There are heroes in every community – Entrepreneurs ,community leaders, small business owners, real estate developers and others whose vision, tenacity and hard work are transforming Imo community into a better place to live, work, do business and raise families.
Imo has heroes from pre-colonial times like King Jaja of Opobo, Dick tiger the lightweight boxing sensation in the sixties and more.
The Community Service Awards is an opportunity to pay tribute to the champions in our neighborhoods whose efforts deserves recognition. The committee organising the iconic Imo at 40 Lecture and awards are inviting the public to participate via voting to ensure the right people are honoured, in other to motivate , encourage and improve socio-economic sustenance of Imo Community .
The event organisers and their panelists released the nominee shortlist after fervent investigation of the nominees profile and sampling of peoples opinion , and have made public the platform Imo.nigerianeyeonline.com where people are expected to vote for their best brands and favourite statesmen. the voting process is open to all Nigerians as this Imo people in their endeavour's affected positively the Nigerian Society and not just Imo community.
MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMAN OF THE DECADE -Kema Chikwe or Sen. Chris Anyanwu
Imo have lots of Amazing women who are achievers in their different fields of life ,Flora Nwapa the mother of modern African literature as the first African woman novelist to be published in the English language in Britain and one of the first African women publishers when she founded Tana Press in the 1970s. Onyeka Onwenu the legendary songstress who recently served as Director General national women center and more others deserves to be on this list but when it comes to power and influence in the present decade our panelists resorted to this two Amazon that shares a few things in common.
Kemafo Nonyerem "Kema" Chikwe, Ph. D. is a former Nigerian Federal Minister of Aviation. She currently holds the position of National Women Leader of the Nigerian political party PDP.
She majored in French at the Advanced Teachers’ College, Owerri. She then attended Queen’s College of the City University of New York where she obtain degree in French. She obtained a doctorate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in curriculum education. Chikwe became a radio journalist, editor and a publisher. She was chief executive and publisher, Prime Time Limited, publishers of Ash magazine. She has published three books, edited a number of publications and contributed to several books.
She became involved in a number of non-governmental organisations, first entering politics in the second republic. Her sympathies were for the National Party of Nigeria, NPN. She later cast her political lot with the NRC, UNCP and now PDP. She was appointed Minister of Transport, and then of Aviation ,holding office until May 2003. She later went on to run for the Governor of Imo state. In 2009 she became the Nigerian ambassador to Ireland , She has been very active in politics and nation building since the beginning of the 4th republic.
Christiana "Chris" Anyanwu is also a Nigerian journalist, publisher, author, and politician. She was imprisoned from 1995 to 1998 for treason after reporting on a failed coup d'état against the government of Sani Abacha, and won several international journalism prizes during her confinement, including the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
She attended Owerri Girls Secondary School before moving to the US, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Missouri and Florida State University respectively.
After graduating, she returned to Nigeria, and worked for the NTA and the Imo Broadcasting Corporation as a news reader and reporter. In 1987, she was appointed Imo State commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports, Culture and Social Welfare under Imo governor Amadi Ikwechegh. Following her tenure as commissioner, Anyanwu became publisher/editor-in-chief of TSM (The Sunday Magazine), a weekly publication which focused on political issues as they affected the country.
In May 1995 Anyanwu was arrested following the publication of a story about a failed coup d'état against the government of Sani Abacha, whom she had refused to endorse as president; she and several Nigerian journalists were accused of being "accessory after the fact of treason". Anyanwu was prosecuted in camera by a military court and sentenced to life imprisonment on 4 July 1995, later reduced to 15 years in October 1995 following pressure from national and international human rights groups.
Two years later, the Committee to Protect Journalists named Anyanwu winner of the CPJ International Press Freedom Award, and in May 1998 she was awarded UNESCO's Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
She is the founder of Hot FM one of the leading broadcast media houses in Imo today and was elected Senator on May 2007 .
IMO PROACTIVE LAW MAKER ( Federal )-Sen.Hope Uzodinma against Hon.Chike Okafor
Hope Uzodinma
Senator Hope Uzodinma was first elected Senator for the Imo West constituency of Imo State, Nigeria, in the April 2011 federal elections. He ran on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform. His election was challenged on the grounds that he was not the valid PDP candidate, but on 5 May 2011 the supreme court declared that his election was valid. He won again in 2015 and was returned to Senate,making him the most experienced senator from Imo at the present national assembly as the other two are on their first mission to the National Assembly as Law Makers...
Deacon Chike Okafor the Christ Embassy ordained Deacon in less than two months that he was inaugurated a member in the House of Representatives, positioned self at the floor of the Green Chamber as another pride from Imo to reckon with playing prominent roles in the formation of the Speaker’s kitchen cabinet of the newly constituted House leadership.
He was prominently spotted and heard in all the scheming and counter scheming that played out before the emergence of the Speaker and during the formation of the new House leadership. His prominence in the activities of the House of Representatives in less than Four weeks even made it possible for his nomination at a certain stage as Deputy Chief Whip of the House. This nomination was however sacrificed for peace in the House and for national unity following the intervention of the President and the national leadership of his party, the APC.
As serious legislative activities take shape in the National Assembly in the coming days.
Cast your vote and help us decide.
IMO NOLLYWOOD PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR -Genevieve Nnaji and Stephanie Okereke Linus to slug it out
This Category has Osita Iheme in the runs for the award but from all indications it seems the two ladies are the favorite, their accolade in this year's Africa Magic viewer's Choice Award held in Nigeria also tightens the race between the two as Stephanie Linus movie DRY won the best overall movie Africa and Genevieve Nnaji went home with Best Movie (West Africa) – alongside Chinny Onwugbenu and Chichi Nwoko – with Road to Yesterday
Genevieve Nnaji is actress and Singer she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005. In 2011, she was honoured as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic by the Nigerian government for her contribution to Nollywood.
she started her acting career as a child actress in the then popular television soap opera Ripples at the age of 8. In 1998 at the age of 19 she was introduced into the growing Nigerian film industry with the movie "Most Wanted". Her subsequent movies include Last Party, Mark of the Beast and Ijele. In 2010 she starred in the award winning film Ijé: The Journey. Nnaji has starred in over 80 Nollywood movies and is considered to be one of the best paid actresses in Nollywood. In 2009, she was referred to as the Julia Roberts of Africa by Oprah Winfrey.
Nnaji has featured in several commercials some of which include those of Pronto beverage and Omo detergent. In 2004 she became the "Face of Lux" in Nigeria in a highly lucrative sponsorship deal. 2008 saw Nnaji launching a clothing line, "St. Genevieve", which donates its proceeds to charity. In May 2010 Nnaji was appointed to be the official "Face of MUD" in Nigeria.
Stephanie Okereke Linus
actress, film director and model. She has received several awards and nominations for her work as an actress, including the 2003 Reel Award for Best Actress, the 2006 Afro Hollywood Award for Best Actress, and three nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2005, 2009 and 2010. She was also the runner up for the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant of 2002. In 2011, she was honoured by the Nigerian government with a National honour (Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR).
her primary & secondary education in Delta State.She studied at the University of Calabar, in Cross River State, where she graduated with a degree in English and Literary Studies.
Already during her teenage years in 1997 she starred in two Nollywood movies, Compromise 2 and Waterloo. During the 2002 Most beautiful girl in Nigeria beauty pageant Okereke reached 2nd place. A year later in 2003, Okereke won two awards, out of the eight nominations she received, at the 2003 Reel Awards for 'Best Actress - English' and 'Best Actress of the year 2003'. After graduating from the New York Film Academy in 2007, Okereke released the movie Through the Glass in which she served as director, scriptwriter, producer and actress.
The film received an Africa Movie Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay in 2009. In 2014, she release another movie, Dry and again served as a director, scriptwriter, producer, and actress. Okereke has starred in over 90 movies. Dry eventually won overall best movie in Africa at the 2016 Africa Magic viewers Choice Awards
IMO AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR - Barrister Oparaugo and Nnedi Okorafor are the frontliners
Nnedi Okorafor is a Nigerian-American writer of fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction.
The American-born daughter of Igbo Nigerian parents, is a renowned Creative writer whose novels and stories reflect both her West African heritage and her American life. Okorafor is a 2001 graduate of the Clarion Writers Workshop in Lansing, Michigan, and holds a PhD in English from the University of Illinois, Chicago. She is an associate professor of creative writing and literature at the University at Buffalo (SUNY) and lives between Buffalo and Illinois with her family.
Okorafor received a 2001 Hurston-Wright literary award for her story "Amphibious Green." She then published two acclaimed books for young adults, The Shadow Speaker (Hyperion/Disney Book Group) and Zahrah the Windseeker (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Zahrah won the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa.
It was also shortlisted for the 2005 Carl Brandon Parallax and Kindred Awards and a finalist for the Garden State Teen Book Award and the Golden Duck Award. The Shadow Speaker was a winner of the Carl Brandon Parallax Award, a Booksense Pick for Winter 2007/2008, a Tiptree Honor Book, a finalist for the Essence Magazine Literary Award, the Andre Norton Award and the Golden Duck Award and an NAACP Image Award nominee. Okorafor's children's book Long Juju Man was the 2007–08 winner of the Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa.
Okorafor's first adult novel, Who Fears Death (DAW/Penguin Books), won the 2011 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, was a 2011 Tiptree Honor Book and was nominated for the 2010 Nebula Award. In 2011 she returned to young adult with Akata Witch (Viking/Penguin), which was a Junior Library Guild Selection, and nominated for the Andre Norton Award. It was also on the American Library Association's Amelia Bloomer Project list honoring children's books with feminist themes. Okorafor's science fiction novel Lagoon was a finalist for a British Science Fiction Association Award (Best Novel) and a Red Tentacle Award (Best Novel) and a Tiptree Honor Book. Her science fiction novella Binti was a finalist for a Nebula Award (Best Novella),a British Science Fiction Association Award (Best Short) and BooktubeSFF Award (Best Short Work).
In 2009 Okorafor donated her archive to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Collection of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at the Northern Illinois University Library.
Gary K. Wolfe wrote of her work: "Okorafor’s genius has been to find the iconic images and traditions of African culture, mostly Nigerian and often Igbo, and tweak them just enough to become a seamless part of her vocabulary of fantastika."
In February 2014, it was announced that Okorafor would be Young Adult Author special Guest of Honor at Detcon 1, the 2014 North American Science Fiction Convention; Detcon1 was putting special emphasis on YA science fiction.
The creative writer from Imo State Nigeria is one Imo's export to the world, though born in America ,she has never failed to showcase her true culture and Personality to the world.
Barrister Oparaugo… Selling Opportunities In Africa To The World
"With vast resources and opportunities for investments and businesses, the unavailability of information, more than anything else, have hindered corresponding massive investments coming into Africa. This, of course, is explainable. Without information, it sure would be an uphill task to access any country’s investment opportunities. However, there appears an end in sight to this challenge and Africa may just be full of smiles soon. Footprint to Africa Limited, a platform dedicated to reporting on investment opportunities in Africa to investors all over the world, is here to bridge that gap."
The very words of Osita Oparaugo, a lawyer, President and CEO of Footprint to Africa Limited, and he is being driven on this initiative just because he wants to be part of Africa’s success story.
The Lekki based entrepreneur is using his innovative platform Footprint 2 Africa to promote foreign investment in Africa by highlighting areas with potential growth and high investment returns for investors who want to be part of the African success story.
It is an online news platform that reports daily on such opportunities as they unfold in all African countries. With 22 correspondents stationed across Africa and 18 in-house staff members, it interviews heads of states, heads of businesses and government agencies, gathering the best of investment information for would-be investors.
The entrepreneur is on a mission to reposition Africa economically and is creating a new path into Africa as his platform is daily informing and helping to expose investment opportunities in the continent.
“We recognize that unavailability of proper investment information is a major setback to developmental growth and that it contributes to lack of basic market data which not only prevents attempts to generate proper market insights but also creates a strong barrier to foreign direct investment in Africa,” Oparaugo says of what led to the birth of the initiative.
Oparaugo, is a British trained-lawyer and who also did Project Finance and Business Strategy at Harvard, he is Imo's gift to Africa and the world ,and a worthy Ambassador of the state.
IMO ENTREPRENEUR - C.E.Os of Orange Drugs, Associated Bus Company (ABC Transport) and Roudo Construction to battle for the spoils.
Sir Tony Ezenna C.E.O Orange Drugs
Very few people on earth are actually pencils in the hands of God.Anthony Ifeanyichukwu Ndubuisi Ezenna is one of them. He was neither born great nor with silver spoon in his mouth but through the dint of hard work, abiding faith in God and the Almighty’s special favor, Ezenna would later acquire the proverbial silver spoon and achieved greatness on his own.
As a child under the tutelage of his father, Ezenna demonstrated early in life that he was destined to be a shrewd entrepreneur and business administrator. His resourcefulness in handling his father’s business at a young age signposted the success that would later litter his path as a businessman. Thus, driven by hard-work, self-discipline and diligence, the young Anthony was to branch out of his father’s to establish Orange Drugs. The year was 1988. The modest take off of the young company was in Owerri, the Imo state capital.
The birthing of Orange Drug was of course the beginning of Tony’s many other mile stones that would establish him as an industrialist and business mogul, on the same pedestal as Aliko Dangote, Jim Ovia, Tony Elumelu, Femi Otedola among other leading business czars in Nigeria.
Anthony Ndubuisi Ezenna has his imprint scattered in sands of time.As a businessman,job creator and employer of labour,he has saved many young Nigerians from labouring in vain in the labour market.Many of these young Nigerians are currently on the employment of the Orange Group, Orange Drugs ltd, Orange Soap factory Onitsha, Orange West Africa, Orange Kalbe among others.
His generosity knows no bounds, his kindness is limitless and his love for the needy exceptional.
he brings hope to those in despair and rekindle life in the famished. In 2006, to further drive home his passion for the poor, Ezenna set up the Tony Ezenna Foundation with the sole aim of providing scholarships and financial support to families that cannot afford to send their children to school.
Ezenna believes in his fatherland and has demonstrated patriotic fervor to Nigeria by electing to site all his companies in Nigeria, always insisting that “if you don’t love your country, then you can love nothing…my affection is for my own country, then, generally, for all mankind”.
Frank Nneji- Founder, Associated Bus Company [ABC] Transport Limited
Necessity is the mother of invention, the sages have long taught us; if you are uncomfortable about something then do something about it, the motivational speakers have since drummed into our ears. Are they right? I sure believe they are!!!
What else can transform a company which started two decades ago with about N1 million share-capital to N800 million? Or diversify an ordinary road transport company into a multi-faceted, hydra-headed business empire spanning the hospitality, haulage, and courier industries? A worthy invention I say and a man of character at the helm of affairs.
Frank Nneji is that man and Associated Bus Company [ABC] Transport is the company. the story of persistence and entrepreneurial dexterity which has translated to 20 plus years of leadership in the transport market-place, job opportunities and added value to the country at large is awesome
After his secondary education, Nneji gained admission into the University of Nigeria Nsukka, where he graduated with a degree in Zoology in 1982. Nneji discovered his entrepreneurial skill set early on, and gathered a tidy sum of money publishing and selling past question papers. From this venture, he made enough money to travel to Italy on a student rebate ticket where he purchased clothing items for sale.
As soon as he was done with the burden of studying, Nneji dusted out his entrepreneurial shoes for good. He set up a company, Rapido, which supplied educational materials. He started out supplying writing boards, most of which he made himself and he grew that little board company into the leading producer and marketer of audio-visual products in West Africa.
With a loan and 5 Hiace buses, the dream was on; and boy, did it catch fire. Hitherto existing bus companies started attempting to pattern their services after ABC’s, Their operations in Nigeria spans the entire country; north, south east and west. They have even gone on to establish a Coach West Africa in 2004 which journeys through the West African countries in a scenic, informative and actually entertaining ride In 2006, ABC transport became a Public Liability Company, making it the first transport company in Nigeria to be mentioned on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Nneji who went on to undertake an Executive programme at Wharton Business School, Philadelphia, USA and a Chief Executive programme at Lagos Business School, Lagos has been honoured with several awards for his innovations in the transport industry which includes: Award of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2005) Auto Personality of the Year 2004 by Auto World, Award of Excellence in Business (2005) for efficient transport service delivery by Aba Chamber of Commerce amongst others. ABC Transport has been adjudged the Best Transporter in Nigeria by the Chartered Institute of Transport and has since then consistently won the National Bus Operator of the Year Award along with other accolades by renowned bodies.
Chief Tony Chukwu, the Uncommon Philanthropist is the C.E.O of Roudo Construction Company a wholly indigenous Nigerian Construction Company operating in Nigeria since 2000. Since its inception the company has matured into a successful and dependable construction firm with a wealth of experience on all types of construction projects.
with a hands-on management philosophy, a keen team player spirit, Roudo pride itself on quality workmanship and the timely completion of projects.
As a result, they have extremely resourceful teams of individuals capable of implementing their works to the highest of standards in order to satisfy the expectations of our clients. This has been reflected in the steady growth that the company has enjoyed since its existence.
ROUDO NIGERIA LIMITED believes that the growth of emerging markets lies in the provision of good infrastructure. so they focus, therefore, on the three economic drivers for any developing economy: Land, Energy and Ports Ways.
They are continuously seeking partnerships with the public sector and other private companies in emerging markets throughout the world. they operate wherever their expertise and resources can be applied to help shape emerging economies.
they have the largest fleet of vessels in Nigeria with 14 dredgers located across the Niger Delta region. Since inception, the Company has dredged over 12million cubic meters of sand and reclaimed land in excess of 500million square meters. Roudo has also executed more than 10 kilometers of shore line protection projects in the Niger Delta region.
Roudo is currently building the first Dam in Nsukka area. The Adada Dam in Enugu State is 11meters high with a volume of 272,000 cubic meter reservoir. The Dam, upon completion, will supply water for irrigation and potable water for the entire greater Nsukka region, able water for the entire greater Nsukka region.
All these has strengthened the person of Chief Tony Chukwu in contributing heavily to the advancement of the Economic status of his state of Origin ,he has become a strong name in Nigeria. In Okigwe diocese Chief Tony Chukwu is synonymous with generosity.
Philanthropic ventures of this soft speaking business mogul has effectively changed the face communities , Chief Tony Chukwu (Onweghi Ihe kariri Chineke) spent over half a billion Naira to set up new structures, renovate old ones and expand the expanse of the mission landscape in his community and beyond. He attracted many road and street light projects from the federal government and equally an ongoing key federal facility projects to his Zone.
Exceptional Entrepreneur in Imo-This Award is to recognize non Imo indigenes who are contributing to the economic development of the state with their businesses via providing of employment opportunities in the state and more
IMO NETPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD-Linda Ikeji against Chris Kehinde Nwandu
Linda Ikeji the phenomenal Nigerian Blogger , writer, entrepreneur and former model is shortlisted for honours at the Imo at 40 Commemorative lecture and awards, but CKNNigeria.com founder Chris Kehinde Nwandu also from Imo State is on the same list for Imo Netpreneur of the year Award
Linda Ikeji was born and raised in a Catholic family from Nkwerre, Imo State. she started expressing her hobby in writing at age 10. She finished secondary school at age 17 and at 18, enrolled into the University of Lagos where she studied English Language. Ikeji graduated from the University in 2004. In 2006, she started blogging as a hobby..
She became an active blogger 2007. She ultimately finally stopped hosting her blog on Blogspot by 2008, but as most domains for her name were taken, she eventually hosted the new website on lindaikejisblog.com
Ikeji runs a non profit project themed
I’d rather be self made; No thanks. through the project, she assists young girls of age 16-25 years who have great business ideas and are willing to venture into entrepreneurship. She gave out the sum of NGN10,000,000 in the Phase 1 of the project.
In August 2012, Forbes Africa dedicated itself to celebrating African women that month's issue. In that issue, Forbes profiled Africa’s 20 Most Prominent Women and the issue featured profiles on two young Nigerian women: Linda Ikeji,
Linda Ikeji was the biggest Google Search trend in Nigeria for 2014. The name Linda Ikeji was the most searched item by users of Google in Nigeria.
Chris Kehunde Nwandu (CKN) Publisher/Editor in Chief cknnigeria.com
was born on 22nd August in Lagos.He Attended Ojota Nigerian College, Igbobi College Yaba,Lagos State University, (BA CRS). Attended Nigerian Institute of Journalism where he Obtained PGD, Journalism
Worked at Lagos Television as an Intern/News reporter and later at Client Service Executive: LTC Advertising Apapa, handling such blue chip accounts like LBN, Guinness Nigeria, Pharmadeko, Sterling Winthrop, Wamco Plc, Cadbury Plc, ADC Airlines , he joined Sony Music Nigeria where he handled the position of Artiste and Promotions Manager, from 1999-2002: he was AGM, Marketing and PR CTL Cable Television and Supernet 300 Wireless Internet Provider Company.
The versatile Nwandu whose Dad is from Imo and Mum Yoruba is the publisher of CKNNigeria.com one of the prime news portal in the nation when it comes to corporate news. the detribalised Nigerian speaks English,yoruba and French fluently and is a force to be reckon in the field of netpreneurship
MOST PROACTIVE LAW MAKER OF THE YEAR (State)
Hon. Acho Ihim the Umualumoke Okigwe LGA born educationist, is doing amazingly well as the Speaker of the 8th Imo House of Assembly, Chief Ihim has a bundle of experience, he is articulative, accommodating, and of course, accessible.
As his traditional title, Onwa, implies, Achio Ihim is generally accepted, hence he has come to be the cynosure of all eyes delivered in this auspicious period, to lead the legislature for more sustainable democracy where separation of powers is greatly, Acho Ihim is loved and very much on ground in the Imo political leadership, he is believed to have the ability to certainly take Imo to a greater height in the scheme of making good laws for excellent governance, accountability and transparency in the overall conduct of government affairs. under him the house have sat through many bills and motions already and some new laws are being passed in the state, which are mostly on combating social crimes, some of the new laws are the concluded plans to establish a special court for kidnapping and cultism, a special court for checking of the situation of Ghost workers cankerworm and more
Hon. Ugonna Ozuruigbo
The outstanding performance of the Nwangele local government area Law Maker, Hon Ugonna Ozuruigbo, and his humanitarian dispositions earned him a return ticket to Imo State House of Assembly, the Law maker has displayed an uncommon flare in his legislative duties, and also responded positively to the clarion call by the leaders for empowerment of the people to productive ventures ,Hon. Ozuruigbo changed the face of politics utilizing his business contacts with most nation’s communication companies to secure employment for Imo indigenes ,free health services, erection of ultra modern markets and Town Halls in two locations in his Local Government area, sinking of boreholes and donation of vehicles to churches and individuals towards empowerment.
You may recall that this budding entrepreneur with interest in Communication and hospitality industries has sponsored bills in Imo state House of Assembly and worked for the development of Imo college of Health Technology located in his constituency.
IMO TECHNOCRAT OF THE DECADE -Maurice Iwu and Festus Odumegwu on the frontline
Maurice Iwu
Maurice Mmaduakolam Iwu is a Nigerian Professor of Pharmacognosy who was appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in June 2005
He attended St. Pius X College, Bodo-Ogoni for his secondary education. He studied at the University of Bradford, England, receiving a Master of Pharmacy degree in 1976 and a Ph.D in 1978. He was WHO Visiting Scholar to Dyson Perrins Laboratory, University of Oxford (1980), Fulbright Senior Scholar, Ohio State University and won the U.S National Research International Prize for Ethonobiolology in 1999. He was a Professor of Pharmacognosy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1984–1993).
Entering business, Iwu became Vice-President, Research and Development of Tom's of Maine, a personal care manufacturing company, and member of the Board of Directors, Axxon Biopharm inc. He served on the Board of InterCEDD, Fund for integrated Rural Development and Traditional Medicine, and Center for Economic and Social Justice. He was the United Nation's Lead Consultant for the development of Nigeria's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Iwu has published more than 100 research articles and is the author of four books.
Professor Iwu was President of the International Society of ethnobiology (1996–2002), member and ex-President of the Nigerian Society of Pharmacognosy, Member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and Member of the International Society for Medicinal Plant Research. He was the Executive Director, Bioresources Development and Conservation Program and a Senior Research Associate at the Division of Experimental Therapeutics of Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington D.C.
Maurice Iwu has published many academic papers. Books are:
• Maurice M. Iwu (1993). Handbook of African medicinal plants. CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-4266-X.
• Maurice M. Iwu, Jacqueline C. Wootton (2002). Ethnomedicine and drug discovery. Elsevier. ISBN 0-444-50852-X.
• Maurice M. Iwu (1986). African ethnomedicine: based on a seminar delivered at Institute for Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, February 10, 1982. UPS. ISBN 978-2538-08-6.
• Maurice M. Iwu (1997). Commercial production of indigenous plants as phytomedicines and cosmetics. Bio-resources Development and Conservation Programme Press. ISBN 0-9653292-0-8.
He is flaunted to have discovered the cure for the deadly ebola virus, which emanated from his statement that was misconstrued, Professor Iwu had, in an article published in 1999, established that Garcinia Kola (Bitter Kola)had a compound, Kola extract, that was able to arrest the replication of the Ebola Virus.
Festus Odimegwu
Many people go through life without attaining the purpose of their existence. Yet within the bounds of time and chance, limiting the ability of man to determine his own destiny, some people by mere dint of hard work, diligence integrity and depth of vision, manage to elevate the gift of natural intellectual endowment given to all men in varying measures
Eze Festus Odimegwu was born on August 7, 1953, in Aba, currently in Abia State of Nigeria. He started his primary education in Christ the King School, CKS, in Aba, but it was interrupted by the Civil War, for three years. He enrolled into Community Secondary School Awo Idemmili in Imo State. His stellar performances in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics earned him the title of “Prof”. from admiring teachers and students. He proceeded to University of Nigeria Nsukka from whence he graduated with a first class Honours in Chemistry and joined Nigeria Breweries PLC.
Within a career that spanned 26 years and five months, he progressed from Trainee Brewer 1980-1982, Shift Assistant Brewer in Training April-July 1982, Shift Brewer I/c Bottling 1982-1984 Brewer I/c Brewing 1984-1985 Technological Controller 1985-1987 Production Manager 1987-1988. From 1988 till 1989, he proceeded to Heriot Watt University Edinburgh for his MSc and coming back home, he resumed as Brewery/Senior Technical Manager 1989-1992, Sales Director 1992-1993 Food Coordination AMEG Unilever London 1993-1995 Marketing Director Lever Brothers Ghana 1995-1997 MD/CEO Nigerian Breweries 1997-2006.
He also attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Wharton Business School and Unilever Four Acres Training Centre. Apart from his basic background in Chemistry and the Natural sciences, he has amassed a panoply of knowledge and certifications in Business Strategy, Business Planning, Change Management ,Turn Around Management, Leadership, New Business Development Strategy, Strategic Planning, Team Building, Entrepreneurship Management, Negotiation and Marketing Strategy.
In 2006, he left the management of Nigerian Breweries PLC. He was billed to proceed to a new appointment with the Heineken Company in Germany, but he elected to stay back in Nigeria to pursue other personal business interests. He then set up the Royal Lifestyle Services Group of Companies Ltd and other strategic business units of the group like Quintessentially Nigeria, Recherché signature Events and Gifts and Palatially sole marketers of Angel champagne, for which he now acts as a non Executive Director.
On Tuesday 26th June 2012, Eze Festus Odimegwu was appointed Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), by President Goodluck Jonathan. In appointing Odimegwu to the head of the NPC, the president went for a twin goal of diligence and integrity, both choices that characterize Eze Festus Odimegwu. He was the spirit behind the partnership that resulted in one of the world’s biggest breweries, and which made Nigerian Breweries PLC, the most capitalized company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. His modernization program at NB PLC, lengthened the gap between Nigerian Breweries and its competitors. An uncompromising stickler for excellence and a goal getter, Odimegwu distinguished himself as a primus inter pares within the role call of Nigerian corporate czars, serving on the boards of other companies such as Dangote Cement PLC, Union Bank of Nigeria as well as Transnational Corporation of Nigeria, as a Director.
Nigeria’s former Chief Population enumerator ,was undoubtedly guided by his solid foot prints in the sands of corporate management during his tenure as NPC Chairman.
The list continues as brands and statesmen are pitted against each other for honours
visit www.imo.nigerianeteonline.com to see other Award categories and vote for your best brands and statesmen, Imo Hotel of the year, Bank Manager of the year, telecom company of the year and more.
Culled from CKN Nigeria
