History
Photos: The First Billionaire In Nigeria’s History
- Most Nigerians might not be aware of this prominent man and his history.
- The first Nigeria Billionaire is an Igbo man
The first Nigeria Billionaire is Louis Odumegwu-Ojukwu. He was born in 1909 and he later died in 1966. He was a Nigerian business tycoon from Nnewi in Anambra State, Nigeria. Louis was the first and founding president of The Nigerian Stock Exchange as well as president of The African Continental Bank.
He was also among the board of directors of most profitable companies in Nigeria then. These companies includes, Shell Oil Nigeria Limited, Guinness Nig. Ltd, Nigerian National Shipping Lines, Nigerian Cement Factory, Nigerian Coal Corporation, Costain West Africa Ltd & many more companies when he was alive.
Louis Ojukwu started his professional career at the Agricultural department before leaving to join John Holt as a tyre sales clerk. During his career at John Holt, he noticed that there’s lack of adequate transportation especially to transport Eastern textile traders.
He later left John Holt to create a transport company to improve the trading environment for Nigerian traders. It was said that his transportation company was a main source of his maximum wealth as of then.
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Throughout the era of the World War and after, the Ojukwu trucks carried goods and raked in income for their owner. At a point, the British had their supplies for the war moved by Louis’s trucks- a service for which Louis was later rewarded; years later, he was conferred with an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II.
Louis Odumegwu-Ojukwu is the father of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu who’s the founder of the old secessionist state of Biafra. After the death of Louis Odumegwu-Ojukwu in 1966, the Nigeria civil war began due to biafran’s fight for freedom. The civil war was led by his son Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Before the time of his death in 1966, Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu’s wealth was worth $4 billion by the current value. That makes him the first billionaire in Nigeria.
Here are some photos of the legendary Ojukwu:
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