Nigerian Analytics Professional Nweke Advances Global Career with Master’s Degree from WIU

Ezekiel Okpuzor

Nigerian-born analytics professional Obinna Nweke has recently earned
his Master of Science in Applied Statistics and Decision Analytics from Western Illinois University (WIU), marking a significant milestone in his journey from Nigeria to the United States
of America.

His career began in Nigeria, where he acquired marketing and analytical expertise at Axon Analytics, a leading digital solutions company serving 60% of Nigerian banks through its partners, Netcore Cloud and WSI Axon. He later joine TinkaSave, a fintech startup, as an
analyst, where he demonstrated his ability to drive quantifiable business results.

Motivated by the desire to deepen his technical knowledge and analytical skills, Nweke pursued graduate studies at WIU, where he combined academic theory with practical applications. While working as a graduate assistant at the university’s College of Business and Technology, he led the redesign of the college’s website using insights from historical Google Analytics data, directly contributing to enhanced student recruitment and digital outreach.

“Obinna provided analytical rigor and strategic insight that substantially improved our online presence and engagement, ” noted a college administrator.

His leadership extended beyond academics as President of WIU’s chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), earning regional recognition for driving tangible improvements in professional development and career outcomes for members.

Alongside his academic commitments, Nweke stepped into the US corporate sector as a Decision Science Intern at tms (The Marketing Store Worldwide), supporting analytics projects for globally recognized brands such as McDonald’s, T-Mobile, and Samsung. His contributions included optimizing retail analytics and promotional campaigns for McDonald’s nationwide operations.

Despite his growing global profile, Nweke remains actively connected to Nigeria’s academic and business sectors, regularly contributing to educational programs and industry seminars at Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Through these efforts, he is dedicated to enhancing analytics
education and professional practice within his home country.

Reflecting on his educational journey, Nweke stated, “we must keep learning and advancing our knowledge to meet the evolving demands of our businesses today and to properly leverage the technology we have available”

As he advances his career, Nweke’s story highlights the power of leveraging global educational opportunities to drive meaningful impact in analytics, while maintaining deep ties and contributions to his Nigerian roots.