Do you know that Anambra is renowned to be the state in Nigeria with the most billionaires? The state is said to be the most commercialized in the country’s South-Eastern geopolitical zone, especially one of its small cities, Nnewi where most billionaires from the east are from. In terms of wealth, Anambra is the base of it all . This can be attributed to the presence of most of the state’s most successful business people. These people have a reputation for being business moguls, and entrepreneurs. These rich men who have established major businesses in Anambra and outside its state especially Lagos run top conglomerates across the country. While some of these men are a bit of age, there are also some young ones in their late 30s and 40s who are also very rich. The likes of Cubana night club owner, Obi Cubana, real estate guru, Ned Okonkwo, oil and gas big boy, E. Money and many other young entrepreneurs.
Popularly known as the city of billionaires, Nnewi is a small town in Anambra State, which is the hometown of many members of Nigeria’s rich and affluent – business moguls and industrialists who have made good money for themselves and whose companies across the country and beyond employ thousands of Nigerians. It is generally believed that the town is the birthplace of most of Nigeria’s private jet owners and a land of the men of means.
Known for the vibrant auto industry in the city, the first Igbo man to own and drive a car was HRH Igwe. Orizu I (Eze Ugbo Onya Mba) in 1912. By 1940, Nnewi residents were at the centre of an international trading network that dominated the supply of motor spare parts in the country. As the Nnewi Auto and Motorcycle spare parts market is well known throughout West Africa, it has earned the city the nickname, Japan of Africa.
The late Nigerian Billionaire, Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu who doubled as the father of the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu, was profiled by TIME magazine in 1965. He made his money by importing dried fish for resale and diversifying into textiles, cement production and transport. In today’s economic value it is about 4 billion dollars. Cosmas Maduka is one of the Nigerian leading car dealers. He founded Coscharis Group. It’s included in the biggest companies in Nigeria, dealing with BMW, Jaguar, Range Rover and Rolls-Royce brands. Innocent Chukwuma founded Innoson Nigeria Limited. The company deals in SUVs, Buses, and Cars. Innoson established the first Nigerian indigenous assembly plant. Gabriel Chukwuma is the older brother of Innocent Chukwuma. He is involved in sports. Gabriel is a chairman of Gabros International Football Club. He helped the club succeed in the Nigerian Premier League. Alexander Chika Okafor founded Chicason Industries. The conglomerate includes A-Z Petroleum. Augustine Ilodibe. He was the first dealer in luxury bus transportation in Nigeria. Mr Ilodibe was the only importer of such buses for a long time. He founded Ekene Dili Chukwu Transport, which had great popularity. Ifeanyi Ubah owns the indigenous Capital Oil and Ifeanyi Uba FC. Louis Onwugbenu (Louis Carter Moore) established Louis Carter Industries. Mr Onwugbenu received his nickname during his weekly trips to Lagos for spare parts selling. His conglomerate owns the Carter Industrial Estate, which occupies many acres area in Nnewi. Obiajulu Uzodike is a founder of Cutix Nigeria. Today, his company is a leading native enterprise in the southeast of Nigeria. Cletus Ibeto is a successful businessman. The Ibeto Group is considered the largest industrial company in the Southeast of Nigeria. He started as an apprentice of an auto spare parts dealer. Then Mr Ibeto started his importing business with acid car batteries in Nigeria. He managed to make a conglomerate. The main fields of his business are hospitality with a large number of hotels, motor items, real estate, mineral oils, agriculture, and banking. In 2018, Ibeto Cement Company Limited was merged with Century Petroleum Corporation.
What of Prince Arthur Eze? currently dubbed the biggest billionaire in Anambra State. He derives a large portion of his wealth from his businesses, investments, and properties. Arthur Eze was born in 1948 and is a native of the state’s Dunukofia Local Government Area’s Ukpo town. He is simply referred to as “Ozoigbondu” and is well-known for it.
Prince Arthur is the founder and CEO of Atlas Oranto Petroleum. His business is thought to be one of Africa’s largest oil block owners. He has also completed various foundation projects in a variety of fields. Arthur Eze is seen as a political god-father in Anambra State politics. It would be impossible to list all of his accomplishments on the political landscape. Prince Arthur Eze is thought to be worth $5.8 billion in dollars and 2,240,134,000,000 in naira. Together with a fleet of vehicles, Arthur Eze also has a falcon plane that he paid more than $30 million for and uses as a private jet.
ABC Orjiakor is a successful businessman and physician from the state of Anambra. With a net worth of $1.2 billion, Orjiakor is considered to be the wealthiest physician in Nigeria.
ABC Orjiakor is an Anambra native who is interested in the oil and gas, real estate, and other industries. He founded and owns SEPLAT, a locally owned oil company in Nigeria. Bryant Orjiakor is a known entrepreneur for his accomplishments in the business sector and the leader of numerous organizations. He has stakes in a number of businesses, including Ordec Group, Zebbra Energy, Shebba Exploration, Neimeth Pharmaceuticals, etc.
Emeka Offor is an Anambra state native and a multibillionaire businessman. He is from Oraifite, which is in the State’s Ekwusigo Local Government Area. Sir Emeka Offor is the originator and director of Chrome group. His Chrome group is a conglomerate that operates in media communications, broadcasting, oil and gas, power, and security. Blaze FM and Kiss FM are present on some of his broadcasting stations.
Emeka Offor also works on building gas pipelines and maintaining refineries. He also makes more money because of his plaza, which is located in the main market in Onitsha. Emeka Offor has a large number of structures and a fleet of vehicles that are dispersed throughout his state and the nation. He is now among the successful businessmen in Anambra state as a result of all of this.
Innocent Chukwuma is among the richest billionaires in Nigeria, if you must rank them by net worth. Naturally, he is also from Anambra state and was born in the town of Nnewi, where the billionaires live. Innocent Chukwuma is the head and Chief Executive Officer of The Innoson Group. His company is renowned for producing high-quality local automobiles. This Nnewi businessman is the founder of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, the country’s first locally owned auto assembly plant (IVM). Innocent Chukwuma owns a wide array of homes and vehicles. Innoson, who keeps a low profile yet is incredibly well-liked, is not well-known to the general public. Ernest Azudialu is a philanthropist, businessman, and investor who is also from Okija in the State of Anambra. He was born on March 17, 1960, and currently serves as the company’s chief executive officer. His company conducts business all over West Africa. He also has interest in oil and gas industry through his company, NESTOIL.
Ernest serves as the executive for Smile Communication Nigeria Ltd and Neconde Energy. The young and promising businessman owns a company called the Obijackson Foundation. However still, he runs a pediatric hospital with a high standard where kids can receive free medical care.
Allen Onyema is the current CEO of Air peace and among the billionaire business men from Anambra State. Allen pursued his education at numerous institutions. He attended the University of Ibadan to study law and received his degree there in 1987. Prior to being admitted to the bar in 1989, he also studied at the Nigerian Law School.
Allen Onyema also owns other companies and properties that are dispersed around the nation and even abroad in addition to Air Peace. He has made a difference in society as a philanthropist. The estimated net worth of Allen Onyema is $800 million.
Dr. Godwin Maduka is a super rich business man and doctor in Anambra State. He is ranked as one of the richest doctors in the country. He is the owner of a well-known hospital in the US. He has advanced both in the field of medicine and in business.Godwin Maduka is a Nigerian doctor working in the United States. He is well-known for his exceptional generosity and devotion to the underprivileged. Maduka is the CEO and Medical Director of Las Vegas Pain Institute, the biggest pain therapy centre in Nevada USA.
Godwin Maduka owns a number of structures, vehicles, and other possessions totaling more than $100,000,000. His Mercedes Benz and Toyota Prado Jeep are valued at 200 million and 500 million euros, respectively. His Rolls-Royce Phanthom is worth $45 million.
Ifeanyi Ubah is a rich billionaire from Nnewi. He enjoys politics, athletics, and is into oil. He serves as the CEO of Capital Oil, a well-known oil firm in Nigeria. The country’s largest petroleum storage facility belongs to the young entrepreneur. He has a sizable business, enjoys sports, and owns the football team FC Ifeanyi Ubah. He also works in the broadcasting industry because he owns Authority FM and Newspaper.
Sir joe Ukeji, popularly known as Ji Ejison is another top rich billionaire in Anmabra who makes this list. He has firms spread across oil and gas, real estate, hospitality, and beverages, He is the franschise owner of bullet drink in Nigeria as well as pure heaven drinks.
Chief Emma Bishop Okonkwo is ichi town billionaire. He is the founder of Ekuro group which deals in beverages, hospitality, Oil and Gas.
Dr Victor Mbanisi is the CEO of Banex group. His company is into oils and gas, real estate and hospitality. He is the owner of banex plaza in Onitsha and Abuja.
Dr Eric Okoye sojourn is the founder of Juhel group with interest in pharmaceuticals. He hails from Agulu.
Chief Charles odunukwe owns the popular joven capel wine. Chief Polycarp Emenike popularly called Odenigbo, is a native of Nanka town. The renowed pharmacy owns Neros pharmaceuticals. Chief Benson Madubuko is the founder of Chico group with activities in building materials, Chief Godwin Okeke founded GUO motors, Mr Ekene Kingsley Okpala of New Age group, HRM Charles Ezeudogu popularly called Charlie Million, Senator Iyom Ekwunife.
Also, on the list, are Dr Chu Okongwu, Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance; Prof. A. B. C. Nwosu, a former Minister of Health; Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria; Ambassador Francis Chuka Nwokedi, first indigenous Nigerian Federal Permanent Secretary; Prince Nwafor Orizu, Acting President of Nigeria (1965–1966); M. C. K. Ajuluchukwu, a foremost Nigerian journalist, anti-colonialist, Igbo leader and First Republic lawmaker; Dr. Dozie Ikedife, a former President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo; Chief D. C. Ubajaka, founder of Izuchukwu Transport Nig. Ltd, L. Amazu, founder of Chidi Ebele Transport Limited and Chief Ebele Okeke; Head of the Federal Civil Service ,Humphrey Obimma, founder, El-NAC International Ltd; the late Chief Mike Ilodibe Ononenyi Nnewi, founder of Ilodibe Motors Ltd; Dr. Emma Okeson, CEO, Citylights West Africa, a prominent lighting company across West Africa, and Joachin N. Okwonko, Co-founder, UBI Group of Companies (Nigeria & Ghana) and Founder/CEO, Nahid’s Properties.
Since then, Nnewi has also become the homeland of founders of some of the major transportation companies in the country. Some of these are Chi Di Ebere Transport Ltd; Ekene Dili Chukwu Nig. Ltd; Ijeoma Motors Nig. Ltd; Ekeson Motors Ltd; Izuchukwu Nig. Ltd; Nsoedo Transport Ltd; Orizu Transport Limited; GUO Transport Limited; Bluebase Transport Solutions; Izu Okaka Anaedo Ltd and UBI Logistics and Transport Ltd.
Nnewi has its own peculiar features. The majority of people who dwell in Nnewi are Christians. One major site predominant in Nnewi is gigantic cathedrals of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. They have good Road Network, the economy booms every day as it experiences robust financial activities, therefore major banks and other financial institutions are located there. Industries dot the city and adjoining towns. Palm oil, cosmetics, motor, and motorcycle spare parts, books, and stationery, textiles, electric cables, and so on are produced in commercial quantity in the area. Nnewi’s cost of Living is affordable and the town is known for people’s Unusual Taste for residential mansions.
-TAYO OYEDIJI
(08111811219)
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