By Enyeribe Ejiogu
Dr Charles Awuzie is an Abia State-born Nigerian based in South Africa. A thought leader, entrepreneur, cybersecurity expert, and biochemist, Awuzie is the founder and Chief Executive of Gemsbok Group, and co-founder and CEO of Transhuman Coin (THC).
He is also the founder of the Charles Awuzie Mentorship Programme (CAMP), through which he mentors many African youths and supports many businesses.
In this interview, he speaks about his life as a pastor, his career and mentorship endeavours, youths and national development, and his plans to develop his home state in Nigeria.
You were once a pastor/minister in Nigeria and South Africa. However, in recent years, you have been challenging almost every religious norm and leader. What led to this radical change in worldview?
First of all, to minister means to ‘attend to the needs of others’. As long as I am attending to the needs of humanity, I am still a minister. To answer your question, over the years, I have evolved from a religious minister who was limited to one congregation/sect to a minister who is not bound by sects, denominations, or religion. My transition from pulpit ministry to marketplace ministry was inspired by the late Dr Myles Munroe. I locked myself up in a room in Accra, Ghana, and buried myself in the teachings of Dr Myles Munroe, Napoleon Hill, Richard Bernays, and others who opened my mind to a new dimension of thinking. I remember listening to Dr Myles talk about influence and how we are becoming irrelevant in the seven mountains of influence, especially in the media, business, and government. It was then it dawned on me that I had an assignment in the marketplace. I left Ghana and travelled back to Abuja to set up a technology business and it was that business that took me to South Africa where I founded Gemsbok Group, which now owns Africa’s first generative artificial intelligence platform — the gemsbokGPT — among other technology platforms and products we own. The major thing I challenge is superstition and false religious doctrines that impoverish the poor and enrich the rich. I have a heart for the poor.
Looking at your resume and engagement in discourses on religion, health, science & technology, business, mentorship as well as the fierce criticism of influential Nigerians and Africans, one may feel that you are a Jack of all trades but master of none. What’s your response to anyone tempted to see you in that light?
Well, the original saying goes like this: “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” So the original saying acknowledges that a jack of all trades is better than a master of one. I encourage people to know a little about everything. In today’s world, information is right in your pocket, through your mobile devices. You can learn something about law, politics, technology, music, journalism, religion, and finance by simply flipping through multiple browser windows on your mobile device. Our biggest limitation in Africa is not witchcraft, but ignorance. We frown at people who stretch themselves to develop their intellect by tagging them ‘ITK, I too know.’ In my case, I made a personal decision to stretch my mind to its fullest capacity. It was Myles Munroe who said that the most creative human being on earth, like Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, has not used two per cent of their intellectual/brain capacity. The human brain is sophisticated. Out of the human brain, we have aeroplanes, robots, artificial intelligence and vaccines. If you develop your intelligence, you can give the world its first cure for HIV or cancer. Yes, you can. Those who are churning out innovative ideas from Silicon Valley are not better than our brothers and sisters in Africa — we just need to evolve beyond consumption to production.
At the early stage of your career, who were your mentors, and how did they influence you?
As I mentioned earlier, Dr Myles Munroe gave me the initial push to enter the marketplace from the pulpit. When I got to the marketplace, I realised that it operated by a different set of rules and I needed mentorship to excel in this new reality. At a closer range, I was privileged to be mentored by an Italian technologist named Tomasso. He was leading an Enterprise Linux Distro, and under his mentorship, my organisation built an operating system for Raspeberry Pis and the ARM architecture. Mr Tomasso exposed me to a new network of executives in the information technology industry, and that gave me the exposure I needed to excel in the industry.
As mentor to thousands of Nigerians, how would you describe the relationship between youth mentorship and national development?
The relationship between youth mentorship and national development is immensely significant and mutually beneficial. Youth mentorship plays a vital role in shaping the future of a nation by nurturing the potential of young individuals and guiding them towards becoming responsible, productive, and engaged citizens. From skill development, human capital development, innovation and entrepreneurship to reducing unemployment and crime in the country, the Charles Awuzie Mentorship Programme, taking place on my social media platforms and now at the Evolve Conferences, has contributed and continues to contribute to national development across the nations of Africa. We need more role models for our young people. This will help redirect our teeming young population from a money-ritual mentality to an innovation mentality.
You once said you cannot help anyone, including your family members, who you have not mentored or have not been mentored by a known mentor. Why is that?
When I said ‘help anyone’, I meant that I would not invest money into a business by someone who has not been mentored or trained. Investing money into any business is a significant commitment and risk. While family and friends might seem like obvious choices for financial support, personal relationships can often obscure the hard truths about business acumen, discipline, and the ability to successfully launch and run a business venture. By insisting on mentorship as a prerequisite, I am effectively implementing a safeguard, not just for my investment, but for the individual in question. Mentorship from a knowledgeable and experienced person provides the sort of structured learning and oversight that is invaluable in the business world. It can help a person understand their business model better, fine-tune their strategies, and prepare them for the myriad challenges that will inevitably come their way. If someone has been mentored by me or another mentor whose judgement and expertise I trust, I can feel much more confident that they have been vetted for these qualities. This is not about withholding support or being elitist. It is about ensuring that my financial backing serves as a stepping stone to genuine success, rather than a crutch that may ultimately lead to failure and strained relationships.
The Charles Awuzie Mentorship Programme (CAMP) will hold this September in Abuja, with the tag The Evolve Conference. What is the CAMP about, and what is it aimed to achieve?
We are holding our first physical event on 29th September 2023. This is in partnership with Zeton Integrated Services and with the support of Gidanka, owners of The Destination Hotel, which is the venue of the event. I will be speaking alongside some of the best brains in the country viz: Olajide Abiola, Summy Francis, and Peter Xing who is coming from Australia. We are looking forward to a great conference and we invite Nigerians to come witness the rebirth of a new innovative Nigeria where everything shall be possible.
What kind of mentorship and empowerment should be expected at the Evolve Conference?
At Evolve Conference, participants will enjoy mentorship on technology, entrepreneurship and intentional living. The conference fosters real-world mentor connections. The conference provides a unique, welcoming, professional platform for startup entrepreneurs to forge connections and acquire knowledge from esteemed industry leaders. It is an experience for everyone, especially if you are building a business or brand.
What inspired the category of people that would be speaking at the conference, and what unique offer would they put forth?
Our speakers are seasoned captains in their industries. Peter Xing was Director of Innovation at KPMG, Australia and has very strong connections in the emerging technology industry. You cannot meet Peter Xing at the Evolve Conference and remain at the same level in your business. Olajide Abiola and Summy Francis are among the best brains Nigeria has produced so far. They are individually building massive infrastructure and solutions for Nigeria’s present and future problems. In choosing our speakers, I went for the best of the best who have built visible solutions in their respective industries.
In five years, where do you see the CAMP? And how many people do you envision would be impacted by the CAMP within this period?
Our goal in five years is to raise a minimum of 1000 African entrepreneurs who will each helm a business valued at no less than $5million, thus creating a network of African entrepreneurs with a combined networth of at least USD $5billion. The model of CAMP is unique because it gives us a platform to network, brainstorm and collaborate on projects as a collective.
If you were the newly appointed Minister of Youth, how would you ensure that Nigerian youths are leaders of today and not those of tomorrow?
If I am appointed as Minister of Youths in Nigeria, my first move would be to give young innovative Nigerians access to capital, ensure inclusion in policymaking, recognise that policies affect their future the most and create platforms for international collaborations. Nigerian youths have been isolated globally for a long time due to our decaying national brand and we need an intentional Ministry of Youth that will serve the youths at both national and international levels.
You said you have an interest in establishing a tech hub in your home state, Abia State. Do you still have the interest? And, what impact would you want the hub to have on the state and other Southeastern states?
I will engage my state government when I arrive. I tell you, Abia State government, under the newly-elected governor, Dr Alex Otti, is open for business. I will not comment much on this until after I engage with the government. Just know that something is cooking in this regard in Abia State.
For almost a decade, you have been based in South Africa. Do you have plans to relocate and invest in Nigeria?
Yes, that’s correct. Evolve Conference, Abuja is my homecoming event. I am coming home to invest in our people and economy. I love Nigeria and believe in the potential of our great country.
What are the major challenges you face in the course of your career and work, and how do you manage them?
I have faced several challenges, but the major one is being judged by where I come from. Due to the nature of the industries I operate in, I engage mostly with people from across the world. I have been denied several opportunities just because of my nationality. Instead of complaining about this challenge, I am coming home to rewrite the story. It is time to fix our national brand. We are not what the world thinks of us.
