By Ayo Taiwo

Valentina Ochuko Obukadata, a Nigerian business professional and researcher, recorded a series of academic achievements in 2025 while completing a full-time MBA in Global Supply Chain Management at the University of New Haven in the United States.

During the 12 months to December 2025, Obukadata published two peer-reviewed research papers, received invitations to review manuscripts for five academic journals, was inducted into an international business honour society and finished third in her university’s cross-disciplinary case competition.

The achievements marked a notable shift in her academic journey, building on professional experience in finance, credit management and entrepreneurship.

Obukadata’s two published papers in 2025 focused on organisational knowledge, risk and decision-making.

Her first paper, titled “The Economic Consequences of the U.S.–China Trade War on Global Supply Chains,” was published in the International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews.

The research examined the impact of successive tariffs and export controls on global supply chains, including how the measures affected costs, risks and the routing of goods across international networks.

Her second paper, published in the International Journal of Humanities, Social Science and Management, explored tacit-knowledge sharing and organisational performance in Nigeria’s microfinance sector.

The study was based on a case study of Fewchore Finance Company Limited and examined how organisations capture and use knowledge within their operations.

Explaining the connection between both studies, Obukadata said: “Both papers ask the same question in different clothes. One asks what a firm knows about its suppliers, the other what it knows about its own people. In a shock, the answer to both turns out to be the same word: not enough.”

Invited to review academic research

Beyond publishing her own work, Obukadata was invited to serve as a peer reviewer for five academic journals in 2025.

They include the Finance & Accounting Research Journal, International Journal of Advanced Economics, International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, Gulf Journal of Advance Business Research and Gulf Journal of Economics & Trade.

The manuscripts she reviewed covered areas including risk modelling for supply-chain finance, predictive analytics and business resilience, sustainability in small-business development and fintech risks associated with deepfakes.

Peer review involves assessing research submitted for publication and providing expert feedback to help journals determine whether manuscripts meet required academic standards.

Recognition at University of New Haven

Obukadata’s academic accomplishments also earned recognition from the University of New Haven and other academic institutions.

A Dean’s Scholarship supported part of her MBA programme, while she was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma in 2025.

Beta Gamma Sigma is an international business honour society that recognises high-achieving students at business schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

In November 2025, Obukadata also placed third in the University of New Haven’s ninth annual cross-disciplinary case competition.

The competition required participants to analyse a real-world business problem within a limited timeframe and present their recommendations to a judging panel.

From finance practitioner to researcher

Obukadata’s academic work builds on more than a decade of professional experience in finance, credit management and business.

Before pursuing her postgraduate degrees, she spent three years as a credit officer at Fewchore Finance Company Limited in Nigeria. According to her account, she led a team of eight and managed an average balance sheet of about ₦1.2 billion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She previously worked at Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and has operated her own business, Valmena Signatures, since 2019.

Obukadata said her professional experience influenced her decision to pursue research, particularly her interest in how organisations use information and knowledge to make decisions.

“I did not come to research to escape practice. I came because I kept hitting the same wall on the job — organisations that could not act on what they already knew — and I wanted to study it properly rather than just complain about it,” she said.

Obukadata holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Ambrose Alli University, which she obtained in 2016, and a Master of Science degree in Management and Finance from Birmingham City University, completed in 2023.

She also holds the Chartered Management Institute’s Level 7 qualification and is a member of professional bodies including the Association for Supply Chain Management, the National Association of Black Accountants and the Chartered Management Institute.

Her 2025 achievements brought together her academic and professional interests, with her research, peer-review activities and business case competition centred on practical challenges facing organisations.

The combination of two published papers, five peer-review invitations, academic recognition and a podium finish in a university case competition marked a productive year for Obukadata as she continued to build her profile as a researcher alongside her professional experience.