10 Richest Igbo Business Men Alive

When people think of Igbo wealthy men, it’s easy to mistake the king of nightlife, Obi Cubana as one of the richest men from the easter part of the country but we need to realize the Igbo kindred have raised billionaires in dollars that the likes of Obi Cubana, E-money and more would only envisage and work hard to hit the milestones these men have hit silently.

Not to undermine Obi Cubana’s fortune. I mean, his mother’s burial late last year was the talk of the town among the old and young, rich & poor, male & females including all over social media. It was a party attended by the big boys of the Nigerian entertainment industry, politicians, to mention a few. Oba, a very quiet village in Anambra was shaken to its foundation as visitors and well-wishers – friends of Obi Cubana stormed the village in their numbers. Some of these were veteran Kanayo O. Kanayo, former Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike, billionaire friends like Cubana Chief Priest, Ned Nwoko, E-Money, Musicians D’Banj, Phyno, Davido, politician & Owner of Quilox club Shina Peller and C.EO of Nairabet, Akin Alabi.

The show of wealth which spearheaded various activities that took place was the headline of the event. From the 30M naira casket, over 400 cows donated by friends, the $100,000 diamond pendant, 67 private jets that landed Oba to the fleet of over 500 luxury cars on display, private jets queuing up to take space in the tiny Anambra local airport and more display of wealth. The event was filled with lots of grandeur such that even ‘the dead’ in Oba felt the ripple effect of wealth on display.

If Obi Cubana, the self-acclaimed king of ‘Doings’ could pull this off, let’s imagine what the extremely rich igbo men would do with money. below is a list of the top 10 richest Igbo men alive as at January 2022

Leo Stan Ekeh’s net worth is estimated to be $1 billion.

Leonard Stanley Nnamdi Ekeh, often known as ‘Leo Stan,’ was born in Ubomiri Mbaitoli LGA, Imo State, on February 22, 1956. He is the founder and chairman of the Zinox Group, as well as Konga.com’s chairman.

Leo Stan Ekeh is credited with founding several firms, including Technology Distribution Limited, Task Systems Limited, Zinox Technologies, Buyright Africa Dotcom Limited, Task Direct Limited, ITEC Solutions, and others. He is well-known as the founder of Zinox Technologies Limited, a successful company. In 2001, he founded Zinox, which became West Africa’s first internationally accredited branded computer OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). Zinox is also the first computer hardware manufacturing company and ICT integration company in Nigeria to receive Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certification, as well as the first computer hardware manufacturing company and ICT integration company in Nigeria to receive ISO 9001-2000 certification.

On February 5, 2018, the Zinox group acquired 99 percent of Konga and completed the takeover of the e-commerce behemoth. Konga.com, KongaPay, and KOS-Express were acquired by Zinox. Because of their interest in the e-commerce company, Zinox purchased Konga.com. The e-business is estimated to be worth $34 million. Konga and Zinox’s retail arm, Yudala, amalgamated on May 1, 2018, to establish Africa’s largest e-commerce and retail enterprise. They kept the Konga brand name.

Leo Stan Ekeh earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Punjab University in India. At Nottingham University in England, he completed a masters degree program in risk management.

Leo Stan Ekeh is married to Chioma Ekeh and has five children together.

Pascal Dozie has a net worth of about $1.1 billion dollars.

Pascal Gabriel Dozie was born in the town of Egbu in Owerri, Imo State, in the year 1939. He holds an economics degree from City University in the United Kingdom. After that, he worked for the National Economic Development Office in an official capacity. Pascal returned to Nigeria in 1972 after serving in several government positions abroad. He founded African Development Consulting Group Limited. From 1991 through 2006, he was the CEO of Diamond Bank, which he created.

Dozie also served as the President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange for a period. He presently holds MTN Group shares and served as Chairman of the firm before being succeeded by Ernest Ndukwe, the former NCC chairman.

He has received numerous honors, including the National Award of the Order of the Niger (OON), Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), and the AABLA (All Africa Business Leader Award)-Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

Cosmas Maduka has a net worth of over $1 billion dollars.

Cosmas Maduka, the CEO of the Coscharis Group of Companies, was born into an Igbo family in Nnewi, Anambra state, on December 24, 1958. His journey was one of ‘Grass to Grace,’ as he was not born with a silver spoon. Maduka started his business when he was six years old, two years after his father died. To help support his mother, he dropped out of primary school and began selling Akara, a traditional Nigerian bean-based dish.

The Nigerian government chose Coscharis as one of 10 motor businesses to receive an import license in 1982. Maduka’s entrepreneurial path came to a halt at this point. The Coscharis Group is now a $500 million conglomerate with subsidiaries in the manufacturing, information technology, petrochemical, auto care and auto components, automobile sales and services, and agriculture and allied business sectors. Coscharis Motors is also a major distributor of luxury automotive brands such as Range Rover, Ford, and Jaguar.

Coscharis Motors became the sole distributor of BMW in Nigeria in 2015, and the first firm to develop a Ford Ranger assembly plant in the country. Anambra State granted 5000 hectares of land for Coscharis Farms to farm rice in 2016, with the project expected to provide 3000 jobs once completed. Top 50 Brands Nigeria has named the Coscharis Group as one of Nigeria’s top 50 brands. Cosmas Maduka is a member of the board of directors of a number of notable corporations and organizations. He worked at Access Bank Plc as a Director.

In an exclusive interview for Forbes Africa TV Series “My Worst Day with Peace Hyde,” Cosmos Maduka was featured on the cover of Forbes Africa in 2015 as the man who transformed $0 into $500 million. In the same year, Coscharis was named Auto Brand of the Year at the Marketing World Awards in Ghana.

Cosmas Maduka was awarded an honorary doctorate in business administration (PhD) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 2003. After completing an Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School, he was inducted as a Harvard Business School Alumni in 2012. Cosmos Maduka was one of the few people awarded the National Honours of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012.

Tony Elumelu’s net worth is estimated to be $1.2 billion.

Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu is a Nigerian economist, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was born on March 22, 1963, in Jos, Nigeria’s Plateau, to Deltan parents. He is the founder and chairman of Heirs Holdings, the company that owns and operates the Tony Elumelu Foundation. Tony also serves as chairman of the UBA Group. Mr. Elumelu is also a real estate, finance, energy, agriculture, and health investor.

Tony Elumelu graduated from Ambrose Alli University and the University of Lagos with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics, respectively.

In 1997, he rose to prominence after leading a small group of investors to take over a struggling commercial bank in Lagos. He developed this bank into a viable company in a few years, merging it with UBA to establish UBA Group.

Tony also has a majority stake in Transcorp, a Nigerian conglomerate with holdings in hospitality, agribusiness, oil production, and power generating.

Several Nigerian honors have been bestowed upon him in recognition of his commercial acumen. In a Forbes article from a few years ago, his name was listed among the top 20 most powerful Africans.

Tony Elumelu was made a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic in 2003. (MFR). In 2012, he was given the honorary title of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). He’s also been honored on a national and international level for his leadership, charity activities, and business achievement.

ABC Orjiakor’s net worth is estimated to be $1.7 billion.

SEPLAT Petroleum Development’s CEO and co-founder is Dr. Bryant (ABC) Orjiako. SEPLAT is a significant Nigerian independent oil and gas firm with a strategic focus in the Niger Delta. It is traded on the London and Nigerian stock exchanges. He is thought to be the proprietor of Neimeth Pharmaceutical International Plc, which has assets in health, oil and gas, shipping, banking, and real estate.

SEPLAT was the first company to issue its shares on both the Nigerian and London stock markets in 2014. SEPLAT received the Best Africa Listing 2014 award from Africa Investors (Ai), the Oil and Gas Council’s “Mid-Cap Company of the Year 2014” award, and was named a “Global Growth Company 2014” by the World Economic Forum in 2014.

ABC Orjiakor was born on October 1, 1960, in Lagos, Nigeria, to the family of Daniel Orjiako, a native of Uli, Anambra State. In 1985, he earned his M.B.B.Ch. from the University of Calabar’s College of Medical Sciences, and he completed his training as a general surgeon at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Lagos. In 1996, he became a fellow of the West African College of Surgeons after subspecializing in orthopaedic and trauma surgery. He graduated from Harvard Business School’s OPM program in 2006.

He has received numerous honors, including the Platinum Award of the West African College of Surgeons in 2006; National Honours as an Officer of the Federal Republic (“OFR”), bestowed on him by the President of Nigeria in 2012; the prestigious Zik (Nnamdi Azikiwe) Prize in the Professional Leadership category by the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC); and African Business Executive of the Year 2014 by the Oil and Gas Council.

Ifeanyi Ubah has a net worth of $1.7 billion dollars.

Ifeanyi Ubah is a Nigerian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and humanitarian. He is also a senator in the Nigerian Senate, representing the Anambra South Senatorial District. Ifeanyi Ubah was born in Nnewi, Anambra State, on September 3, 1971.

He is the CEO of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, which is one of Nigeria’s most important downstream oil and gas companies. In 2001, he created the company. He is the founder of the Authority Newspaper as well.

Ifeanyi Ubah is also the owner of the Nigerian football club Ifeanyi Ubah F.C.

He is married to Uchenna Ubah and has five children with her.

Benedict Peters has a net worth of about $2.7 billion dollars.

Benedict Peters, a businessman from the Southeast, is another millionaire on the rise. He is the founder and CEO of the Aiteo Group, a corporation that specializes in the energy and gas industry and is regarded as Nigeria’s largest indigenous oil producer. Oil Mining Lease 29 (OML) and the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) in the Eastern Niger Delta are said to be owned by the Aiteo Group. In February 2008, Peters created the Aiteo group (Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company Limited). One of Nigeria’s largest petroleum tank farms is owned by the corporation. Benedict Peters graduated from the University of Benin with a degree in Geography and Urban Planning. According to Ventures Africa, he is Africa’s 17th richest person and Nigeria’s 7th richest.

He was born in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on December 5, 1966, while his parents are from Delta State. Benedict Peters is a proud husband and father; he and his wife, Mrs. Ella Peters, have four happy children.

Emeka Offor has an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion dollars.

Emeka Offor was born on February 10, 1957, in Kafachan, Kaduna, Nigeria, to Mr. and Mrs. Benneth Offor. He is from Irefi Oraifite in Anambra State, Nigeria’s Ekwusigo LGA.

The Chrome Group’s Chairman is Emeka Offor. He is a Nigerian businessman, philanthropist, and oil tycoon.

He found a new line of work in Delta with Rivways Lines Nigeria Ltd, a company that imports bitumen products. He met his mentor Pa Abadi while working for Rivways Lines, who advised him to learn the principles of the industry. Emeka began purchasing and distributing bitumen to small businesses with the support of Pa Abadi. Emeka Offor began supplying bitumen to larger companies including Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd, Guffanti Nigeria Ltd, and Fougerolle Nigeria Ltd in just two years.

“To help those in need become independent and self-sufficient,” he founded the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF).

Cletus Ibeto’s net worth is estimated to be above $3.8 billion.

Cletus Ibeto is a Nigerian philanthropist, entrepreneur, and maker. He is the founder and Chairman of The IBETO Group, which is referred to as Nigeria’s largest automobile spare parts manufacturer and the largest conglomerate in the Eastern region of the country. Real estate, banking and finance, cement manufacture, automobile coupling, petrochemicals, and other businesses are all part of the company’s portfolio. The IBETO Group is one of them. Union Autoparts Manufacturing Co. Ltd, Ibeto Petrochemical Industries Ltd, Ibeto Cement Company Ltd, Kings’s Palace Hotels Ltd, Ibeto Energy Development Ltd, Palmex Agencies Ltd, and Ibeto Hotels Ltd are some of the enterprises that make up the IBETO GROUP.

Cletus Ibeto was born in the city of Nnewi, Anambra State, on November 6, 1952. Ibeto, who never received a decent formal education when he was younger, sat for his WASSCE when he was 48 years old. At the age of 54, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He was later awarded a Doctor of Business Administration degree from the same institution.

In 2008, the Federal Republic of Nigeria awarded Ibeto the national honor of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) for his excellent achievements to the country through his manufacturing business. For his continuous great service to the country, he was bestowed the Honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2012. In 2017, he was named one of Forbes’ Most Prominent Naira Billionaires from Nnewi.

Arthur Eze has a net worth of over $5.8 billion dollars.

Arthur Eze is the richest Igbo businessman alive, with a net worth of about $5.8 billion dollars. He is the current Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Oranto Petroleum, as well as a philanthropist and politician. He was born in Ukp, Dunukofia LGA, Anambra State, on November 27, 1948. Arthur Eze is also a Prince from a royal family with a long history. Arthur Eze’s elder brother is the King of Ukpo Village, and his traditional title is ‘Ozoigbondu’ of Ndi Igbo.

Arthur Eze created Atlas Oranto Petroleum in 1991. Currently, the corporation holds 22 oil and gas licenses in 12 African countries. It owns properties in Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and many Atlas Oranto-controlled blocks. The business now holds the most oil exploration and production blocks in Africa.

Arthur Eze owns a Falcon jet that he purchased in 2015. Aside from that, the actual business mogul claims a pricey Bombardier stream worth a whopping $25 million.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan bestowed the honorary title of ‘Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR)’ on him in 2011 in recognition of his contributions to the nation’s economic progress and humanitarian gestures to the Nigerian people. In 2015, the Rotary District 9142 of Enugu City Centre recognized him “Outstanding Citizen of the World.” In 2018, he was awarded the coveted Zik Leadership Honors in the business category by the prestigious Zik Prize in leadership awards.