Uncommon Igbo entrepreneurs: Achievers with big hearts

By Job Osazua
Indisputably, most Igbo people are known to be naturally
industrious and adventurous. It will certainly not be an
exaggeration to describe them as business moguls, who
started from the scratch and amazingly rise, against all
odds, to the apex in their chosen endeavours. They are
standing tall and stronger, like iroko trees, even in a,
where economic prospects are, at the moment, at the
lowest ebb. These quintessential business tycoons have
proved to the world, through determination, strong-will and
focus, that it is possible to make potable water abundant
in the desert. They are simply the symbols of an
irrepressible glowing light to their generation.
Looking at their intimidating Curriculum Vitaes (CVs), you
can hastily but rightly conclude that they were born to rule
their world. You may also wonder if these uncommon men
were actually born and baptized with some special ‘holy
ghost business water’ because wherever they step their
feet, their names are always synonymous with successes.
So many of the entrepreneurs have helped in no small
measure in taking many jobless youths from the streets,
and by extension, have become formidable sources of
inspiration to many young ones, irrespective of their tribes
or religions. They all play commanding roles in shaping
Nigeria’s economy beyond the South East region and for
the benefit of the entire country. Daily Sun, in this special
project, unveils and celebrates these illustrious sons of the
South East, who have, through unquenchable zeal,
contributed immensely to the economic development of
the country.
NNAMDI EZEIGBO, SLOT SYSTEMS LIMITED
The founder and Managing Director of SLOT Systems
Limited, a truly indigenous telecommunication and
Information Technology company with over 50 outlets
nationwide, Mr. Nnamdi Ezeigbo, is described by many as
a seasoned social entrepreneur.
He incorporated SLOT in 1998, and the brand has become
a household name for quality mobile phones and
accessories. He has become a shining symbol of the
irrepressible spirit of the Nigerian entrepreneur, who is
passionate, committed, resilient and hard working.
Apart from being the founder of the SLOT brand, Ezeigbo
has spent time and resources to develop budding
entrepreneurs across Nigeria. His impact in the society
has helped young entrepreneurs find easier ways of
starting their own business.
As part of his contribution to the development of the
society, SLOT Systems Limited has trained about 20
teachers from the Lagos State Technical College on some
cutting edge technologies required for present age
Telecoms industry. SLOT has also employed over 700
people, and established its presence all over the country
with over 50 retail stores and an active online store. The
company has become the people’s brand with trusted
products and good customer service.
With the ability of its dynamic leadership in 2001, the
company switched over to mobile telecommunication
services and since then it has blazed the trail and kept the
flag flying high. The team considered it necessary to fill up
this need in the global information technology with
emphasis on the Nigeria market. As an indigenous
company, SLOT does not just sell phones, but also
provides first class after-sales support. Over the years, it
has been the first to announce new phones, new functions,
features, and upgrades in the land.
Born on August 4, 1966, in Delta State, Ezeigbo began his
primary education at Pamol Primary School in Sapele, and
later proceeded to Ogini Grammar School, Ogharefe, both
in Delta State for his secondary education from 1979 to
1984. He attended the Yaba College of Technology Lagos
in 1988, where he studied Electrical /Electronics
Engineering and graduated with a Higher National Diploma
(HND). He undertook the compulsory National Youth
Service Corps in 1996, with Guinness Nigeria Plc.
Mr. Ezeigbo also studied Computer and Electronics
Engineering at the Lagos State University between 1996
and 2001, where he bagged a BSc (Second Class Upper).
His quest for further education took him to Ladoke
Akintola University, Ogbomoso, for his Master’s degree in
Information Technology (MIT) between 2008/2009.
Some of the awards and recognitions received by Mr.
Ezeigbo include: 2014, Business Man of the Year, by Hall
of Grace Awards, 2014, Nigerian Telecom Awards, Mobile
Phone Dealer of the year 2014, 17th City People Awards of
Excellence, Best Mobile Phone Retailer 2014, Global
Leader of Integrity Merit Award 2014, Distinguished SME
partner Award by Fidelity Bank 2014, National Association
of Nigerian Students, Award of Excellence 2012, Nigerian
Telecom Awards, Mobile Phone Dealer of the year, 2009,
Nigerian National Integrity Award. He is an alumnus of the
Lagos Business School, and Harvard Business School. Mr.
Ezeigbo is happily married with children.
SENATOR IFEANYI ARARAUME: EXCLUSIVE STORES
The list of the outstanding South East entrepreneurs may
rightly be faulted if the name Senator Ifeanyi Araraume is
not included. He is the owner of one of Nigeria’s most
respected retail brands, Exclusive Stores. He is known not
just to be a political colossus, but also an outstanding
entrepreneur, who many have described as a man whose
heart flows with the milk of human kindness. He has
touched many lives through his quiet philanthropic strides
across the country. As a politician, Araraume has held
several high offices and still gearing up to take more
responsibilities in the future. As a businessman, he has
carved a name for himself as one of the most successful
names in the South East in particular and Nigeria in
general.
From experience and having conquered the many
guerrillas facing every investor in Nigeria, he concluded,
during an interview with Daily Sun, that it takes patience to
build successful business empires in the country. Senator
Ifeanyi Araraume went, saw and conquered the same
obstacles that might have scared or defeated many of his
contemporaries in the world of entrepreneurship.
His business acumen and prowess are not by accident, as
he was born and bred in a family that thinks, dreams and
eats business. One can’t really question or blame Senator
Araraume for his successes in his line of trades. He is only
suffering from some hereditary business traits.
Hear him: “We have always been in this business. I was
born into a family of business people. My father was a
teacher. In fact, he was the first man in my community to
attend Teachers’ College. He became a teacher. From
teaching, he became a civil servant and worked across the
country. He worked in this country and then in Cameroon.
He also worked in Equatorial Guinea, Malabo and then
came back to start a business here.
“My mother too was a strong business woman. So, I came
from such a background. Starting business for me was not
hard. It was like I inherited some aspects of my family
business and improved on it. I was introduced by some
friends in the United Kingdom into this trade business.
They had big businesses. They were Pakistanis and had
all the major Park n Carry then. They were into huge retail
business. They introduced me into it and this was in the
1980s. Even though we have faced some challenges in
terms of policies of government, we have managed to
keep afloat. We have the double-digit interest rates and
these things affect business. These are the challenges we
have in retail business. You will agree with me that if you
go to Western Europe, some of the big retail businesses
are owned by Asians. Even in Nigeria, they run retail
businesses. This was how I worked with them and entered
it.”
Araraume’s advice for upcoming entrepreneurs is for them
not to ever give up in their chosen fields. According to him,
consistency is the number one secret to success in every
endeavour. Stick to what you are doing and do not always
jump into the business in vogue, he maintained.
His words: “I remember in the early 1980s, I was banking
with the Union Bank and there was this manager on
Mission Road in Benin City. I never applied for a loan, but
he saw the way my account was running and called to
inform me that he was willing to assist me by giving me a
loan. The first loan I got in my life was from him. He is late
now, but I still maintain a cordial relationship with his
family. If I were not consistent, he would not have
identified with me. The problem we have today is that
everywhere our young people find themselves, they see it
as springboard. They do not want to stay put.”
Araraume stated that rising and falling were necessary
ingredients to drive any business further. Every fall
provides a businessman with experience he cannot gain
from anyone else. Those requisite skills acquired through
consistency are germane to building and taking that
business to an enviable height, he added.
“Up till now, we have people from Benin Republic that
come to Nigeria to do our PoP and plastering for us. That
is because they were patient but our people are not patient
and consistent,” he counselled.
The business guru lamented the issue of epileptic power
supply in Nigeria, and described it as a major hindrance to
business growth in Nigeria.
He stated; “Power is something that is a major problem
even though the country has done her best to privatise the
generation and distribution. They have made some good
policies but there are still challenges. Power is not steady
and the cost is being pushed to a level where the end user
will find it difficult to cope.
“Take, for instance, our office in Abuja where we spend
over N2 million to power our generating sets. If you put
together the cost of maintenance, everything runs into
over N4 million every month. On power alone, we spend
N8 million across our offices in Nigeria. If you add that up
per annum, you know how much it is. Then you
sometimes ask why you are doing the business. The cost
that we carry, other African countries do not carry it. As
long as running a business is concerned, we have to be
careful in this country.
“In Nigeria, we have cost of security, power, transportation
and salaries. You also have insurance for your business. If
businesses carry these costs, the environment must be
friendly. We also have the highest digit rates when it
comes to loans in the world. We believe that if power is
reasonably priced, things will be okay. But the problem is
that those that have taken over the management of power
are not willing to invest more into it. They have to do away
with this estimated billing statement and have pay as you
go system for all consumers.”
When asked why most Igbo persons are entrepreneurs,
Araraume said the South easterners are republican in
nature, who pride themselves in hard working. He stated
that was one of the reasons a poor woman in his village
prefers to sweep people’s compound and get paid than
begging for alms. According him: “It is not our culture to
beg. Every Igbo person wants to work for his or her
money. Some people work to train themselves. Instead of
an Igbo person to ask you for money, he will work and
earn it. The problem comes when he works for you and
you refuse to pay him. When Abuja was developing, many
Igbo people came from different parts of the north. They
did not have anything to do when they came here. Many
of them had stores where they were selling building
materials. Some of them now have big businesses. We do
not have the opportunity other people have.
“Do not forget that our people came out of the civil war. I
was a child during the war and I know about the
experience we had. Having lost the war, many Igbo people
could not join the civil service; that was how they went into
business. Some of them were trading while they went back
to the university. That is the nature of our people.”
On the uniqueness of his Exclusive Stores, he boasted that
the difference between the giant brand and other
competitors was crystal clear. He disclosed the plans
were in the pipelines to spread his business tentacles to as
many states as possible.
“At Exclusive Stores, we have the variety of products that
you need. The pricing system is good and very
competitive. We have special cards for loyal customers.
We negotiate well with our clients and pass it on to our
customers. We sell the best quality of products. Storage is
better here. In Exclusive Stores, products are separated
and all our warehouses are air-conditioned. If you buy
cereal from us, it does not get polluted with soap. Our
staff are very polite. It is a combination of factors that
make us to stand out from the crowd. Our bakery is the
best in town and we have different certificates to show.
“For now, we are looking at our domestic market. It is a
huge market of about 180 million people. We are moving
into some states. I am doing one in my state, Owerri in
Imo State. I am also building one in Rivers state, same in
Niger state. By the time we do that for another few years,
and then we can look at the possibility of going into the
sub region. We have some South African companies here.
There is nothing that says we cannot go to their country
and do business as well. We are looking at these options
but we need to be sure that we have the strength and
capability before we venture into that. I do not want to
start what I cannot finish. I believe that gradually, but
steadily, we will be able to get to the point that we desire.
Speaking on recognition from The Sun Publishing Limited
identifying him as one of the 50 Southeast entrepreneurs,
he said the recognition would trigger him the more to help
the society.
“It means a lot to me. It means that in my own humble
contribution to the society by solving the problem of
unemployment, have been recognised. It gives me a lot of
joy that people are appreciative of our efforts. This will
help me to see how many young entrepreneurs I can
mentor. If I am doing well and I am being appreciated, it
means they will also be appreciated if they do well. I
believe that this recognition will inspire me the more to
help the society. I am grateful to those who have decided
to put this thing together. With what they have done, more
businessmen will be inspired. Those who are not among
those selected now will be recognised next time. This is
good and we appreciate it,” Araraume said.
DR. OBINNA UZOH: GOCUZ GROUP LIMITED
At 52, Dr. Obinna Uzoh, chairman/Chief Executive Officer
of GOCUZ Group Limited, is a success by all standards.
He’s well-schooled, an international business tycoon and
has a good family.
Interestingly, all these were not achieved on a platter of
gold. They are products of hard work, determination,
focus, diligence and enterprise. From a humble beginning
in 1987, when he established a machine tools company, he
has grown the GOCUZ GROUP Limited to a conglomerate,
with an assert base running into billions of naira.
Interestingly, the success story of GOCUZ GROUP Limited
has it root when some traders were looking for engineering
tools in the market and encountered Uzoh. This became a
turning point in his life and business, as it caused a
metamorphosis of his business.
Said Uzoh: “The people had been looking for the
engineering box for long. I had seen that box while I was
with my uncle; so I thought that all I needed was to get a
box and assemble the tools. I told them I would get them
the toolboxes, if they would deposit some money. I
convinced them and they did.
“On the appointed day, when they saw it, they were happy
and asked if I could get them more. Outside the market,
the box was expensive, but because I sold it to them very
cheap, they decided to patronise me. They gave me
money and I made more for them; that was how I made
my first major profit as a businessman.”
From this humble beginning, Uzoh has nurtured a
business empire which now has major offices in Abuja,
Lagos and Port Harcourt. Indeed, the seed he planted in
1987, as GOCUZ Limited, has become a mighty oak tree,
known today as GOCUZ Group Limited, with chains of
businesses spanning into oil & gas, engineering, law,
construction, finance and agriculture. The companies
under GOCUZ Group Limited are: Gocuz Oil Services,
Gocuz Engineering, Gocuz Chambers, Gocuz Construction,
Gocuz Finance & Security and Gocuz Farms Limited.
On his company, Uzoh said: “The company has positively
affected the lives of Nigerians economically and socially.
We service many companies involved in engineering,
technical and oil services. We are involved in rural
electrification, job and wealth creation, road construction,
poverty alleviation, etc.”
He said that the success story of GOCUZ Group is
anchored on diligence, excellency and integrity, insisting
that the company makes deliverance on its promise a
cardinal principle in it business.
Commenting on Nigeria’s business environment, Uzoh
said the country is a good place for business, adding that
Nigeria has the potentiality of being a major economy in
the world.
“Nigeria is a good place for business. Nigeria’s population
is its asset. Yes, with a population of over 170 million,
Nigeria is a country where any serious-minded and honest
businessman would record a success. What you need is
diligence, drive and honesty and the sky will be you limit,”
he said.
The business mogul said that if government would solve
the energy crisis in the country, Nigeria would have a
buoyant and robust economy that would be the envy of
others.
“Severally, government has said that it is aiming to make
Nigeria become one of the 20 biggest economies. This is
not a tall ambition. It’s something that is achievable. If the
Federal Government fixes the power sector, which will
ensure constant and stable electricity, half of the economic
problems of the country would be solved. With constant
and stable power supply, industries will bounce back and
Nigeria will become an exporting rather than an importing
nation. This will create employment and lead to robust and
ever vibrant economy.”
Born on March 17, 1963 to the family of the late Chief and
Chief (Mrs.) Obi Uzoh, Obinna Uzoh attended his primary
and secondary schools in Ihiala, where he obtained the
First School Leaving Certificate and West African School
Certificate. He taught briefly at Girls Secondary School,
Okija, Anambra State, before going into private business.
The GOCUZ Group Limited chief executive also obtained
B.Sc (Business Administration) from University of Lagos;
M.Sc (Marketing), also University of Lagos; LLB, from
University of Lagos; B.L., from the Nigeria Law School and
PhD in Economics.
In the last 26 years, Uzoh has been involved in
philanthropic programmes. These include: Award of
scholarship to students in primary, secondary, colleges of
education, polytechnics and universities across the
country: Special scholarship award to indigenes of
Anambra State in Medicine, Law, Accountancy and
Engineering; building and donation of a 3-storey complex
for the Law Faculty of Madonna University, Okija,
Anambra State; renovation of schools across the country;
construction and equipment of several computer and
several laboratories in secondary and tertiary institutions
across the country and distribution of text books and
instructional materials to schools across Anambra State.
He had established small scale enterprises for indigenes of
Anambra State; constructed and rehabilitated roads in
Anambra State and provided boreholes. He was involved
in rural electrification and donation of transformers across
the country; contributing to the building of churches
across the country; sponsorship/donation of drugs for free
medical outreaches to St. Charle’s Borromeo Hospital,
Onitsha for some selected towns in Anambra North
senatorial area; sponsorship of Christians for pilgrimage to
Jerusalem and Rome; establishment of special fund for
assistance to pregnant women, widows, disabled people
and people with heart, kidney, lung, sight and spinal cord
problems; assistance to young traders, school leavers and
graduates to set up their own business through a revolving
loan and involvement in sports development through
sponsorship of local football competitions, track and field
events.
Uzoh single-handed built All Saints Catholic Church,
Umunnamehi, in Ihiala, Ihiala Local Government Area,
Anambra State, which was dedicated by the Papal Nuncio
in Nigeria. He also built a 110-room ultra modern students
hostel at the Holy Family Youth Village, in Amansea, near
Awka, in Anambra State, which he donated to the Catholic
Church. He built the Obinna Uzoh Law Faculty building at
the Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State.
Having made a success in business and philanthropy,
Uzoh looked for a way to contribute more in the socio-
economic and political development of the country. He had
joined politics, believing that if he could get elected as
governor he would have the opportunity to do more for his
people. He contested the Anambra State governorship
election in 2003 but lost out owing to the imposition of
candidate in his political party, the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) at that time. He’s now a chieftain of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), which he joined before the
2015 general elections, to, according to him, take Igbo
back to mainstream politics.
Speaking on what motivates him, Uzoh said: “I derive a lot
of inspiration from the Bible. The Bible guides me in many
things I do. If you also go through the Catholic doctrine,
you will see where Jesus told His disciples that the
greatest must be the servant of the people. That informs
my simple lifestyle. I love mixing with people, especially
the downtrodden. There’s no way I will throw my weight
around when I know my humble beginning and
background. I know that I am where I am today by the
grace of God.”
For all he does, Uzoh has been severally recognised.
Recently Pope Francis conferred on him a knight of St
Gregory the Great. He had received such recognitions as:
Fellow, Institute of Cost Management; Fellow, Chartered
Institute of Administration; Patron, European Economic
Chamber of Trade, Commerce and Industry (EEIG-NG);
Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Internal Auditors of
Nigeria; ECOWAS International Award; Hallmark
Millennium Award; Ideal Family Star Award by Family Life
Organisation and Excellent Performance Award in
Commerce, Social and Human Capacity Development in
Nigeria by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Anambra State
Council.
Also Uzoh has been honoured as Most Admired
Engineering Equipment Dealer of the Year 2000 Award of
the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Nigeria; Pillar of
Development in Anambra State by Anambra State
Development Foundation; Merit Award of Catholic Youth
Organisation of Nigeria, Nnewi Chapter; Distinguished
Friend and Patriot by the Egbu Diocese (Anglican
Communion), Church of Nigeria; Patron, UNIZIK 94.1 FM;
and National Youth Award of the National body of Catholic
Youth Organisation of Nigeria, among others.
He is married to Herrienta Obinna Uzoh and has seven
children.
EMPEROR BAYWOOD IBE: BAYWOOD CONTINENTAL LTD
Out of South East region sprouts Emperor Chris Baywood
Ibe, unarguably an eminent and successful entrepreneur of
his time. Businessman, philanthropist, community activist,
and humanist, Emperor Baywood Ibe, is the Founder and
President of Baywood Continental Ltd (BCL), (a wholly-
owned, Nigerian company actively engaged in African oil
and gas fields since 1989), which has, over the years,
parented a couple of companies holding their own in the
country and elsewhere in Africa. He is also the founder of
Baywood Foundation, a philanthropic arm of his thriving
charity concern and the leader of Save Awgu Forum Enugu
(SAFE), a group ceaselessly pressing for the inclusion of
all in the scheme of things in Enugu State.
His BCL, which plays a commanding role in the Nigerian oil
and gas sector, is consistently scoring a string of “Firsts”
in all its undertakings. It is, for instance, the first to
successfully design and build large Crude Oil Tanks for
various IOCs at three Export Terminals: CNL ESCRAVOS,
SHELL BONNY and FORCADOS. It is the first indigenous
company to design and construct Nigeria’s largest gas
pipeline since the discovery of oil in the country.
BCL is also the first Nigerian company to design, install
and operate compressor plants for Shell Petroleum. It is
equally the first indigenous concern to design and
construct a double-bottom, concrete Crude Oil Tank for
Chevron just as it remains the first Nigerian company to
successfully pull through HDD (Horizontal Direct Drilling),
a 42” diameter pipeline across the one- kilometre
Sombreiro River.
Under the astute leadership of Emperor Baywood Ibe, BCL
employs over 1,000 staff. An ISO 9001- 2008 certified
company, it is easily a reference name in Engineering,
Procurement and Commissioning undertakings in the
country’s oil and gas sector.
Emperor Baywood Ibe attended Central Primary School
Isu Awaa, Colliery Comprehensive Secondary School,
Ngwo, Enugu, after which he pursued higher education in
Quantity Surveying in Beograd, Yugoslavia. He is an
alumnus of the prestigious Del Carnegie Institute in
Canada, Member of the Institute of Directors, Petroleum
Technology Association of Nigeria and the Global Local
Content Group.
His contributions to community development remain
legendary. Here is a man who single handedly undertook
the construction and asphalting of an 8.5kilometre road
linking Agbogugu-Isu Awaa-Agbudu-Ihe communities in
Awgu LGA, Enugu State, a feat which is probably the first
of its kind in the country.
Over the years his medical outreach programmes in
communities, like Isu Awaa, Ihe, Ugbo, Agbogugu, Ituku
and Agbudu have saved many lives. The widow
empowerment outreach he initiated and carries out yearly
has touched the lives of over 700 beneficiaries till date
even as his Baywood Football Championship is acclaimed
to have positively engaged youths in Awgu LGA and
indeed and Enugu State. Similarly, his Baywood Oil and
Gas Skills Acquisition programme has trained many Enugu
youths who are currently gainfully engaged not only in his
BCL and its subsidiaries, but also in other active
companies in the oil and gas fields.
His passion for the youths compels him to step up
vigorous commitment to improving the lots of Nigerian
youths through education and scholarship awards. He
believes that the youths as true leaders of tomorrow can
be assisted through well-thought-out enlightenment
programmes. His planned National Youth Rally comes up
in Abuja soon.
Even when he is neither a politician nor a future political
office aspirant, he underlined his passion for the youths
recently when he bought and distributed motorbikes, at
least two each going to youths in over 20 communities in
Agwu LGA of Enugu State. He tasked them to go forth and
make a better living with the gesture and offer community
service as well.
Emperor Baywood Ibe’s spirit involuntarily yearns for
justice, fairness and equity, in the same measure
everything in him detests and resists oppression and
injustice. This is the spirit behind his selfless drive to
galvanise Awgu communities using SAFE, (a socio-cultural
group, which he founded), to make them believe in
themselves and to say “No” to all forms of political
exclusion in Enugu State. SAFE is an organisation bitterly
opposed to the political marginalisation and oppression of
the people of Agwu. And he selflessly deploys his
resources to see that this trend is not only halted but
reversed.
A likeable personality, Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe is a
Knight of St Christopher, a recipient of so many awards,
including the 2014 Industry Achievement Award by
PETAN, the RATTAWU Distinguished Award for Human
Empowerment and Father of Eminence of the Anglican
Communion.
Not too long ago, his legendary acts of philanthropy
reverberated in far away Ethiopia. Consequently, he was
invited and conferred with the title of “Emperor” by the
Ancient Imperial court of Ethiopia.
MR. FESTUS UZOMA: HANGHAI ENGINEERING WORKS &
INDUSTRIAL LTD AND BLUE DIAMOND LOGISTICS, CHINA
Mr. Festus Uzoma Mbisiogu is the Chairman/CEO,
Shanghai Engineering Works and Industrial Ltd and Blue
Diamond Logistics, China. His astuteness and uprightness
has, indisputably earned him more respect among his
peers in Nigeria, even at the international scene. He is a
silent achiever and humble man, who does his things at
his own pace. He is peacefully placing food on the tables
of many Nigerians, as well as contributing his huge quota
to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Shanghai Engineering Works & Industrial Ltd, which is his
brainchild, is a leading manufacturing and construction
company that needs little or no introduction in Nigeria. The
company thrives in aluminum manufacturing and designs,
metro tiles, interlocking bricks, with automated machines
that have the capacity of producing 10,000 bricks and
20,000 blocks daily in different moulds. When it comes to
professional borehole drilling, Shanghai Engineering is a
company to be reckoned with. Its strength is also not
questionable in estate development and management,
dredging and environmental services, electrical and
mechanical engineering and building materials.
SEWIL, as the company is easily called, is in partnership
with China Airport and Railway Group Limited in civil
construction, which specialises in housing and building,
road, airport design and construction.
Another area where Uzoma is holding sway is through
Blue Diamond Logistic based in China.
The Chinese based shipping outlet has an edge above
many other logistic companies because of its arrays of
support services to its customers, which ranges from
warehousing, transportation/delivery supports with a
confident to fund freight and clearing cost of Nigerian
bound goods for its customers who pays only on point of
taking delivery. Blue Diamond has branches in China,
Dubai, Hong Kong, New Jersey and Vietnam. Blue
Diamond also prides with Super diamond brand; its
products that comprise home appliances and devices,
which is currently experiencing a constant growth as it
gains market acceptance.
The young brand is receiving more and more attention and
is becoming a household name.
DR. SAMPSON UCHECHUKWU OGAH: MASTERS ENERGY
Oil & GAS LIMITED
Dr. Sampson Uchechukwu Ogah could be succinctly
painted as the man with Midas touch.
indeed, some men are simply passionate to succeed in
life. Some strive to excel in business and make money.
And there are others who derive joy in using the money
they make to make life worth living for others. Dr. Ogah, in
all standards, possesses all of the above qualities and
even more.
He was not born into a ready-made fortune. He had to
work his way up there. With providence on his side and a
sharp vision, using education as his foundation, hard work
as a ladder, integrity as a belt and commitment as his
hook, he has embossed his name in the hearts of many
and the sand of time. Today, the Abia State-born
billionaire is one of the most notable, young and
resourceful entrepreneurs to come out of the South East.
He is a shining source of inspiration to all young people
and a beacon of joy and pride to Nigeria and humanity for
touching lives with his resources and wealth-creation
ideas.
Born about 46 years ago and bred from a humble
background, Dr. Ogah attended Ishiagu High School, Abia.
Thereafter, he worked at West African Examination
Council (WAEC) from 1986 to 1989, before proceeding to
the prestigious Institute of Management and Technology
(IMT), Enugu, where he obtained Upper Credit at Ordinary
National Diploma (OND) in 1992. He later graduated in
1995 as the best Higher National Diploma (HND) level
student with a Distinction in Accounting. While at IMT, he
became a students’ union leader by default, and later went
ahead to become the President of the Accounting Students
Association.
He did his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at NAL
Bank PLC. Thereafter, he took up full employment at All
States Trust Bank, from where he joined Zenith Bank, a
bank he worked and spent his banking career of over 10
years. While at Zenith Bank, he was at different times a
branch manager and head, business focus group; with
core competency in business development, internal
control, human resources and strategic planning. He
received many commendations and awards as proof of his
diligence and high performance.
He left Zenith Bank as an Assistant General Manager/
Head, Ikeja Business Focus Group to pursue his
entrepreneurial aspirations by focusing on nurturing
Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, a company he
founded in 2005. He is a very successful entrepreneur and
businessman with a heart of gold. His belief in the
Nigerian economy is strong and unequivocal.
According to him, “there is absolutely nothing we cannot
do in this country. We have all it takes to build the
economy of this country and take this country off the 3rd
world label. We do not have any reason being labelled a
3rd world economy. God endowed us with all the
resources both natural and human any country can ask
for. All we need is change of mindset. Once we change
our mindset and develop liberal mind to see this country
as our own irrespective of whichever tribe we are, we will
rule the world.”
This belief informed his decision to make an investment
(Masters Energy City) worth tens of billions of Naira in
Port Harcourt, Rivers State at a time when most
companies were running away from Niger Delta region
because of the then security challenges. That single
investment, a 158, 000 Metric Tonnes petroleum products
storage facility, has helped in no small measure in the
stabilisation of petroleum products availability and
affordability in the whole of South-South, South-East and
North-East. The investment has also provided direct
employment to over 600 citizens of the Niger Delta region
in the spirit of Federal Government’s rehabilitation
programme and over 4,000 ancillary employments.
Within the confines of Masters Energy City lies a N10
billion fabrication yard, established in 2010 with primary
interest and responsibility of fabricating and construction
of equipment for use not only in the oil and gas industry
but also beyond the sector. As at today, the fabrication
yard had constructed two different 1,000 MT capacity
barges and is presently constructing additional 3 barges.
Dr. Ogah, no doubt, is an entrepreneur par excellence. He
believes that the South East, if motivated and provided
with enabling environment, has all it takes to compete
with the Asian Tigers. He asserts that Nigerians have not
tapped the economies of scale available to them. He
questioned why Nigeria cannot adopt the Chinese model of
regional integration to industrialise the country. He
informed that every region of this country has an area of
comparative advantage. If every region builds on its area
of strength and establish dominance there, as is done in
China, then our country Nigeria will be better for it, he
maintained.
In December 2011, the former governor of Abia State,
Chief Theodore Orji, performed the groundbreaking
ceremony of Masters Energy Industrial City, Uturu,
Isikwuato Local Government, for various projects. This
multi-billion naira integrated industrial complex on
completion is expected to grow the economy of the state
due to the high number of businesspersons it would attract
from across the African continent. Already about seven
companies are springing up within Masters Energy
Industrial City in Abia. These companies include: fertilizer
plant, plastic plant, lubricant plants producing five product
lines; engine oil, grease, hydraulic, transmission oil, and
gear oil, noodles plant, steel manufacturing (which
produces pipe for offshore drilling) and mechanised palm
oil production plants. All these plants are about 85 per
cent completion. The products of these companies will
contribute in no small way to the economic development
of Nigeria and West African States; in addition to creation
of jobs for the unemployed.
At the back of the massive industrial complex, there would
also be an Agricultural City, which would house a gigantic
poultry farm envisaged to be one of the best in South East.
The agric city would also have a fish farm as well as a
green house, where vegetables and other arable produce
will be processed for exports.
Dr. Ogah is driven by passion to transform the industrial
landscape of Nigeria. This way, lots of youths are taken
out off the street and provided with employment.
He said: “My heart bleeds each time I drive down the
street of any town in this country and see our youths
rotting away because of joblessness. I will always ask
myself, how long shall we continue to contain this waste
of human resources, as a country?”
Asides all these, Dr. Ogah stands like a colossus in the
area of philanthropy. He had sponsored free medical
services in different parts of Nigeria. This is in addition to
building and equipping many modern hospitals in different
communities in Nigeria, especially where his businesses
are located. He has equally offered scholarships to both
primary and secondary students across Nigeria since
2006. He has partnered with different medical centres, like
Hopeville Rehabilitation Centre, for fabrication of
Prosthetesis (Artificial limbs) or Orthosis (Calipers) for so
many disabled persons. These are in addition to
sponsoring many people to India for various medical
issues.
The humanitarian and philanthropic disposition of Ogah
was taken to a higher level when he established a
foundation in December 2011, the Uche Ogah Foundation,
which is primarily for empowerment, poverty alleviation
and provision of education. He also instituted a chair at
the Abia State University. In recognition of his many silent
contributions to the economic growth and empowerment
of Abia State, the Government of Abia State during its 21st
Anniversary Celebration in 2012 conferred on him “Oke
Osisi of Abia State.”
In recognition of his many contributions to the
development of Abia, provision of infrastructures and other
physical developments in different parts of Nigeria, Abia
State University awarded him an Honorary Doctorate
Degree in Business Administration in 2013.
He had single-handedly electrified villages, changed the
landscape of a whole village by building prototypal houses
for the entire community and offering free medical services
for citizens of the community; in addition to building a fully
equipped modern hospital in his home town, Uturu in
Isikwuato Local Government of the state. The primary
school he rehabilitated in his town is the only one with ICT
centre and modern facilities. He has offered scholarship to
many primary and secondary students in Uturu since
2006, under Madam Jessy Ogah Foundation and
University Education scholarship to over 200 students
nationwide.
In 2014, Dr. Ogah built and donated to Abia State
University, 500-seater capacity state of the art auditorium.
The auditorium is fitted with hi-tech projector and sound
system, mini hall that can conveniently sit about 60 – 70
persons, fully equipped 70-seater capacity Information
Communication Technology (ICT) with high capacity
server and central printer. It equally has two standard
executive meeting rooms and 250KVA generator.
He is a recipient of numerous awards and titles as well as
a member of various professional bodies among, which
include: Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of
Nigeria (FCA), Fellow, The Institute of Credit
Administration (FICA), African Peace Award (APA 2010),
Meritorious Diamond Award for National Development
(MEDA 2008), Distinguished Corporate Achievers Gold
Award (2009), Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Shipping
(2009), Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Brand Management
(2012), Entrepreneurship Promoter of the Year (2012),
Officer of the Order of the Niger (2012), Ambassador of
Peace, UN-POLAC (2013), Abia Outstanding Achievement
Award (2014), Award of Excellence for Entrepreneurial
development by Nigeria Union of Journalists, South East
Zone (2014) amongst others. He is an Ambassador and
Member of the Governing Council of the Nigeria-Turkey
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Dr. Ogah was conferred with 2013 Nigerian –American
Chamber of Commerce Enterprise Award. He was also
honoured with the prestigious Bi-Annual Keyman Award
for Outstanding Entrepreneurship by the Enugu Chamber of
Commerce, Industry, Mines and Industry. He was also the
2013 Business World Newspaper Man of The Year. He is
happily married and blessed with children.