Welcome to MJVAFRICA network.......Meet The Rich Igbo Businessman Whose Rolls Royce Was Used To Carry Queen Elizabeth In 1956 Nunanaa Jun 24, 2020 3:48 PM Opera News Nigeria Only for Opera News fans. Follow Sir Louis Ojukwu was a great man. He accomplished and amassed so much wealth during his lifetime despite coming from a poor background. According to his biography, Sir Ojukwu went to lagos with nothing in 1929 at the age 20 but his life and personality was totally different 10 years later as he was already managing his own serial chains of businesses which includes; Ojukwu Stores, Ojukwu textiles and Ojukwu transportation company. Louis Philip Odumegwu Ojukwu was born in Nnewi in 1909, into the Ojukwu family of Nwakanwa quarters Obiuno Umudim in present day Anambra State. He was the only boy and second of four children, Sir Ojukwu went to 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 he travelled to Lagos with literally empty pockets. By 1950, Sir Louis Ojukwu's transportation company had over 200 trucks in its fleet. How did he do it? Sir Louis secured a job as a tyre sales clark with John Holt lagos in 1929. While working as a tyre clarke, he noticed that many Igbo traders who came all the way from the east to buy tyres in lagos 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 a driver in other to move his goods especially textile to the East by himself, this was how 'Ojukwu transport company' was born as he began to purchase more vehicles to transport people and services from Lagos to Anambra and other parts of the country. Sir Ojukwu worked tirelessly and by end of the 1930's, was the major transporter on the East-West Road. Late Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu [right] picture with Nigeria's first president, Nnamdi Azikiwe Sir Louis was also a financial pillar of Ziks NCNC party and when the party clinched power in 1960, Sir Louis was offered the position of Finance Minister which he turned down, the position ultimately went to Okotie-Eboh. In 1939, on the outbreak of world war II, the British Government requested to use some of Sir Ojukwus fleet of trucks for the War efforts to which he agreed. When the war ended in 1945, the British Goverment recognised the sacrifice he made and awarded him Knight of the British Empire(KBE). The end of the war also created a high demand for raw materials from West Africa and Sir Ojukwus Transport business exploded sky high and he diversified into other businesses. He was so Rich he did not need official papers to visit Britain and other Commonwealth countries. Sir Ojukwu's Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith LWB was used to chauffeur Queen Elizabeth II during her 1956 visit to Nigeria. According to Forbes Africa, Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, who founded the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), was the first Billionaire in Nigeria. Some Historians say he practically owned Victoria Garden, Lagos. Because of the numerous properties he had there, others say he would have been more popular than he is today. But the popularity of his son Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Biafran warlord, Nigerian military governor and President of the defunct secessionist state of Biafra may have overshadowed the prevalence of his name and legacy in contemporary history. Sir Louis died in Nkalagu, present day Ebonyi state, in 1966. Some of Sir Louis Ojukwu's early drivers such as Chief Ilodibe (Ekene Dili Chukwu) and Chief Izuchukwu (Izuchukwu Transport) took up the hustling spirit and would later become "Prominent Transport Moguls" themselves and evidences of their legacies remain till today. Some of Sir Ojukwu's key achievements include; - The first President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. - President, African Continental Bank - Chairman, Nigerian cement company (NIGERCEM) - CEO, Ojukwu Transport company...over 5000 fleet of trucks. - Chairman, Nigerian National Shipping Line...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 14/- Director, Shell D'Arcy Petroleum - Director, Thomas Wyatt & Son - Director, Nigerian Coal corporation - Director, Guiness 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 US Dollars in today's money. Summarily, It is not a coincidence that his town, Nnewi, has the highest number of Billionaires in Nigeria today. You can clearly see the effect of wealth distribution. He inspired many of those Billionaires from Nnewi and beyond. His life story would also inspire anyone struggling to achieve their goals in life so... Comment, Like, Share and follow this page for more interesting updates. From Opera News Hub The views expressed in this article are the writer's, they do not reflect the views of Opera News. Please report any fake news or defamatory statements to feedback-newshub@operanewshub.com Report a problem likelaugh 10 dislike dislike Open in Opera News to see all hot comments RecordsoundEmptunesBlusky·1h 1 Reply they keep fighting Igbo's and they keep seeing themselves as lazy fools fighting Igbo's GUEST_lxvqN3d7e·1h 1 Reply yet England contributed and destroyed IGBOS lives this is how England paid us back. May God Almighty help and establish Biafra so England will see that they are not God and there's God NnekaOkonkwo-ukekwe·4h 1 Reply Quite an intimidating résumé GUEST_lYLWpd7Zw·15min Reply He wasn't a crude businessman hence he got to the enviable status. I advice Nigeria businessmen to emulate this wise man.