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  Born Louis Philip Odumegwu Ojukwu in Nnewi, Anambra state in 1909 as the only boy and second of four children. Sir Ojukwu attended Government Primary School, Asaba. In 1922, he proceeded to the only secondary School in the Eastern region at the time, Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar. After completing his secondary School education in 1928. Sir Louis secured a job as a tyre sales clerk with John Holt Lagos in 1929. It was working as a tyre clark the Sir Louis Ojukwu noticed that many Igbo traders who came to Lagos to buy tyres also bought textiles as well. With his meagre saving, Sir Louis travelled down to Onitsha where he opened his first business venture called “Ojukwu stores” and employed one of his relatives to oversee it. He then returned to Lagos and started sending down textiles on lorries to his shop while still working for John Holt. Sir Louise’s textile boomed.
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Though little is said about this great achiever who accomplished and made so much wealth before he died. All without Oil, Sir Louis Ojukwu, according to Forbes Africa, founded the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), and is considered as the first Billionaire in Nigeria. He was so rich he did not need official papers to visit Britain. Ojukwu: From Little to Billions Sir Ojukwu went to Lagos with nothing in 1929 aged just 20 but 10 years later, he was already managing his own chain of businesses which included, Ojukwu Stores, Ojukwu textiles and Ojukwu transportation company. By 1930, Louis bought a second hand truck and employed a driver in other move his goods himself and ‘Ojukwu transport company’ was born. Sir Ojukwu worked tirelessly and by end of the 1930’s, was the major transporter on the East-West Road.  In 1939, on the outbreak of world war 2, the British Government requested the use of Sir Ojukwu’s fleet of trucks for the War effort to which he agreed to. When the war ended in 1945, the British Government recognised the sacrifice he made and he was awarded a KBE (Knight of the British Empire). By 1950, Ojukwu Transportation company had over 200 trucks in its fleet. He achieved this by capitalising on the high demand for raw materials from West Africa created at the end of the war and as a result of same. While the transport business exploded, he diversified into other businesses. As at 1956, Sir Ojukwu had a Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith LWB which was used to chauffeur Queen Elizabeth during her 1956 visit. It is said that he practically owned Victoria Garden, Lagos.
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Ojukwu: Distributor of Wealth; Discipler of the Wealthy Sir Louis was a financial pillar of Nnamdi Azikiwe‘s NCNC party and when the party came to power in 1960, Sir Louis was offered the position of Finance Minister which he turned down, the position ultimately went to Festus Okotie-Eboh. Sir Louis died in Nkalagu, present day Ebonyi State, in 1966. Some of Sir Ojukwu’s early drivers such as Chief Micheal Ilodibe (Founders of Ekene Dili Chukwu Motors) and Chief Izuchukwu (Founders of Izuchukwu Transport) would later become transport moguls themselves, continuing the Igbo wealth creation. Some of his key achievements includes: – The first President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. – President, African Continental Bank – Chairman, Nigerian cement company (NIGERCEM) – CEO, Ojukwu Transport company, with over 5000 fleet of trucks. – Chairman, Nigerian National Shipping Line, with over 100 ships and vessels. – Chairman, Lion Of Africa Insurance Company – Chairman, BISCO Nigeria Limited Cool Chairman, Nigerian Industrial Development Bank. Founded to specifically give loans to industries. – Vice President, lagos Chamber Of Commerce – Chairman, Palmline Shipping company – Chairman, Nigerian Produce Marketing board – Director, Shell D’Arcy Petroleum – Director, Thomas Wyatt & Son – Director, Nigerian Coal corporation – Director, Guinness Nigeria Limited – Director, Nigerian Tobacco Company – Director, Daily Times of Nigeria Sir Louis Ojukwu also owned numerous building, landed properties and stocks. It is estimated that as at the time he died in 1966, he was worth about 40 Billion Dollars in today’s equivalence. Reference  Wikipedia Nairaland Featured image source: OBLONG Media
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This article was first published on 18th February 2022 and updated on February 19th, 2022 at 10:41 pm

jeremiah

Jeremiah is a scholar and a poet. He has a keen eye for studying the world and is passionate about people. He tweets at @jeremiahaluwong.

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