By the time most people were winding down their day, Chukwudi Nwokike was just getting started on his second shift.
From 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., six days a week, for nearly two years, Chukwudi was studying business online from his home in Lagos, Nigeria. He would finish a full day of work, rest for a few hours, then log into his courses, keeping pace with classmates in time zones a world away.
“It was rough,” he said, with a laugh. “But it was a great experience. I learned a lot in such a short time and I wish I did it earlier.”
At the time, Chukwudi was working full-time as Chief Marketing Officer at Axon Analytics. He had reached a point in his career where technical expertise wasn’t enough. Leadership demands fluency in more than just marketing – it means understanding operations, accounting, and human resources. When a promotion to General Manager didn’t come through, he took it as a sign.
“There were conversations I used to avoid,” he said. “Even at the management level, I could get away with it. But I wanted to be the kind of leader who understood how an HR issue could trigger an operational catastrophe.”
“And for that, I knew I needed to learn more.”
That desire to level up, combined with the global pause of the COVID-19 pandemic, was what pushed Chukwudi back to school in the fall of 2020. He enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration program at Yorkville University, drawn to its flexibility and focus on applied learning.
“I wanted something that was entirely online,” he said. “And I didn’t just want a degree, I wanted to actually learn. When I looked at Yorkville, it felt like I would.”
Going back to school wasn’t a decision Chukwudi made lightly. He knew it would mean sacrifice. It meant pressing pause on his personal life – including his relationship with the woman who would later become his wife.
“Our relationship was pretty much in hibernation throughout that time,” he said. “I kept my full-time job, and I was doing six courses at once. Saturdays and Sundays were pretty much gone.”
So how did he stay motivated?
“My life was basically in weeks,” he explained. “Every Sunday, I’d look at what Yorkville demanded of me; discussion posts, assignment deadlines, everything. I focused one week at a time. That’s how I handled it. Like building a house, one brick at a time.”
That brick-by-brick mentality wasn’t just about productivity. For Chukwudi, it was deeply spiritual.
“My greatest influence is the Bible,” he said. “Everyone has their own interpretation, but for me, the greatest way to show love is through sacrifice. If it doesn’t cost you to get it, you can’t really say that you love it.”
That philosophy shaped not just how he approached his education, but how he approaches life.
“I didn’t want to just talk about being effective in the business world. I had to prove it.”
And prove it he did. Chukwudi completed the program with distinction, and along the way, developed a broader, more strategic mindset that extended beyond marketing. Today, he still works at Axon Analytics – but he secured the promotion to General Manager.
It’s clear that Chukwudi doesn’t just dream, he executes. And while his journey was solitary at times, he credits a brief moment of peer connection for sparking his final push.
“I was happy with my GPA until I spoke with someone who had a GPA 0.9 points higher than me. That competitiveness – it helped. I set their GPA as my target, and I hit it before I left. I went crazy, I was so happy.”
For others considering an online business program, his advice is simple: immerse yourself.
“You don’t have to be like me and take six courses a semester. But, if you want to, it’s possible. Just make sure you’re actually learning something. Find something practical in your life that you can use your learnings for, and start immediately. Time will go by, and your life will be better for it.”
