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  Uchechukwu S. Ogah was born on the 22nd of December 1969 to Chief Wilson and Ezinne Pauline Ogah of Onuaku Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State. He is the current Nigerian Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development. An oil magnate, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, Ogah is the President of Master Energy Group, a conglomerate with over 15 subsidiaries and interests across a variety of industries. Ogah holds the Nigerian national honour, the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). He was nominated for a ministerial appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari and was later appointed as Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.
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Early life and education Ogah attended Ishiagu High School, after which he worked at West African Examination Council (WAEC) from 1986–89 before he proceeded to the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu State where he obtained Upper Credit at Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in 1992 and Distinction at the Higher National Diploma (HND) Level in 1995 in Accounting. He also attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) where he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in 2005. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree (Banking and Finance) from Ogun State University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Lagos. Ogah obtained his ACA in 2007. He is a Fellow, of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Philanthropy In December 2001, Ogah established Uche Ogah Foundation which aims to provide empowerment, poverty alleviation, and providing education for the less privileged. He had sponsored free medical services in different parts of Nigeria, in addition to building and equipping a number of modern hospitals in his native community, Uturu and other communities in Nigeria. He also partnered with a number of medical centres, including the Hopeville Rehabilitation Centre, to fabricate artificial limbs and callipers for people with a disability. Ministerial appointment Prior to his appointment as a Minister of the federal republic of Nigeria, Ogah worked as a banker with the Zenith Bank, where he resigned after becoming an Assistant General Manager of Zenith Bank PLC for under ten years. He also has an oil and gas company, which he built into a major oil marketing firm within the space of 10 years. Ogah was nominated for ministerial appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 23, 2019, along with 42 other nominees. During his senatorial screening on July 24, he narrated his plans on how to work on Nigerian refineries as well as his plans for the Nigerian currency rate. Ogah was confirmed for ministerial appointment by the Senate on July 30 and on August 21, 2019, was confirmed and sworn in as the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development.
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Awards and Nominations Some of Uchechukwu Ogah’s awards and nominations include:
  • Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by the Federal Govt. of Nigeria
  • Pride of Abia by Hallmark Newspaper Ltd.
  • 2013 Nigerian – American Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Entrepreneur by Nigerian – American Chamber of Commerce
  • Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration by Abia State University 
  • Oke Oji Abia by Abia State Government
  • Ambassador and Member of the Governing Council of the Nigeria-Turkey Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  • Ikenga Award for Excellence on Entrepreneurship by Ikenga Award for Excellence Foundation
  • Africa Peace Award by Global Achievers Media Ltd.
  • Ambassador of Peace, UN-POLAC
  • Distinguished Award for Excellence for Philanthropic and Developmental Projects by Salvage Africa
  • Effective Leadership Award by Global Youths Awareness & Devt. Initiative (GYADI)
  • Episcopal Award for Faith Motivation by Bishop Isikwuato/Umunneochi, Anglican
  • An Icon of Empowerment by National Association of Southern Nigeria Students
  • Igbo Icon Award by Nat. Assoc. of Igbo Students, LASU
  • Entrepreneurship Promoter of the Year by Entrepreneurship Promotions Academy
  • Corporate Excellence Award for Accomplishments in Private Sector Devt by Institute of Mgt. & Tech. , Enugu, (Aba Chapter)
  • Anya Na Eche Ibe by Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos State
  • Humanitarian Service Award by Rotaract District 9130 Nigeria
  • Diamond Father of the Year, 2012 by Catholic Men’s Organisation, Masters Dei Cathedral Parish, Umuahia.
  References Infoguideafrica.com/ wikipedia.org/ Featured image: Statesman Nigeria
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This article was first published on 7th February 2022

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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