I love to be back in Nigeria —Nigeria’s Chimezie Ebiriekwe, elected Students Union President in US University

20-year-old Chimezie Ebiriekwe is a third-year Business Marketing student at San Diego State University, United States. A few weeks ago, he emerged the President of the school’s student union, known as Associated Students. Here, he speaks with NAZA OKOLI about this achievement, his future plans, student politics in the US, as well as governance in Nigeria.

Is this the first time a Nigerian or an African or a black person has attained this position in your school?

To my knowledge this is the first time a Nigerian has attained the position as Associated Students President, but this is not the first time an African-American has won at my school.

When and why did you decide to run?

I decided I was going to run before we had our winter vacation, I made the decision to run because I saw the impact I made on campus within my previous position as Vice President of University Affairs. The decision to run was also synonymous with a goal I set for myself during my freshman year in August 2014, which was to become Associated Students President.

What factors contributed to your victory? 

The factors that contributed to my victory were all the genuine relationships I had built during my time at San Diego State University. When I gave speeches to various audiences I made sure that the speech was tailored to that specific audience. The relatability to the students and the confident demeanour I possessed were two of the biggest factors that contributed to my victory.

The news of your election was greeted with a lot of noise and excitement here in Nigeria. Did you expect that kind of reaction?

I honestly did not expect this kind of reaction from Nigeria. But as soon as I started seeing people tweet, create newsletters and post on Facebook about me, my heart was instantly filled with so much joy.

When did you leave for the US? Were your born there?

I was born here in the US in the State of California.

What are your plans, after school? Do you ever wish to return home?

My plans after college is to enter Law School and become a sports attorney. But I always love to come back home to Nigeria; my parents really make sure that we go back often to see our family, and our village.

You campaign slogan was ‘Transform’. What informed your choice of this word?

My team and I chose this word because it speaks to our vision of taking San Diego State University to the next level and ensuring student success in and out of the classroom. We chose ‘Ttransform’ because we want to build upon all the great works that have occurred here at SDSU.

But ‘Transform’ is actually synonymous with “change” — a word made popular in Nigeria by the ruling APC. Were you inspired in part by the visions of President Buhari?

I was not inspired by the visions of President Muhammadu Buhari.

There is often some conflict between university administrations and student unions, here at home. There are several instances where the unions were suspended for years, or even banned outright, by university authorities. What’s the situation like in your school and how do you manage these conflicts?

Here at San Diego State University we take pride in the value of shared governance where the student’s voice and perspective is involved in all the decision-making processes that affect students and the university. The administration here does a great job in always seeking out what is in the best interest of students.

Would you consider running for office in Nigeria?

Unfortunately I would not consider running for office in Nigeria.

What do you consider to be Nigeria’s greatest problem and how can this problem be solved?

From previous trips to Nigeria, I would say the biggest problem is good paying jobs for the average citizen. A way to fix this problem is to expand the immense amount of job opportunities from not only the city, but to all the neighbouring villages.

Your friends have called you the Obama of our time. Do you consider the former US president a role model?

Former President Barrack Obama is a true role model to me, because he showed everyone his ability to lead in tough times. He represented, not only himself well, but also the United States of America. I truly admire and have learned a lot from former President Barrack Obama.