DR. PATRICK IFECHUKWUDE OKPAH, OON

A Prodigy of Learning, Visionary Strategist, Inspirational Leader and Incurable Optimist, Dr. Patrick Ifechukwude Okpah, a Delta State-born Nigerian Citizen (from Illah in Oshimili North Local Government Area), was born on April 1, 1976. He attended CMS Grammar School, Lagos (where he concluded his six-year secondary education programme in less than four years, from January 1988 to September 1991) and later obtained a Bachelors of Science (B.Sc.) honours degree in Marketing from the University of Uyo. He proceeded to obtain his MBA and PhD degrees; alongside extensive professional qualifications from various multi-disciplinary training courses/programmes within and outside Nigeria.

Having worked at EcoBank Nig. PLC, Standard Trust Bank (Now UBA PLC) and Venture Support Micro Finance Bank, he is presently the Managing Partner of WISDOM CBT CENTRE (a JAMB-approved E-Testing and Digital Literacy Centre) and President / Group Managing Director of PAT KAIROS GROUP (an indigenous fast-growing Conglomerate) comprising PAT KAIROS CONSULT, PAT KAIROS GALLERY, PAT KAIROS MEDIA & PUBLISHING LIMITED,NUXART NETWORK and MAXIM TECHNOLOGIES & RESOURCES LIMITED. The Group’s strategic business interests are in the areas ofArts and Culture; Sports and Tourism;Education and ICT; Maritime and Environment; Agriculture and Mining; Oil and Gas; Energy Efficient Technology; Media and Publishing; and Public Sector Services.

He has served severally as Consultant/Trainer to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), National Gallery of Art (NGA), Lagos State Government, Bayelsa State Government, Ekiti State Government, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and several other national and international organizations, alongside serving onthe boards/committees of several Profit and Non-Profit Organizations.

A passionate believer in Continental and National Transformation and also Globally referred to as the “Don King of Nigerian Arts”, he is thePresident of The Nigerian Arts Group and the initiator of the Nigerian Undergraduates’ Exhibition of Arts (NUXART), Nigerian Arts Lecturers’ & Teachers’ Exhibition (NALTEX), Nigerian Secondary Schools’ Arts Exhibition (NISSART), NUXART Green Lagos, NUXART Niger Delta, Nigerian Arts, Culture & Tourism Awards (NACTA), National Open Forum On Arts, Culture & Tourism (NOFACT), Nigerian Environment Awards (NEA), Images of The Niger Delta, Images of The North, Nigerian Maritime Art Exhibition & Lecture (NIMARTEL), Nigerian Oil & Gas Art Exhibition & Lecture (NOGARTEL),Young Entrepreneurs’ Scheme (YES), Business & Career Network (BCN), Africa’s Future Today (AFT) and has received several Awards and Recognitions such as African Icon Of Our Generation in 2011, The Art Promoter Of The Year 2009, and Listing In The “Portraits Of Distinguished  University of Uyo Alumni 1983 to 2003” in 2005, Distinguished Grammarian (OGS Merit Awardee of CMS Grammar School, Lagos in 2015); The Group Leader of the Year 2015(TREM, Wisdom House – Akoka, Lagos in 2016); Honouree / Listing In The “Nigerian Role Models (A Compendium of Distinguished Nigerians)Vol. 2” in 2017: amongst several others.He was conferred with the (Nigerian) 2013 / 2014 National Honours of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON)by the then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR (in September 2014).

NUXART has led to his establishing the first Art Gallery in Africa that is solely dedicated to the promotion of the artworks of Institution-based Artists (Art Lecturers, Teachers and Students) - PAT KAIROS GALLERY - and is strategically located on the Lagos Mainland in the neighbourhood of UNILAG, YABATECH, FCE (Akoka) and C.M.S. Grammar School (the first Secondary School in Nigeria).

In view of his expertise and passionate commitment to the development of the Arts, Culture and Tourism Sector as a veritable revenue-generating source for Nigeria, he served(2011 to 2013) as the first-ever Consultant, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to the National Gallery of Art (the Parastatal of The Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation in-charge of Visual Arts) and also amember of the Ekiti State Technical Consultative Committee on Arts, Culture and Tourism Development (headed by Her Excellency, Erelu ‘BisiFayemi - the Wife of the former Executive Governor of Ekiti State, now the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development), from 2011 to 2014.

He is also the Publisher of NUXART Africa Magazine designed to X-ray African Arts, Culture, Tourism, Environment and Education Sectors and the Executive Producer/Initiator of Africa’s Future Today (AFT) – A Television Programme designed to CelebrateInitiatives globally that contribute positively to the future of Africa.

As a formerSecretary-General (Worldwide) of the Old Grammarians’ Society (the Association of all the Old Students of C.M.S. Grammar School, Lagos – Nigeria’s Oldest Secondary School), he has continued to work tirelessly with other stakeholders to make the school a model and “the school to beat”. This led to his re-election in June 2012 for another 3-year tenure as the Secretary-General, wherein he served from June 2009 to June 2015. He is also a two-time Chairman of his (1993) Class Set.

Aside these, he is also the Chairman of the University of Lagos Staff School Nursery Parents’ Forum (May 2013 - date), through which he has impacted tremendously on the welfare of the staff, students, parents and other stakeholders. The highpoints of his tenure include the construction of a separate Nursery Section Building, the regularization/improved welfare of the Staff/Teachers of the Nursery Section and his sourcing/donation of Customized Sports Equipment (Football) to the School by the National Lottery Trust Fund, Abuja.  

In recognition of his wealth of experience and outstanding contributions to Nigerian Sports and the Olympic Movement (especially his championing the promotion of Nigerian Arts and Culture at the London 2012 Olympic Games and at the 2012 Nottinghill Carnival; alongside his company’s serving as the “Official Art Exhibitor” of the 18thNational Sports Festival – Eko 2012), he was appointed (in June 2015) as a Member of the Culture Committee of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) andas the Chairman, Subcommittee on Educational Programmes for the Annual Celebration of the International Olympic Day in Nigeria. As a taste of “what is to come”, he organized the first-ever Art Exhibition to be part of the Olympic Day Celebration in Nigeria (at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos from July 2 – 4, 2015), where students from various Primary and Secondary Schools in Lagos showcased their creativity. He also repeated the feat by expanding the project in 2016 to cover Art Exhibition, Dance, Quiz and Debate. He is also the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Surfing Federation.

In his capacity as a Special Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission – FRSC (RS 2.1, Unit 31), he has served conscientiously to help accident victims and ease traffic flow in many parts of Nigeria over the years.

A passionate and proud spiritual son of Bishop (Dr.) Mike Okonkwo, MFR (The Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission - TREM), Patrick alsoserves as mentor, coach and role model to several millions of people across the nations of the earth through direct contact and his numerous initiatives/programmes.

He is currently consumed with the passion to establish the first CORE-CULTURE Polytechnic in Africa (in Nigeria), with a vision to establish one in each of the six Geo-Political Zones in Nigeria and ten across Africa. This, he believes, will promote Entrepreneurship, create wealth,increase the number of middle level skilled workersand drastically reduce unemployment in Nigeria, in particular, and Africa, in general.

As a prelude to this, he recently founded the ‘Centre for Culture and Environment Promotion’ and the ‘Centre for Agriculture and Sports Entrepreneurship’ which are designed to serve as catalysts towards the actualization of this great Pan African (Continental) Transformation Vision.
He is married to a wonderful and God-fearing Library/Information Manager, Blessing Okpah (nee Omadibi) from Okene, Kogi State (with 3 great children – Peace, Joy and Precious) and has his hobbies as Community Service, Engaging in Intellectual Discussions, Travelling, Networking, Writing, Whistling and Playing Table Tennis, while his Life Philosophy is “Give a man a responsibility and see him perform it to the best of his God-given ability”and he can be reached on +2348023021234/+2348125451333 or pokpah@patkairos.com / pokpah@yahoo.com