Bell Ihua


Dr. Bell Ihua is the Executive Director at Africa Polling Institute, an independent, non-profit and non-partisan public opinion think-tank, which conducts opinion polls, surveys, social research and evaluation studies at the intersection of democracy, governance, economic conditions and public life. He is a seasoned social researcher, public opinion pollster, survey expert, management consultant, and adjunct professor. Dr. Ihua is involved in the general management of the Institute's day-to-day operations. Prior to joining API, he was CEO of Nigeria's premier opinion polling company, NOI Polls Limited. He also served as Principal Consultant at DBI Analytics Consulting; and currently serves on the Boards of SMYLE Africa Group and Dumena Code Academy.

Education and background

Ihua was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, where he had his early years of education up to senior secondary school. He later moved to the capital of Nigeria, Abuja, to further his education as an Accounting major at the University of Abuja, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Accounting, with honours. While on campus, Bell was actively involved with a number of associations and the students Union movement; holding positions such as: Financial Secretary of the Students Union Government ; Vice President and later Editor-in-Chief of Nigerian Universities Accounting Student Association ; Public Relations Officer and later Vice President of the National Union of Rivers and Bayelsa State Student.
He later left the shores of Nigeria for further studies in the United Kingdom, first to Birmingham, where he obtained an MSc in Business Management at Birmingham City University. During this period, he was mentored by Professor Temi Abimbola. After completing his master's degree, he joined Birmingham based consulting firm, Genesis Consulting, where he had a stint at consulting and international development, before moving over to Aberdeen in Scotland to further his studies at the Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University; where he obtained a Master of Science in Knowledge Management and taught research & academic writing. He has published journal articles and technical papers. He also holds an MBA from the University of Ado-Ekiti, with bias in Entrepreneurship & Strategy, researching on the role of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises as catalysts of economic growth & development, under the supervision of Dr. A.R. Ayeni-Agbaje.
Dr. Ihua moved to Canterbury in 2007, and received his PhD from Kent Business School, University of Kent. He was a PhD student at the Centre for Value Chain Research in KBS under the tutelage of Professor Andrew Fearne, through whom he later met Professor David Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London. Ihua was an active member of the Nigerian Student Association at the University of Kent, where he mentored a number of undergraduate & postgraduate students. He also chaired the University of Kent committee for the International Conference of Nigerian Students in 2010.
Since the 1980s he has been actively involved in the Boys’ Brigade Society; rising through the ranks from a ‘Company Boy’ to ‘Lieutenant Officer’ and serving in various capacities ranging from Snare Drummer, to Trumpeter, Band Leader, Parade Commander and Camp Instructor. He also teaches, counsels and mentors young people on leadership, values and relationship issues under the Golden Hearts Foundation in Abuja.

Career

Ihua is currently Executive Director at Africa Polling Institute, an independent, non-profit and non-partisan opinion research think-tank, which conducts opinion polls, surveys, social research and evaluation studies at the intersection of democracy, governance, economic conditions and public life in general. The main objective of the Institute is to produce and disseminate credible African-led and African-owned opinion research data and evidence to support better decision making, public policy, practice and advocacy, with a focus in sub-Saharan Africa.
He started out his career working in the consulting and professional services industry, first as a Business Analyst with Langrage Resources Consulting, then as a Consultant with S & G Writechecks Limited, before joining Orji Ajah & Co Chartered Accountants as Audit Junior. After completing his MSc in Business Management, he worked as a Senior Consultant with Genesis Consulting, a Birmingham-based management consulting and development company, where he led business research projects and offered business development services to designing and implementing effective pro-poor projects using M4P approach, for international development institutions, foundations, government agencies, and corporations.
Prior to joining API, Ihua served as Chief Executive Officer at NOIPolls, an opinion polling and research company based in Abuja, Nigeria. Bell is an expert in SME Development. He was formerly a member of the academic faculty at Coventry Business School, Coventry University, United Kingdom, where he taught business management modules and supervised undergraduate and post-graduate dissertations under the Department of Strategy & Applied Management. Prior to Coventry University, he held Research Analyst and Associate Lecturer positions at the Centre for Value Chain Research, Kent Business School at University of Kent in Canterbury, United Kingdom; where he also obtained his PhD in Business Administration & Management.
Ihua was headhunted from his faculty position in the United Kingdom to join NOIPolls as Chief Methodologist & Director of Research in February 2012. He was charged with the responsibility of managing the company's niche opinion polling and social research consulting service. He managed the setting up of the company's field force, which now manages several PAN Nigeria surveys & research assignments. He was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer of the company on 1 May 2014, and appointed Chief Executive Officer by the Board of Directors in September 2015.
In February 2015, he was appointed an Adjunct Professor at Baze University, to collaborate with faculty members to conceptualize and implement rigorous applied research assignments. In September 2017, Ihua was nominated by Nigeria news media, YNaija, as one of the "most powerful young persons under the age of 40 who are getting things done in policy and research" in its #YNAIJAPOWERLIST2017 for policy and research.

Articles, conference papers, books and presentations

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