In early 2020, as COVID-19 cases began appearing across Africa, many initially believed the virus might spare the continent, says Kenneth Nwafor, a first-year doctoral student in management information systems at WSU’s Carson College of Business. Then the lockdown orders came.
For Nwafor, who was serving as head of market operations at the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) at the time, the race was on to move the exchange to a fully digital trading platform. NGX, one of Africa’s leading market exchanges, operated across five physical trading floors, with most brokers executing trades either on site or through connections from brokerage offices.
“When the shutdown announcement was made, we had less than two weeks to prepare,” recalls Nwafor. “The only conduit for trading would be a mobile device.”
Capital markets play a central role in national economic stability, and a prolonged shutdown would have disrupted financial activity across sectors and signaled instability at a moment of global uncertainty.
Nwafor oversaw technical support for the trading platform, and oversight on regulatory compliance, information security coordination in relation to market operations activities. He was also a member of NGX’s enterprise business continuity planning committee, and the pressure was on to equip more than 500 brokers with secure, compliant laptops configured for remote trading.
Within two weeks, the exchange moved to 100 percent digital trading, and Nwafor helped lead the transition. The experience reinforced two lessons that continue to shape his thinking today: the importance of resilience under pressure and the power of collaborative teamwork
The Impact of Education
Among his other duties at NGX, Nwafor oversaw broker certification and training programs, curriculum development, and mentorship of new market professionals. His connection to education runs deep—his father and mother were both teachers, and his father founded an education initiative in their community to support primary school students who might otherwise lack access to schooling. After his father’s passing, Nwafor and his siblings formalized the effort into a registered foundation that helps to address food, health needs, and other barriers, and he serves on the board of trustees.
These experiences influenced the next steps in Nwafor’s career after NGX. He earned a master’s degree with the intention of pursuing a PhD, actively seeking research collaborations and conference presentations along the way. When evaluating doctoral programs, he says he was drawn to the Carson College’s research reputation and faculty expertise.
“I was excited about the quality of research,” he says. “It’s not research for the sake of research. It’s research to solve real-world problems.”
Rethinking Research and Looking Ahead
Now working with faculty including Carson Professors Richard Johnson and Robert Crossler, Nwafor is exploring artificial intelligence and decision support systems, particularly as they relate to cybersecurity, risk detection, and regulatory environments.
His first year has been transformational, though supporting faculty as a teaching and research assistant while beginning what he calls “core research” has required some adjustment, he says.
“It’s redefined research for me. To say it has ‘elevated’ me is an understatement,” he says. “The person that started here in last fall is not the person you see today.”
Life in Pullman has brought its own transitions as well. Nwafor’s family remains in Nigeria while he is in the program, and they visit during academic breaks. He says he has now settled into the routine this semester and has become involved with the Nigerian Students and Scholars Organization at WSU, continuing to build community while focusing on the rigor of doctoral study.
Looking ahead, Nwafor is focused on developing research that helps organizations navigate the complex risks and opportunities created by emerging technologies. For him, the doctoral journey is not only about advancing knowledge in information systems, but about preparing to contribute as a scholar, teacher, and mentor in the years ahead.