Ifeanyi Ubah: Celebrating a Philanthropist at 45

By Happiness O. Ezewulu

Anambra State is one of the leading states in Nigeria in the political and economy sectors. There is no way the political and economic history of Nigeria will be written without reckoning with the contributions of indigenes of Anambra State, who contributed immensely to the development of the Nigerian economy and polity.

Among the indigenes of Anambra State, one man who has distinguished himself in different sectors is Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, who hailed from Umuanuka village in Otolo town of Nnewi, the highly industrialised and commercialized city of Anambra State. 

Ubah, an oil and gas magnet has proved to the world that he is a successful businessman,

politician, philanthropist, sports ambassador and respected community leader. He has contributed immensely to the progress and development of Anambra State more than many of those parading themselves as leaders in the Light of the Nation State.

Looking at Ubah’s track records and antecedents in politics, business, sports and other spheres of life, Ubah, who clocked 45 in September 3, has proved beyond reasonable doubt by God’s grace that he is a diligent and committed man, who can be trusted and rely on in private and public sectors.

Ubah, who is majorly into oil and gas, farming and importation business, has touched many lives Nigeria and in especially in Anambra State by giving hope to many people through selfless service, direct employment and empowerment programmes. Today, there are thousands of Anambra indigenes benefiting directly or indirectly from Ubah’s several companies and infrastructures within and outside Anambra State.

Ubah influenced the locating of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega filling stations at Onitsha and Nnewi, and he also supplies these stations to avoid fuel scarcity in the state. Aside the NNPC mega filling stations, Ubah has over 20 filling stations in Anambra State either as Capital Oil or under other people’s platform. In Nnnewi Local Government Area, where he hails from, he has six filling stations, which make him the highest filling station owner in the local government area. The oil and gas magnate also use the filling stations as a means of sustaining Anambra State economy and to make sure that fuel is not scarce in the State. 

Ubah, the Proprietor of FC Ifeanyi Ubah, as part of his contribution to the sport sector and youth empowerment is presently putting up a $400million Games Village in Anambra State, where future footballers will be groomed. There is doubt that Anambra State through the game village would contributed greatly to the development of sports in Nigeria. The multimillion dollar game village is expected to contribute about 60 per cent of Nigerian athletes in the next Olympics, to avoid a re-occurrence of the disgraceful result at the just concluded Rio Olympics in Brazil

The games village is not just about football, other varieties of sports would also be put in place inside the village, and through the games village Ubah would creates about 5,000 employments, thus helping to empower Anambra people.

Ubah through his philanthropy gesture has given scholarship to thousands of deserving students from primary to secondary schools; giving many students the opportunity to acquire qualitative education their parents and guardians cannot gave them.

Politically, Ubah who contested last governorship election in Anambra State on the platform of Labour Party and the Coordinator of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) during the 2015 general elections has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is a heavy weight in Nigeria politics. Prior to the last Anambra gubernatorial election, Ubah because of his passion for Ndi Anambra declared his interest to govern the Light of the Nation State with a strong passion to use public office and government to touch many lives more than what he did while in private sector. But while many people saw the election as do or die, Ubah did not see it as do or die base on his strong conviction that Abraham Lincoln, the former President of United States failed three times to become American President, but eventually won the fourth time and became the best President America has had till date. Though he may not have won the governorship, but there are several proofs that he had touched the life of Anambra people during and after the gubernatorial election more than many former governors and public office holders in the state.  

As the coordinator of TAN during last year general elections, Ubah contributed immensely to the Goodluck Joanthan/Namadi Sambo and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign by traversing the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to sell the candidature of Jonathan. Though Jonathan and PDP lost at the federal level and many states they were controlling then to the All Progressives Congress (APC), PDP was able to have a good outing in Lagos State, where the opposition party break a record by winning five House of Representatives and eight House of Assembly seats. Apart from the PDP leaders and electorates, who made the achievement a reality, Ubah also contributed to PDP’s success through TAN by assisting the party’s candidates with finance.

Ubah, the business mogul has succeeded where many people failed. The chief executive officer and Managing Director, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, without any iota of doubt has distinguished himself in business. Today, he steers the ship of some companies and sits on the boards of several leading companies, who are doing great in the business world within and outside the shores of Nigeria. Through hard work, commitment, perseverance and visionary leadership, Ubah in the last 13 years has taken Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited to an enviable position in the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

Family wise, Ubah is an example of a good husband and wife having been able to sustain his 19 years marriage with Uchenna. Unlike marriages of many politicians and business man, which are facing serious storm due to lack of love, respect and trust, Ubah’s marriage is intact till date. He recently wrote a love letter full of praises to celebrate his wife’s birthday on May 12. The latter went viral on social media, showing the deep relationship between the two lover birds.

Considering his qualities, wealth of experience and philanthropy gestures, there is gathering storm from different quarters that Ubah should take a short at the Anambra State governorship election.

Though Ubah has not publicly declared to take part in the forthcoming governorship election, many people are calling on Ubah to declare for the governorship seat. Some of the school of thought who believe in Ubah, believe that the business mogul can use his wealth of experience,  business network and philanthropy gestures to transform the fortune of Anambra State if given the opportunity to be the next occupier of the Amawbia Governors Lodge.  

Ifeanyi Ubah was born on September 3, 1971, to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Alphonsus Ubah of Umuanuka village in Otolo town of, Nnewi in Anambra State. He attended Okongwu Memorial Grammar School, (OMGS), Nnewi and later enrolled in the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA, an Ivy League Institution.

Ubah, who is passionate to succeed and being a leading light among his contemporaries, became an apprentice at the age of 18. Having gained enough knowledge and training from his principal, young Ifeanyi regained his freedom and later established his own business.

Today, he is a business tycoon and founder of a network of successful business enterprises. 

Ubah became a millionaire at 19 years old, having made his first one million naira at that age. He traded in tyre which he exported from Nigeria to Ghana and his business interests then also included supplies of auto spare parts to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

His achievement in Congo led to his recognition as the President of the Nigerian Community in DRC at a very young age. While leading the Nigerian Community in Congo, Ubah was saddled with the responsibilities of providing food and housing for Nigerian refugees who fled the neighbouring Congo Brazzaville due to political crises and instability that befell the country. He later established strong presence in Belgium, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, United Kingdom and other countries. 

Having distinguished himself in several businesses, Ubah some years ago ventured into oil and gas industry. He floated Capital Oil and established a business relationship with Ibeto Petrochemical Nigeria Limited. Today, Capital Oil is one of the leading voices in the oil and gas sector, not only in Nigeria but other country in Africa.

Despite all odds, Ubah has achieved immeasurable success in business and he has contributed immensely to the development of the Nigerian economy with his entrepreneurial ingenuity.

His contribution to the nation was recognised some years ago by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, which conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Management Technology (DMT) on him.  

––Ezewulu writes from Lagos