Chris Nkwonta

Christian "Chris" Nkwonta (Listenⓘ, born November 3, 1960) is a Nigerian politician and the member representing Ukwa East/Ukwa West federal constituency Abia state.[1][2] He is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Climate change, and also the chairman of House Committee on South East Development Commission (SEDC).

Early life and education

Nkwonta, often referred to as Chief Sir Chris Nkwonta (Oke Oji Abia), was born on November 3, 1960, in Akwete, Ukwa East Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia State, Nigeria, to the family of Late Chief Chibor Nkwonta and Mrs. Mercy Opunne Nkwonta.[3][4][5]

He had his secondary education at Community Secondary School, Akwete, where he often missed school to engage in farming and fishing, in order to fund his studies because he came from a very humble background. Despite these challenges, he completed his secondary education and pursued higher learning abroad.[3] He had his undergraduate studies in Maritime Studies in the 1981 at the Center for Business Studies, London (now part of the University of Greenwich), graduating successfully. He returned to Nigeria in 1985 to complete his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) assignment, after which he joined the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), beginning his professional career in the maritime sector. He also holds Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) with Specialization in Leadership and Sustainability from University of Cumbria, United Kingdom (2012 – 2014).[6]

Professional career

He has spent over thirty years professionally in maritime, shipping, logistics, oil and gas, and hospitality. After his NYSC, he first worked at the Nigeria Ports Authority, and also other establishments, including

  • True Venture Nigeria Limited: 1986 – 1992
  • Floor Mills of Nigeria PLC: March – May 1992
  • Exon Mobil Limited: 1992 – 1995.
  • Fymak Nigeria Limited: 1996 – 1997.
  • Shell Petroleum Development Company: 1997 – 2001.

Through all these, he gained expertise in transport and administration, becoming a Professional Member of both the Chartered Institute of Transport and the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration, London, UK. From there, he established BlueSeas Maritime Services in 2003.

Political career

Chris Nkwonta entered partisan politics as the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for Abia South Senatorial District in the 2015 general election. Following the election, he challenged the outcome before the Election Petitions Tribunal.

In 2022, he emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives. He won the 2023 general election and was inaugurated as a member of the 10th House of Representatives.

During his first term in the House of Representatives, Nkwonta served as Chairman of the House Committee on Climate Change. In October 2024, he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing the internal crisis within the PDP. Following his defection, he was appointed Chairman of the House Committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC).[7][8][9][10]

Legislative activities

As a member of the House of Representatives, Nkwonta has focused on climate change, regional development and peace-building initiatives.

In July 2023, Nkwonta called on President Bola Tinubu to facilitate the release of Nnamdi Kanu, stating that the move would contribute to peace and stability in the South-East region.[11][12]

References

  1. ↑ Chibuike, Daniel (2023-09-11). "Tribunals uphold Nkwonta, Onwusibe's elections in Abia". Daily Post. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  2. ↑ "Release Kanu for sake of peace in S'East, Abia Rep urges Tinubu". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. 2023-07-17. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  3. 1 2 "Chief Chris Nkwonta's Profile, Agenda Unveiled". National Ambassador. 2022-09-03. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
  4. ↑ "Candidates - Voter - Validating the Office of the Electorate on Representation". voter.ng. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
  5. ↑ "10th National Assembly Members - Voter - Validating the Office of the Electorate on Representation". orderpaper.ng. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
  6. ↑ "Chris Nkwonta Campaign Council Unveils Ukwa Fed Constituency, PDP Candidate's Profile". National Ambassador. 2022-09-12. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
  7. ↑ Kareem, Azeez (2024-10-02). "House of Reps member dumps PDP for APC". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  8. ↑ "Resist rigging APGA candidate tells electorate". Vanguard News. 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  9. ↑ Amos, Kobor (2024-10-03). "Abbas rewards Abia Rep with 'juicy' committee for dumping PDP for APC". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  10. ↑ Wahab, Akinbayo (2025-04-02). "Work hard for APC to win in 2027 - Rep Nkwonta tells Abia South people". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  11. ↑ Anthony (2023-07-17). "Release Kanu for sake of peace in S'East, Abia Rep urges Tinubu". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  12. ↑ Amos, Kobor (2024-10-03). "Abbas rewards Abia Rep with 'juicy' committee for dumping PDP for APC". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.