Chairman/MD, Chrisnak Group of Companies
“[dropcap]G[/dropcap]reatness is a property for which no man can receive credit too soon; it must be possessed long before it is acknowledged.” When one of the world’s greatest thinkers, Ralph Waldo Emerson handed down the above words of wisdom, those he had in mind were certainly the likes of Prince Chris Odinaka Igwe, the founding Chairman, Chrisnak Group of Companies.
For the trail-blazing business mogul and industrialist par excellence from Umuogele Amuda Isuochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, it is certainly impossible to gloss over his attributes for greatness.
The popular cliché, ‘first impression sticks’ is not applicable to Prince Chris Odinaka Igwe, Group Managing Director, Chrisnak Group of Companies .If you profile and categorize him based on the spur of the moment kind of judgment,then you have done so using the wrong barometer and faulty premise. This is because at first encounter, you are confronted with a man you could pass for a middle income earner. He wears no airs and there are none around him. He is as simple as air itself. The calm ambience he exudes is just natural. He is just being himself.
However, many would be shocked to later learn that this unassuming youngman who mingles with the lowly and the downtrodden without discrimination is a workaholic,a business czar, corporate tiger and sits atop multi-billion dollars investments spanning several interests.Prince Chris Odinaka Igwe is a tested industrialist and anachiever-a job creator,an employer of labour and a philanthropist. And he makes no noise about these.
Prince Igwe’s rise to the top was not a one-step movement. Chris Odinaka Igwe was born on 16th February, 1970 to the devoted Christian family of Elder Joseph Igwe and Deaconess Rose Ejiaka Igwe of Umuaghamanya, Umuogele Amuda Isuochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.His parents were surely the strong pillars of his foundation and strong ethos that formedthe astute character of young Chris and his siblings.Unfortunately, he lost his visionary father early in his upbringing. From a very humble but focused beginning, Chris cut his business and entrepreneur teeth, going through various apprenticeship and tutelage, with sheer determination and diligence to succeed. It was a humble beginning for a humble man. The inter play of factors that would established him as one of Nigeria’s reputable captains of industry shaped Prince Igwe’s principle and philosophy of life and business-humility, honesty and hard work. His unassuming nature and infectious humility explain why he does not trumpet his numerous philanthropist gestures. One of these philanthropist acts was the contribution of N300m of the N800m cost for the construction of a six and half kilometer Amuda Community road in Abia, while the state government pays the balance of N500m.
Having lost his father at a young age, The truth is that his father was not poor but immediately he died, his expectations turned contrary, and things became too difficult for his family and In the midst of all that challenges he vowed never to be poor . But the young Prince Chris Odinaka Igwe would not allow poverty to limit him. He thus forcefully brushed aside vagaries of life to embrace hard work, and then reaped subsequent strings success in the business arena. He started business with N10,000, but today, he is reaping the reward of diligence and hard work.
Prince Chris or Chrisnak as he is fondly called is today a very successful, respected and recognized philanthropist especially within the Christendom and community.Prince Chris had his primary education at Isuochi Central School. Unlike most of his peers at the time, Chris Odinaka Igwe was not privileged to attend a Secondary School following the demise of his father. He was self and home tutored, sat and passed his General Certificate of Education Examination.He then proceeded to the Federal Polytechnic Oko where he obtained OND in Business Administration.Chrisnak is also an alumnus of the prestigious Lagos Business School.Over the years he began his career as a freelance Salesman with Nanac Enterprises Limited, Owerri and rose to the position of General Manager. In 1992, he started his own business with a small capital as a small trading company in Onitsha. Due to his resourcefulnessand hardwork, he was able to grow the small business to a Conglomerate.Today, he is the Group Managing Director ofChrisnak Group of Companies. The group of companies have shipping oil and gas, Real Estate Development, Manufacturing, Air Services, Travels and Tours Management and General Merchandise. Presently, he has more than 1,000 workers in his payroll of which 70% of the staff is from his home base Isuikwuato- Umunneochi Federal Constituency.
Prince Odinaka Igwe due to his avid love and passion for human resources development, Chrisnak setup Chris Odinaka Igwe Foundation which has awarded numerous scholarships in various tiers of education, as well as youth empowerment initiatives and massive financial assistance to the internally displaced persons from the current insurgency in the northern part of the country.In 2000 he inaugurated a football competition for the youths of Isuochi and Umunneochi to showcase his love for sports as well as engage them in meaningful venture. Prince Chris Igwe, contributed three hundred million naira out of eight hundred million naira Amuda Community road project in his home town. His stomach infrastructure is the best among all. Chris Igwe has been appreciating God by given out to the Society. To God be the Glory.
Prince Odinaka Igwe is happily married to Princess Peace Ogechukwu Igwe, who bagged her Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy from Federal Polytechnic Oko Anambra State. Their marriage is blessed with five (5) children, four boys and a girl.
We all know that wealth can never satisfy man’s want but an act of charity to the glory of God could leverage one’s name for eternity. Chris Odinaka Igwe has become a monumental asset for the memory of not only her father but for the remembrance of the family name for good and challenged Christians to always take positive steps at all times to immortalize their names for Christ.We eulogised Chrisnak Group of Companies CEO for not being carried away by money and all that money could buy and remembered to continue to register his name in the annals of history to the glory of God.
The mark he has made in the Oil and Gas sector is indelible and his contributions to the economic growth of his fatherland undeniable. This is why Prince Chris Odinaka Igwe, will be the cynosure of all eyes as he stands shoulder high to be honoured by that respected all the community Newspapers in Nigeria (Grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network) as the “Grassroots Man of the Year 2017”.
Source : Grassroots Publishers