… The story of their rising profile in Nigerian economy
As its alias, the ‘Food Basket of the Nation’ implies, Benue state is traditionally a predominantly agrarian state. With the creation of the state in 1976, however, most income earners outside the farming communities were civil servants, giving rise to its added nomenclature as a Civil Service state. The third in line, outside farming and civil service are the teachers and other professionals, most of whom earn a living working for pay.
Entrepreneurship was virtually alien to Benue state. Before and many years after the creation of the state, you could only count indigenous entrepreneurs on your finger tips, most of them traders. Until the last three decades, the only visible names in this category were Tilley Gyado and sons, Denen Tofi, Madam Naira & Kobo, A. A Adaji and sons, Kyabiz Group. Next to the pioneer entrepreneurs were/are Felix Akiga of Choice Leisure Ltd; Engr. Sylvanus Ghasarah, Chairman of Nigachem Nigeria Ltd; and Chief Raymond Ihyembe, CEO of Gresham Asset Management Ltd. Others are former public officers who retired from or quit public service to settle into business.
Now a new generation of Benue entrepreneurs is emerging. They are young, bold, daring and passionate. Most of them started out with nothing other than their business ideas, knowledge, and experience from previous private sector workplace, passion and determination to succeed. In most cases, capital came along the way. And within a short period many of them have become very successful and are aiming for the sky.
The Top10 magazine has beamed its searchlight on this young and upcoming generation of Benue entrepreneurs and has identified and highlighted some of them here. Curiously, while virtually all the pioneer and established entrepreneurs from the state are from the Tiv-Speaking Benue North-East and Benue North-West Senatorial Districts, the emerging generation is dominated by young men from Benue South. Their stories are quite interesting.
Godwin Oche
Godwin Oche is the Group MD/CEO of Bogo Beverages Limited. He was the Trade Marketing & Distribution Manager at British American Tobacco (BAT) and later joined SABMiller (now ABInBeV) in 2010. He led the commercial team in delivering Hero Lager’s success story as the pioneer District Manager and later became the Sales Director in 2015. In January 2016, as a result of the integration of SABMiller & ABInBev, Oche was made the Regional Director/General Manager of Intafact Beverages Ltd to take full accountability for the entire business at the Onitsha brewery.
In 2017, he became the National Sales Director of all their combined business in Nigeria (International Breweries Plc, Intafact Beverages Ltd, and Pabod Breweries). He consistently championed the growth agenda with massive volume and market share growth that moved the company from number 4 to number 2 in the beer industry in Nigeria. He was also an executive Director on the Board of International Breweries Plc and a Member of the Board of Trustees of Hero Kickstart Foundation. He later joined Monument Distillers as the MD/CEO for Nigeria/West Africa from 2019 to March 2022, a position he held before forming Bogo Beverages Limited.
Bogo Beverage Limited is a young and dynamic total beverage company, with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and growth mindset. The company is specialized in the manufacture, distribution, sales and marketing of beverages ranging from spirits (Whisky, Brandy, Gin, Vodka and Cream Liqueur), Sweet and Dry Wine, Bitter, Energy drinks, aperitifs, juice, and Water. Our desire is to support consumer drinking occasions 24/7 across the year. The Company ambition is to be the best-performing, most trusted and most respected beverage company in Africa.
Oche has a background in Chemical Engineering where he graduated as the best student, He also holds a PGD in Business Administration and an MBA in Marketing from Enugu State University of Science and Technology Business School. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultant (FIMC), a member of the Nigeria Institute of Marketing (MNIM), the Nigeria Institute of Personnel Management (MIPM), and the International Council of management consulting Institute (ICMCI).
Godwin was awarded with an honorary doctorate degree (DBA) by the Swiss School of Business and Management, Geneva, with a doctor of Business Administration.
King Odeh Mohammed Adah
King Odeh Mohammed Adah is the founder and managing director/CEO, Ochacho Real Homes Ltd, the flagship subsidiary of Ochacho Group of companies. He has built a real estate development company that is a top name in housing facilities delivery in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The company is reputed for providing exceptionally high quality real estate developments that package and deliver value to clients. Adah defines his company’s positioning in the Nigeria’s real estate space as top of the range.
“We pride ourselves as leaders in the property development industry, as we offer to our clients properties with competitive as well as affordable pricing”, he said.
He shaped the company to operate with the corporate philosophy of excellence and trust based on the principle of respect for human values. The company faces every project handled and every task assigned with a mindset of pursuit of excellence. The aim always is to deliver high quality and innovative products.
Adah has designed Ochacho Real Homes to create an opportunity for people to invest in the real estate industry with guaranteed outcomes. His company has earned a reputation of reliability that investors in the industry can count on.
The company has project development standards that comply with international benchmarks. These include serene living environments with good road networks, drainages and 24-hour electricity supply. Other facilities include street lights, green spaces and 24-hour armed security.
Access to the company’s high quality products are spread through opportunities to pay for desired properties by installments. With an initial deposit with the company, the balance can be spread as appropriate towards the realisation of one’s dream homes.
Some housing facilities available from Ochacho Real Homes include 3-bed room flats with 1 boys’ quarters. They are offered in serene, secured living environments with good roads, drainages, street lights and 24-hour electricity supply.
The company also offers stand-alone, fully detached duplexes with penthouse of 600 square meters with 5-bedrooms and two boys’ quarters. The finishing cost is all inclusive of infrastructures.
There are also semi-detached duplexes with penthouse of 300 square meters with 4-bedrooms and one boys’ quarters. Finishing cost is all-inclusive of standard infrastructures.
Beyond being a big player in the real estate business in Nigeria, King Adah is also a big time investor in the entertainment industry does. Those who should know informed that while say he does not shy away from empowering young and old, his humility and simple approach to issues have endeared him to many people.
With his net worth estimated at $48 million, Adah’s wealth and business have brought him a lot of exposure. He is equally a philanthropist who gifts cars to people to show his gratitude for them.
However, in spite of his wealth, Adah likes to keep a low profile and focus on what really matters- humanity. His unassuming personality and love for the people has earned him respect from friends on the social scene. Little wonder, people who have been touched by his kindness would always have good things to say about him.
King Adah was born on the 25th of August in Edo state but hails from Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. Through his businesses, he has become one of Nigeria’s most influential men today.
He is married to his wife, Queen Rammatu Odeh Adah, and together, the couple has three children.
Peter Adejoh
Mr. Adejoh, Executive Chairman/CEO of Camey & Rock Platform Holdings, is a highly self-driven entrepreneur with a background in information technology, banking, project management and consulting. He has over 18 years combined cognate experience in commercial and investment banking, project management, insurance and finance.
His company, Camey & Rock Business Consulting Limited, is a diversified Pan-African investment company with focus on investment in financial services, FinTech, financial inclusion and the real sector of the economy. Other companies in his group include: Prime Luxury Address Limited, an exclusive real estate development and investment company; Capitis Thrift & Credit, a diversified, membership-driven collective and contributory credit union and finance platform of Nigerian origin for entrepreneurs and professionals in organizing a pool of private funds for personal and entrepreneurial growth and development; Capitis Trust Microfinance Bank Limited, a financial services institution licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria; Plush Hospitality Limited, owners of Plush Hotels, a luxury focused hotel brand.
Adejoh also serves as a Director on the Board of Resort Mortgage Bank Plc, one of the leading mortgage banks in Nigeria quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He is also the co-founder Marina Admiralty Towers (Hard Rock Hotel) development, Lagos – Nigeria.
Peter holds a B.A. (Hons) in History from Benue State University, Makurdi, and Diploma in Computer Science from the University of Lagos. He is a certified Master Project Manager by the American Academy of Project Management, New York, USA.
Peter began his foray into the corporate world as an intern at Leadway Assurance Plc between 1997 – 1999. He worked as a consultant to the British Council Department for International Development (DFID) on its Community-Based Development (CBD) Programme for Benue State in 2002. Peter has also worked at Socketworks Limited, Lagos, an ICT company supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). He last worked at First City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB) from where he voluntarily exited to venture into private business.
Ever since, Adejoh has been an active and unswerving entrepreneur with a firm belief in Africa. His motivation is fueled by his desire to continuously engage opportunities that will create valuable businesses for the advancement and development of Nigeria and the rest of the continent.
He has attended several trainings and seminars locally and internationally. Adejoh is a Fellow of the American Academy of Project Management (FAAPM) and a member of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce.
He was conferred with the Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Management of the prestigious Universite La Hegj – Benin Republic. He has also received the West Africa Students’ Union (WASU) Most Distinguished Business Personality Award of the Year 2022, in recognition of his contributions to Nation Building.
PHARM. EMMANUEL TYOHEMBA AGBA
Pharmacist Emmanuel Tyohemba Agba is the PCEO of Tyonex Nigeria Limited, a group of registered companies, with operational base throughout Nigeria and Corporate Head Offices in Lagos, Nigeria. Established in September 1997, Tyonex is a member of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Marketing Companies in Nigeria. It is also a member of several trade bodies such as World Trade Organisation (WTO), Nigerian German Trade Delegation and Nigerian Turkish Chamber of Commerce. It has manufacturing plants located in Lagos for both Pharmaceuticals and Neutraceuticals.
Companies under Tyonex Group are:
• Tyonex Healthcare
• Divine Essential Formulations
• Trinity Systems Nigeria Limited
• Tarcuma Nigeria Limited
Pharm. Agba graduated with B. Pharm degree from University of Jos and a Masters of Science degree in Pharm. Tech and Pharmaceutics from the University of Lagos. He has participated in several post graduate Management courses in the United States and the United Kingdom. A member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), IBB Golf Club and Men’s Fellowship, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pharm Agba has been honoured with several awards including Merit Award from the PSN, Alimosho Man of the Year Award, Man of Achievement Award and Award for Philanthropy. Pharm Agba is also a motivational speaker and an industrialist. He is married, and the marriage is blessed with five children.
DR MATHIAS BYUAN
Dr. Mathias Byuan, the chief executive officer of Abuja based company, Byuan Resources Ltd, is another Benue-born entrepreneur making waves on the national level.
Byuan, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC who had aspired to govern his state as governor is a consummate business man with tentacles in many sectors of the economy. His company, Byuan Resources Ltd is a multi-disciplinary consulting organization with special focus on all facets of engineering construction and supplies providing employment to many Nigeria youths.
In aspiring to govern his state, he had promised to create new jobs, revive moribund industries and change the face of the Benue economy believing that is the only thing to take Benue youth off the street and stop the insecurity in the state.
Byuan was no able to realize his aspiration of governing his state in the last general election as he could not scale through his party’s primary election and had since gone back to his love which is business.
Consul Akpakwu Emmanuel Oloja
Consul Akpakwu Emmanuel Oloja, Chairman, Dakinda Group of companies, has vast working experience sprawling the length and breadth of the globe. His illustrious career has been dominantly in the private sector where he has been rendering meritorious service; providing leadership; and contributing to the building of a vibrant and resilient private sector economy.
He is the Chairman and President of a plethora of business conglomerates, including Alliance in Motion (AIM) Global Nigeria, an international multi-level marketing company that originated in the Philippines, and specializes in global marketing of Philippines invented medical and food supplement products that solve health challenges and create wealth. He is also Chairman, Dakinda Group of Companies and other blue chip companies in Nigeria.
He has rendered several consultancy services to government, non-government and international organizations, agencies, parastatals and establishments. He is an avowed philanthropist with several community development services across Nigeria to his credit. He is the recipient of many awards and honours in recognition of his impact and contribution to society.
Akpakwu also has public sector experience; he was actively involved in the amnesty programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He coordinated a contingent of 41 ex-militants of the Nigerian Delta region who accepted the government’s amnesty proposal, for a six-month rehabilitation programme and training in undersea welding at the MFI Consult, Manilla, Philippines.He is an honorary consul of the Republic of the Philippines Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria.
Born on 16th February, 1974, at Ai’Ochechodo, Ugbokolo Ward, Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria, he began his academic voyage at the Army Day Primary School Ogoja, Cross River State, from where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate.
He earned his Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE)bfrom Army Day Secondary School, Chindit Barracks, Zaria, Kaduna State. In pursuit of a higher academic qualification, he proceeded to the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, Benue State, and graduated successfully with a Diploma in Banking and Finance.
He ventured outside the shores of Nigeria and secured admission into the Centre for Computer Engineering and Site Power, Institute of Technology Dubai, UAE. He graduated from the institute with a Diploma in Computer. His insatiable thirst for knowledge propelled him to pursue a degree in Political Science at the National Open University of Nigeria
A man of diverse orientation and excellence, the purpose-driven Emmanuel is adorned with numerous academic honours and membership of learned professional organisations including Membership of the American Centre (Information Resource Centre) US Embassy, Lagos, Nigeria, Fellow; Institute of Professional Managers and Administrators of Nigeria, Fellow; Chartered Institute of Corporate Management and Strategic Planning; Professional Member; African Council for Communication for Education (ACCE Nigeria – Chapter); Member; Nigerian Political Science Association and Member; Association of Nigeria Public Administrators.
Akpakwu has vast working experience sprawling the length and breadth of the globe. His illustrious career has been dominantly in the private sector where he continues to churn out meritorious service; provide leadership; exhibit rare qualities; exert unparalleled managerial acumen; distinguished abilities and contributed immensely to building a vibrant and resilient private sector economy.
He is the Chairman and President of a plethora of business conglomerates, including Alliance in Motion (AIM) Global Nigeria, an international multi-level marketing company that originated in the Philippines, and specializes in global marketing of Philippines invented medical and food supplement products that solves health challenges and create wealth. He is also Chairman, Dakinda Group of Companies and other bule chip companies in Nigeria. He is also the Chairman, President/CEO or Booard Member of the following companies and organizatiins in his portfolio: Ergo Furniture Nigeria Ltd; Ergo Homes & Kitchen; Ojilima Women Foundation; Dakinda Football Club; Ojilima Hospital Aiochechodo – Ugbokolo, Benue State; Space AI Technologies Inc, New York, USA; Wellpatron Farms; Sociabay App; Solution Errands Integrated Limited; and Chairman, Eblocks Architectural Solutions Ltd;
Consul Akpakwu has rendered several consultancy services to government, non-government and international organizations, agencies, parastatal and establishments. He is an avowed philanthropist with several community development services across Nigeria to his credit. He is the recipient of many awards and honours in recognition of his impact and contribution to society.
Akpakwu also has public sector experience; he was actively involved in the amnesty programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He coordinated a contingent of forty-one (41) ex-militants of the Nigerian Delta region who accepted the government’s amnesty proposal, for a six-month rehabilitation programme and training in undersea welding at the MFI Consult, Manilla, Philippines.
He is presently an honorary Consul of the Philippines to Nigeria, and as honorary Consul, he strives to strengthen business ties between the two governments. He uses his office and portfolio to vigorously promote and facilitate business interests between the two nations and their nationals. Akpakwu has continued to play very important role in the Philippines international business network in Nigeria in particular, and Africa in general. He also uses his office to provide support and intervention for nationals of the Philippines Republic in emergency situation.
Chief Dr. Benjamin Omale
Chief Dr. Omale is the Group Managing Director/CEO of EDI-JEN Group of Companies Nigeria Limited which commenced business in 2000. Amongst his subsidiary companies are; Edi-Jen Company Limited, Benmax Integrated Services Limited, Omapet Oil & Gas Limited, Owi-Tech Worldwide Services Limited, Edi-Jen Agro Allied Farms Limited, amongst others. These companies have a combined work force of more than 5,000 workers.
His core business interest is in the petroleum sector.
Chief Dr. Omale, a graduate of Production and Operation Management from the prestigious Kaduna Polytechnic, holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Kaduna State University (KASU).
He is also a graduate in Strategic Leadership from the prestigious Albion College, London Graduate School. He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in Business Administration from Common Wealth University Belize.
He is a fellow of the Business Diplomacy & Financial Management, Institute of African Professional Managers, Institute of Professional Managers and Administrators. A member of Certified Board of Administrators of Nigeria, an Affiliate of Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), and Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (IPMN) amongst others. Chief (Dr.) Benjamin Omale is also an Ambassador for Peace, and a promoter of excellence in our society.
Chief Omale’s philanthropic work and great contributions to human and community development have not only earned him recognition back home in the Idoma Kingdom of Benue State but also in other parts of Nigeria, where his philanthropic footprints are indelible.
He has received well over forty (40) awards both locally and internationally. Notable among the awards are, the Business Person of the Year Award by Leadership Newspaper-2020, the Business Excellence Award by Kaduna State Ministry of Commerce and Industry -2010; International Special Peace Envoy Award by the United Nations – 2010.
Aside from several other traditional titles he has bagged, Chief Omale was recognized in his country home of Idoma Land as their worthy Ambassador, when he was coronated with the title ‘Ohonyeta K’Idoma’ in recognition of his numerous contributions to the development of the Kingdom.
Omale, a technocrat, industrialist, nationalist, and a sport-loving philanthropist, has single- handedly sponsored the annual Tonsjos Football Tournament for more than 15 years. He has also remained consistent in his over two decades of empowering several groups and individuals.
Edoka Idoko
Edoka Idoko, Chief Executive Officer of OjirehPrime, was propelled into reckoning as an entrepreneur by passion and determination to succeed. When he opened the door to his office at Montgomery Street, Yaba, his confident smile and the glint in his eyes did not give away the rough patch he took to building a fintech company that has now raised $1.2 million and is about completing a $21 million Series B funding.
Ojireh Prime, a transparent and customer-focused bank that offers free credit cards as well as easy access to loans and innovative savings products, was built from ground zero. In 2022, the company raised $1.2 million from mostly individual investors who saw potential in the story of the company and were bold to place a bet on the company. Ojireh Prime has now transformed into a fintech company that services thousands of customers and is looking to expand its operations.
The story began in the commodities market where Idoko honed his skill in convincing customers to buy groceries like garri, beans, etc from retailers in the market. After signing up 54 customers who he counted on for frequent sales, Idoko decided to build a website. The site ojireh.com was built on a Samsung tablet with a faulty battery that only lasted 40 minutes no matter how much it was charged.
“We got someone to help us build the site in terms of basic knowledge. He taught me through a two-week process. We used that faulty tablet to build the site. Every time you have to connect the faulty tab to the light, lift the product online, clean the product out, and upload it from the backend. So it was more of an e-commerce site called Ojireh.com and we were focused on groceries,” he recalls, staring into the Apple laptop on the desk in front of him.
The breakthrough to a fintech idea came when the company decided to say “Thank you” to its 54 customers for keeping them afloat for 12 months. At the point of sending out the mail, Idoko was forced to reflect on a data point that showed the customers preferred to make payments using their bank transfers rather than go through the payment gateway the company integrated into the website. According to the customers’ feedback, their preference for transfers was due to fear of exposing their card details to cyber fraud.
The Ojireh team then decided to partner with a payment card processor like Interswitch to provide at least 100 Verve cards to the customers. The initial strategy was to give 54 cards to existing customers and use the remaining as a customer acquisition strategy. The adoption of the cards, however, grew beyond the team’s expectations. From 2018 to 2019, about 40,000 cards from the company were in circulation.
The remarkable twist was that the customers who got the cards did not use them for the purpose it was issued, which was e-commerce. They were rather being used for different purposes including budgetary control, utility payments, and savings. The company also discovered that the biggest demographic group that wanted the cards were young people who wanted to control their spending habits. Because the cards were separate from their bank accounts, they could easily load money they wanted to use for the week on the card. At this point, it became clear to the team behind the e-commerce platform that it was now dealing with two separate industries and neded to streamline its operations. This led to the birth of OjirehPrime Financial Services in early 2019.
But while OjirehPrime was a fintech company, there needed to be a clear understanding of which segment of fintech it was creating solutions for. This was also a period when there were no digital banks to take lessons from in Nigeria. The company ended up modelling itself after a digital bank in the United Kingdom which had a similar story to OjirehPrime. It was during this period that Idoko also found himself homeless.
“One of my fond memories was in 2017 into 2018, while we were at the peak of trying to fine-tune our product, for four-five months I was sleeping outside. I was sleeping on the road. If you know Admiralty Way, I think there is a club there. I took advantage of the fact that it was a busy environment. I will finish work, I am in my suit and my tie looking all corporate, in the night time, I go to the location opposite the road. I pull my suit inside out and wear my trouser inside out, put my bag and my laptop under a tree and I will sleep off,” he recollects.
The business was barely generating enough income to pay its three staff and retain the space where they called their office. The company’s staff members also had different accommodation issues – the difference was they were not sleeping outside like their CEO. Idoko said he never revealed where he was laying his head.
A breakthrough for the company arrived when it completed the acquisition of a microfinance bank, Solid Alliance Microfinance Bank. It was able to achieve this by raising funding from investors who placed a bet on the passionate drive of the company. Apart from a microfinance bank licence that Solid Alliance already acquired, the acquisition doubled the number of users on OjirehPrime from 40,000 to 80,000. The funding also facilitated the launch of the company’s mobile app. The app download hit over 800,000 in 2022.
OjirehPrime is currently headquartered in the UK, a move that the UK government helped to facilitate. Idoko says the decision is primarily to position OjirehPrime for the future. The company’s vision is to build a global banking service for African Gen Zs. It has also seen data that shows Nigeria and Africa would play a pivotal role in the global economy by 2050 as a result of the exploding population growth.
Chief Michael Oglegba
Chief Executive Officer, Techvibes
Techvibes is a technology solutions and transaction services company. It specializes in deploying unique technology to help governments and corporations manage identities, grow internally-generated revenue, enhance transaction integrity, streamline Human Resources (HR) functions, eliminate financial leakages, and achieve process efficiency.
The company has proven competences in software development, database management, biometrics technology, and payment processing. It believes that by partnering with governments and organizations, existing policies pertaining to identity management, revenue collection, expenditure and administration can be supported with an efficient and robust system that leads to economic growth and sustainable development.
Mr. Oglegba, a technology expert, had worked at UPS Nigeria Ltd as head of customer service between 2000 and 2008 before moving over to CHAMS Plc as head of marketing and business development between 2008 and 2011.
“Urbane, methodical and result-driven, Michael is an effective manager of men and resources. He is ever ready to roll up his sleeves and demonstrate hands-on leadership in difficult situations. He is comfortable taking decisions that will move the organisation forward and can be relied upon to deliver balanced results based on objective analysis and pro-active management disposition.
Prince Jacob Momoh
Prince Jacob Aminu Momoh, a renowned Nigerian businessman and Chief Executive Officer of Jamub Group, rose to greatness through a rough path, facilitated by his determination, resilience, creativity and hard work.
Momoh had always nursed the ambition of being an employer of labour. Consequently, after a stint at Setraco and Rooftech as Site Assistant and Marketing Associate, he decided to start his own business. On August 17, 2007 he formef a company with the name Jamub Global Services Limited, which became the pioneer company in the Jamub Group family.
Jamub Global Services was a general contracting company to explore a diversity of business opportunities. Upon successfully assembling the resources to prequalify the company for diverse jobs, he diligently coordinated the business’ development activities of his then small team.
He equally sought strategic collaborations in a bid to augment the company’s capacity to deliver demanding jobs. Fortunately, after several years of operation, the company successfully achieved an impressive portfolio of jobs executed with substantial turnovers through his extraordinary leadership.
In 2012, Momoh decided it was time to diversify the company. He wanted to have different subsidiaries pursue specific businesses with bold presence and footprints in relevant sectors of the economy.
Propelled by his flaring ambition, he began taking steps to register more companies. He did this out of passion, driven by his solution-centered mindset. Then he subsequently began setting up the requisite structures for them to operate seamlessly. Today, Jamub Group boasts of a number of reputable subsidiaries, among them: Jamub Property, Jamub Construction, John-Paul Pharmaceuticals, Jamub Energy, Urban Project Prospects Integrated Services Ltd (UPPISL) and SchoolMe Investment Services Ltd – all of them operating with clear differentiation in terms of their goals and service offerings.
Jamub Property delivers real estate with a blend of class, comfort and affordability. Jamub Constitution provides a durable infrastructure through mastery of complex engineering processes and absolute commitment to total quality management, John-Paul Pharmaceuticals supplies own-brand pharmaceutical products; Jamub Energy produces high-quality products and services and is a player in the oil and gas industry. UPPISL offers project management consultancy services cutting across planning, implementation and evaluation with core competence in the area of project monitoring and evaluation. Thus, the company helps in bridging the gap between project plans and outcomes, thereby helping clients to eliminate waste, achieve accountability and guarantee value for money in diverse projects.
SchoolMe was established to provide educational financing solutions. The company, among other things, assists Nigerian youths to creatively mobilize funds through its educational lottery initiative to finance their educational goals, an initiative which has provided scholarship worth millions of naira to many young Nigerians since its launching in October 2018.
Prince Momoh has continued to pursue a growth agenda for the conglomerate managed on the basis of core values of commitment, responsibility, accountability, integrity, excellence and quality delivery. He has creditably helped the Group break through the most difficult times, standing and scaling through even economic downturns and setbacks experienced in the country. His passion in providing solutions has kept him sailing to success.
A strong advocate of local content, Momoh recently pioneered the local production of Human Disinfection Booth in Nigeria using locally sourced materials put together by indigenous engineers and scientists. The product is an initiative powered by Jamub Energy in response to the need to provide a solution for the Covid-19 pandemic currently ravaging the world.
As a philanthropist with a large heart, he has over the years empowered many young people in various vocations and trades as well as supported many others who had academic dreams but were financially handicapped. He has touched lives directly or indirectly through his wife’s NGO, Experanza Momoh Foundation, from where they reach out to the vulnerable in the society by providing them with basic things of life. The objective is to help reduce the rate of hooliganism and crime in the society. Since inception the foundation has touched 100,000 Nigerians. He has carried these out beyond ethnic and religious boundaries which has made him a 21st-century role model to many.
Prince Momoh is a recipient of several awards for his exceptional managerial and leadership competence as well as for his contribution towards national development. Notable among these is the World Habitat Humanitarian and Philanthropic Award for Corporate Enterprise and Leadership by the World Habitat Foundation, received in 2017.
He was awarded the most innovative and outstanding entrepreneur in Nigeria by the National Association of University Students (NAUS). He is also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria, Institute of Business Diplomacy and Financial Management as well as the Institute of Corporate Administration.
Prince Jacob Momoh has also been recognized by a frontline Civil Society Organisation, Save Humanity Advocacy Centre that has identified with patriotic Nigerians over the years for the presentation of the Certificate of commendation for his contribution to the Nigerian labour market thus far. He holds a BSc (Hon) in criminology and security studies from National Open University and he is PMP certified.
Prince Edwin Ochai
Prince Edwin Ochai, the CEO of Peaches Integrated Services Limited, is best known as the Founder of Agila Carnival and the philanthropic works he has done for the Idoma Nation.
Prince Edwin Ochai was born February 20, 2023 to a Christian family and hails from Agila Town, Ado Local Government, Benue State, where Chief Dan Agbese, the Co-founder of Nigeria’s famous weekly newsmagazine, Newswatch, comes from. He was raised in port-Harcourt by his uncle where he later attended Air Force Primary School, Port-Harcourt. He later got a degree in Political Science from the University of Uyo.
In 2013, angered by the Socio-economic backwardness of his people, Prince Edwin Ochai saw the need to expose his people to investment opportunities and take them away from all indices of underdevelopment.
Therefore, he initiated and sponsored a ground-breaking annual event tagged Agila Social and Economic Carnival where the rich cultural heritage of the people of the Idoma Nation is not only displayed but restored. Prizes of different kind are won by talented youths in a talent hunt tagged The Idoma Got Talent where the first place winner goes home with the sum of N500,000.00. He also sponsored a beauty pageant known as The Face of Idoma to showcase the talent of young ladies and discourage them from anti-social behaviours where brand new KIA RIO and other valuable prizes were donated by his advocate of local unity.
Lawrence Oloche
Lawrence Oloche, a real estate entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of Promiseland Estates, is one of those dictating the pace and direction of estate business in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. He is not only making it big in personal wealth but driving a big vision to move from poverty to prosperity as many Nigerians as are available and willing to play with him in his line of business – 100,000 in the next five years.
Oloche was born as the 9th child of a civil servant in a remote village in Kogi state. His father retired from service when he was 10 years old and life was so challenging that it looked to him as if the whole world had come to an end. He was able to enroll in a Junior Secondary School (JSS) in Lagos only because, at the time, the state had introduced a compulsory secondary education programme. He took advantage of that opportunity to complete college, but due to lack of money to proceed to university, he started to work at the age of 18 as a vehicle conductor, travelling with trucks to pick and offload goods wherever there was need.
But because he realized at that early age that education was the foundation of his future success, Oloche started making plans to go to university. After working for three years, he resigned from work, not to go to school, but to start a logistics business because there was no money to pay school fees. One year into the business he made his first N1.7 million profit from Lagos BRT Lane construction.
Having gotten that breakthrough, the young man enrolled for a part-time degree programme in Marketing at the Lagos State University and graduated five years later in 2013. After his graduation, destiny moved him to real estate business. In 2020, he decided to separate the various investment arms of his business into different entities which led to the birth of Promiseland Estate on February 26, 2020.
Looking back now, the CEO of Promiseland Estate said the journey “has been good… and by the grace of God, to be realistic, it has been very interesting; like I always tell people, real estate is a tool to generate wealth,” he told the Top 10 magazine in an interview.
Having successfully broken into the real estate business, one important decision that Oloche and Promiseland Estate had to make was which of three major areas of business they would play in – luxury, premium housing and affordable housing. Where are they playing?
“You are either a real estate developer, broker, agent, property lawyer, surveyor, valuer and the whole lot.” Oloche decided that Promisedland would play in all the three segments. Right now, “we do development, we do site and service investment, we do land banking. So, the luxury we’re doing which is development is about 10% of what we are doing in Asokoro. We are doing 40 luxury terrace duplexes in Asokoro mainly. Also, we have a mass housing, Bangalow City, the Smart City, Penny City is also part of mass housing we are doing. We have land banking; that one is in Maitama 2, Idu Corridor. These are called land banking because you can’t build there immediately. That means if you invest two million to five million Naira in such locations in the next two years, your two million can become 10 million Naira and your five million can be 20 to 30 million Naira; that is for the land banking.”
Oloche’s company is playing in all the sectors, depending on the client: upper class, middle class and low-income clients. “So promiseland has varieties to choose from. If you want the luxury, we can give you, if you want to do land banking, you can do that in promiseland. If it is mass housing you can afford, we can do that.”
As at….2022, all Promiseland’s projects were in Abuja. All the 12 projects are in Abuja. “We are looking at expanding, we have expansion plan to eight commercially viable locations in Nigeria. We are looking at Lagos, Ibadan, Asaba, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Benin city and Warri. So, we have all of that planned out. Our physical office will be in London by January (2023). We were supposed to have that in November (2022) but because of so many activities, we couldn’t. By January, we will launch our office, physical office, and then, in March, we will open it in the United States of America.”
Promiseland, according to Oloche, has big plans for the future. “In the next five years, (from 2022) we believe we should be in the eight locations that we plan to expand to. In the next five years, we believe we should have pulled more people out of poverty to prosperity. In the next five years, the company would have delivered almost half of its mission statement by providing 100,000 housing units.”
Oloche is married and the marriage is blessed with three Children.
