Osita Benjamin Chidoka obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He proceeded to the School of Public Policy at George Mason University in the United States of America, where he obtained a Master’s Degree in Transport Policy and Logistics. He also holds a certificate in Global

Strategy and Political Economy from Oxford University, UK and a Graduate Diploma in Maritime & Ports Management from the National University of Singapore. He is a 2020  graduate of Law from Baze University, Abuja.

During his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), he served at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he became an Award Winner and subsequently secured automatic employment into the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Abuja. In his service there, he contributed immensely to National Development through his services as the Secretary to the National Committee for the visit of Pope John Paul II to Nigeria in 1998, which earned him Papal commendation. He also served as a member of the Committee For the Review of the Abuja Master plan; Team Leader, Committee For the Drafting of the National Policy on Non-motorised Form of Transportation in Nigeria and was the Assistant Secretary, Committee for the 1999 Military to Civilian Handover, among others.

He was a Senior Advisor on Government and Business Relations, Mobil Producing Nigeria, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation. He had earlier served as Personal Assistant to the Minister of State in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Personal Assistant to the Minister of Transport,and Special Assistant to the Senior Adviser to the President on Legal Matters.

In 2007, Chidoka was appointed as the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps. His leadership of the FRSC led to the transformation of the Corps to a functional Lead Agencyin Road Traffic Administration and Safety Management in the country driven by information and communication technology. This transformation has as its visible impact a 15% reduction in fatalities from 2007 to 2009 and 28% in 2010. Fines generated from traffic offenders increased from  N524,757,951.24 in 2006 to N1.4 Billion in 2010. The FRSC, under his leadership,  built a reliable offenders’ register and database of drivers and vehicles in the country, leading to ECOWAS adoption of the Nigerian model in the planned Regional Vehicle Administration Information System (RVAIS) by the West African countries. For the first time, we produced a Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) 2012-2016.

Under his leadership, the Federal Road Safety Corps won the prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in December 2008; the National

Productivity Order of Merit Award of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity in October 2010. Furthermore, FRSC’s compliance with global best practices led to the certification of the Corps by the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), which conferred the Quality Management System Certificate (ISO 9001:2008 Certification) on the Corps on 15 April 2013. 

In recognition of Osita Chidoka’s enormous contributions to national and community development, he was invested with the traditional title of Ike-Obosi (Strength of Obosi) and a member of Ndi-Ichie, the highest decision making body of Obosi Traditional Council of Anambra State, in May 2009. He bagged the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria Merit Award on 27 November 2010 and the Institute of Logistics Management of Nigeria Fellowship Award in July 2011.

He was conferred with the Distinguished Alumnus Award for good governance and model on Road Safety by the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, on 12 November 2011. And in recognition of his patriotic disposition to his fatherland, he was conferred with Nigeria’s National Honour of Officer of the Federal Republic, OFR by the former President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, on 14 November 2011. He won the Sun and Hallmark Newspapers Public Servant of the year 2012 awards, and under him, FRSC won the Leadership Newspapers Government Agency of the year 2012 award. On 21August 2014, he was conferred with the National Productivity Order of Merit Award (NPOM).

In recognition of his expertise, he was appointed to head the Transportation Sub Committee of the Presidential Committee on Nigeria’s Centenary. The successful management of the logistics of the centenary celebration led to his appointment as the Chairman of the Transport Committee for the World Economic Forum held in May 2014 in Nigeria.  

On Wednesday, 23 July 2014, Chidoka was appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation by the former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. During his tenure, he strived to improve the safety standards of Nigeria’s aviation industry to compete actively with global best standards. Furthermore, he initiated the acquisition of the global certification of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). 

A robust public policy advocate, he has written many articles, essays and delivered speeches in many areas of public policy and safety management. On Thursday, 14 April 2016, Chidoka joined the Editorial Board of LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group Limited. As a columnist, he published “The Bridge Builder” weekly.

In 2020, Chidoka graduated from Baze University Abuja with a Law degree and currently runs a private business with interest in Logistics, Transportation, Printing and Fast Food.

Born on 18 July 1971, Osita Chidoka is happily married and blessed with children.