Magnus L. Kpakol

Magnus Lekara Kpakol was the principal consultant at VIJONS International in Dallas Texas and a visiting professor of economics at the University of Dallas, where he taught economic development and international economics before being appointed in 2001 as chief economic adviser [1] to the president of Nigeria by President Olusegun Obasanjo. He is the CEO and chief strategist at the Economic and Business Strategies, with offices in the United States and Nigeria.

Dr. Magnus L. Kpakol

Early Life and Education

Magnus Lekara Kpakol, Ph.D. was born in B. Dere, Gokana in Rivers State of Nigeria. He attended St. Pius X Secondary School, Bodo, and Baptist High School, Port Harcourt before leaving for the United States as a teenager in the mid 1970s. He obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Wisconsin, (1978); did graduate studies in Economics and Industrial Relations at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and in 1982, obtained a Master of Science Degree in Labor Economics and Industrial Relations at the University of North Texas in Denton. In 1983 he received an M.A. in Political Economy from the University of Texas at Dallas from where in 1988 he also obtained a Ph.D in Political Economy, specializing in economic development and international economics.

Presidential Advisor

Magnus Kpakol was Chief Economic Adviser to the President of Nigeria from July 2001 to May 2003. While serving as Chief Economic Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo, he was also the Chief Executive Officer of the National Planning Commission, and a member of cabinet in the Federal Executive Council, working with the Minister of Finance, and Governor of the Central Bank on fiscal and monetary policies.

Beginning in June 2003, he served for eight years as a Senior Special Assistant to the President and was also the National Coordinator of the National Poverty Eradication Program (NAPEP). His administration at National Poverty Eradication Program developed a unique Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program (COPE) with a Poverty Reduction Accelerator Investment (PRAI) component. He also adopted the Village Economic Development Solutions (Village Solutions); and initiated the Promise Keeper Partnership (PKP) program for poor people in faith based organizations.[2][3][4][5][6] In respect of some of these programs he implemented at NAPEP, stories were published in the media about his being indicted by the Nigerian Senate, with claims of misappropriation[7] of funds and scam,[8][9] and also of his and the Senate's refutal of such stories[10][11]

Recent and Other Professional Experience

Magnus Kpakol lives in Dallas, Texas, where he is the Chairman, CEO and Chief Strategist at the Economic and Business Strategies (EBS);[12] he is also the host of Magnus Kpakol gvA,[13] a global economic trends show on Africa carried around the world on Africa Independent Television. He is also the Founder and Chairman of the Economic Growth and Development Center (EGDC), the initiators of SHAFRI [14] and Village Solutions; Chairman of VIJONS, an International Business and Management Consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas.

Before working with the government of Nigeria as an advisor, he was a senior economist in the Planning & Research department of JCPenney Company based in Plano Texas. He was also a visiting professor of economics at the University of Dallas and previous to that an adjunct professor of economics at the same university; he also taught in the Graduate School of Business at the University of Dallas. He was also an adjunct lecturer and professor at the University of North Texas in Denton, and North Lake College in Irving, Texas. He was the Director and Principal Consultant at VIJONS, based in Dallas Texas.

He served as a consultant for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), He has spoken at conferences around the world and appeared on various articles, radio and TV programs [15][16][17][18][19] Redoubling Efforts to BoostExports.[20][21][22][23][24][25] He founded MAGONI Productions, the creators of Magoni music with roots in Ogoni rhythm.

Kpakol was a member of the Board of Trustees of John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He is a member of the Dallas Economists’ Club, where he was chairman of the Education Committee. He is also a member of the American Economic Association, the National Association of Business Economics (NABE) and its International Roundtable.

References

  1. ↑ "University of Dallas professor named Nigerian adviser". Dallas Business journal. Jul 26, 2001. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Keke Napep embarks on fact finding mission". The Nation. 2008-11-13. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "Operators of keke NAPEP assured of federal support". Vanguard News. Vanguard News. May 5, 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "A Pass Mark For NAPEP | Nigeria News World Magazine". Nigeriannewsworld.com. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  5. ↑ "NDDC boss suggests ways to poverty eradication". Vanguard. Vanguard News. April 11, 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Delta NAPEP launches tricycles". Vanguard. Vanguard News. January 10, 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Senate orders Kpakol's arrest over N2.4bn Keke NAPEP contract - Vanguard News". Vanguardngr.com. 2010-02-23. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  8. ↑ "Reps summon ex-presidential aide over N20bn NAPEP funds". John Ameh. PUNCH. February 21, 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "FG’s poverty eradication programme, a failure – Senator — The Punch". Punchng.com. 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  10. ↑ "N7.2Bn NAPEP Scam: Senate Denies Indicting Kpakol". thenigerianvoice.com. 2011-03-28. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  11. ↑ "No fraud in the supply of Keke NAPEP, Kpakol". Akoma Chinweoke. Vanguard News. March 13, 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "EBS Global". EBS Global. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  13. ↑ "Magnus Kpakol-gvA". Magnus Kpakol-gvA. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  14. ↑ "Study Hall Africa • ...learning is fun". Studyhallafrica.com. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  15. ↑ "In Care of Nigeria's Poor" (Lessons from Africa's Giant on Using Cash Incentives to Change Behavior, Fight Poverty and Build Wealth). Jeff Meyer. New America Foundation. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  16. ↑ "Welfare deal for Nigeria's poor" (The Nigerian government is launching a welfare scheme to help poor families). BBC News. 11 December 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  17. ↑ "What manner of ‘human element’?". Mohammed Adamu. Vanguard News. August 21, 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  18. ↑ http://ww2.radionigeria.gov.ng/fc/OctoberLecture/2009%20Annual%20October%20Lecture_Dr%20Magnus%20Kpakol.pdf
  19. ↑ "Chase Bank says Mexico memo 'not policy.'(consultant Riordan Roett's recommendation of 'elimination' of Zapatista unrest)". The Free Library. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  20. ↑ "Poverty is always the result of the inability of people to overcome elements of the environment...Dr. Magnus Kpakol - Vanguard News". Vanguardngr.com. 2009-10-17. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  21. ↑ "Poverty Level Still High, Says NEPAD Boss". Yemi Akinsuyi. ThisDay Live. 14 Dec 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  22. ↑ "80m Nigerians are poor – Kpakol". VICTORIA OJEME. Vanguard News. May 18, 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  23. ↑ "Nigeria yet to eradicate poverty – Kpakol". Victoria Ojeme. Vanguard News. October 17, 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  24. ↑ "Poverty is always the result of the inability of people to overcome elements of the environment…Dr. Magnus Kpakol". Vivien Wehweh. Vanguard News. October 17, 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  25. ↑ "Just Seeing The Light Of Poverty". Vanguard. Vanguard News. May 20, 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
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