IKENNA NNANWUBE

Ikenna grew up in Abagana and attended St. Peter's Anglican School and Central School Abagana, where he served as Pupils' Governor. At Kabe College, Amawbia, he served as Disciplinary Prefect and earned his WAEC. Ikenna pursued Fine and Applied Arts at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, from 2016 to 2021. During a university strike, he worked as a tutor and part-time at Erudite Communication. He worked as an appointed logistics provider for Edey before later incorporating Navitask Logistics in 2021. Navitask focuses on simplifying Anambra's export/import and logistics challenges for creative artisans and general vendors.

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Q: Tell us a few things about you! Your background, your childhood and early beginnings! 

I come from a creative and entrepreneurial background. Growing up, I was always curious and driven to build things that matter. That early interest in problem-solving led me to start my first business while still in school, and since then, I’ve stayed committed to creating solutions that help people grow, connect, and succeed.

Q: What are some of the key challenges in your society currently?

Where I come from, many people still struggle with access to basic necessities—healthcare, electricity, and even dignity. The younger generation also struggles with limited access to the internet and digital tools, which is a serious problem because the world is going digital. Creators need the internet, and local online vendors need it to grow their businesses. Corruption, inequality, and unemployment remain heavy burdens. But perhaps the biggest challenge is the silence—because many have accepted it as normal.

Q: Share with us some of the hurdles that you had to overcome in your life so far? How did you handle them? 

One of the biggest hurdles I faced was learning to navigate failure, rejection and finding like-minded people to build with—especially in a society where that’s not always easy. Early on, I had to accept that not every idea would succeed and not everyone would believe in it. Sometimes, I had to go at it alone. It was hard, but I stayed patient, reflected on what I could improve and treated every setback as a lesson. Things aren’t perfect now, but I’ve come to see rejection as part of the process. It has to happen.

Q: Why is the role of a mentor important for you? 

A mentor matters because they help me see things I miss, give honest advice and hold me accountable.

Q: Do you have a lesson that life has taught you and you would like to share?  

Life has taught me that patience, resilience, and discipline are key. Success takes time, and challenges will come, but if you stay focused, learn from setbacks, and keep pushing forward, you will reach your goals. I have also learned to invest every profit wisely because your project won’t always be profitable; there are ups and downs, and to be sustainable, you need backup. Above all, stay humble and help others along the way.

Q: Name a project, a foundation or a person in your country that you think is doing great work in helping improve other people's lives! 

Tony Elumelu, through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is doing something truly great. I believe the best way to fix Africa’s problems is to support young entrepreneurs who are building change where they live. He’s not just giving funds—he’s giving people a real chance to fix problems around them.

Q: What are some of the challenges that women in your country face and what efforts are being made towards gender equality?

Women in Nigeria face limited access to quality education, especially in rural and northern regions, along with challenges around inclusion. The Nigerian Women Trust Fund is working to amplify women’s voices and promote gender equality by partnering to empower women, drive research, and advocate for policy change. Personally, I believe that giving women access to digital tools can also make a big difference. It allows them to learn, research, and see parts of the world they may never experience physically—right from their rural communities.

Q: Share with us a motto you live by. 

We wake up every day to solve problems.

Q: If you had all the money needed to launch the project of your dreams, can you describe what you would do? 

If I had all the money I needed, I’d keep building products that help small businesses go digital, run smoothly, grow, and eventually export. I want to fix the problem of scattered services by bringing everything they need into one platform—like setting up an online store, booking delivery, receiving and sending payments and managing inventory.

That way, a woman who gets funding from somewhere like HerVest can start a business and find all the tools she needs to grow and reach global markets in one place. 

I also believe access to the internet should be a basic right, not a luxury. So I’d work on a project to give young people across Africa free data—maybe earning from it in a way that just asks the user to do something simple each day, nothing stressful.

Q: How is technology utilised for social impact in your country? For example are there mobile apps that support gender equality, inclusion, understanding of cultures?

In Nigeria, technology is slowly becoming a tool for social change. There are mobile apps and platforms that support learning, healthcare access, and financial inclusion—especially for women and youth. For example, platforms like HerVest help women access funding and financial education. Social media also plays a key role by giving people a voice and raising awareness on issues like gender equality and cultural understanding. We’re not there yet, but the progress is real—and it gives hope. That’s why I always emphasise the importance of digitalisation and believe internet access and data should be treated as a fundamental human right. It would help every woman access these tools, even those who can’t afford stable internet.

Q: Anything else that you may wish to add?

I’m grateful to the Global Thinkers Forum, especially their founder Elizabeth H. Filippouli, coordinator Katerina, and all the mentors for giving me this platform to share my voice. Thank you for the opportunity.