'lvoire, Kenya and Republic of Benin. The Group also runs programme with its associates in Britain and USA. His organisation's mission is to constantly excel and they help to achieve agreed corporate goal for clients through provision of highly skilled result oriented professional service. • Mike Okereke was in the forefront in the Development of the Chamber of Commerce movement in Nigeria. He was an Hon. Public Relations Adviser of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture. His Mike Okereke Consulting Ltd has served as Public Relations Consultants to blue chip companies. He organized the first Enugu International Trade Fair on behalf of Enugu Chambers of Commerce and Industry. He organized the first exhibition of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce held in Commerce house. He was the Consultant to Enugu Chamber of Commerce for several years. • He was a founding father of the Nigerian Institute of Marketing and was its Vice President. He was the founder of the Enugu Branch of the Nigerian Institute of Management and was a National Council Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management for over ten years. • Mike Okereke was a Past- President of the Federation of African Public Relations Association. It was in this capacity, that he took Public Relations Practiceto different parts of the World. He organized the All Africa Public Relations Conference in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Senegal, Cote d' Ivoire, etc • In each country, as President of FAPRA, he met Heads of Governments, Presidents and discussed Public Relations practice for Africa. He led the Federal Government Delegation to Brussels on the Impact ofEuropean CommonMarketon Nigeria' In his capacity as the then member of the Governing Council of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), he attended several International Congresses and Conferences around the globe. The include London 1979, Hong Kong 1980, Quebec 1981, Bombay 1982, Amsterdam 1985, Helsinki 1989, Cape Town 1993, Punta del Este 1994, Kuala Lumpur 1996, Harare, 1997, Helsinki 1997, Chicago 2000 , Cairo 2003. • He presented papers at several National Public Relations Conferences and World Public Relations Conferences in Kenya, South Africa and Punta Del Este and Egypt. Mike Okereke was a chairman of the image and Credibility Committee of Nigeria's Economic Summit. He served as a member of the Federal Government Advisory Committee that drafted Nigerian Communications Policy. Philanthropic activities • Mike Okereke has awarded secondary and university scholarships to orphans and has given hope to those who were in grief. He was a member of the Olympic Fund Raising Committee. He played active part in the work of Rotary International. He was in the sixties the Secretary of the Rotary Club of Enugu. • This is indeed an icon who has made the Image of Nigeria a clean object and in so many ways put the values of the Igbo in right perspective. Source Publication: The Igbo Icon