Biography of Orji Uzor Kalu 2020 Early Life, Career and Success Story

Filed in Articles by on August 18, 2020

Biography of Orji Uzor Kalu 2020 Early Life, Career and Success Story.

Biography of Orji Uzor Kalu – Orji Uzor Kalu was born on the 21st of April, 1960 to Mrs. Eunice Uzor Kalu, in Abia State, Nigeria. He began his elementary education at Christ the King School Aba, Abia State and Government College, Umuahia, after which he proceeded to Barewa College, Zaria, before finally enrolling in the University of Maiduguri to obtain a Bsc. in Political Science.

Biography of Orji Uzor Kalu: Early Life, Career and Success Story.

While a student, Orji Uzor Kalu was involved in the school’s political activities and was eventually suspended from the institution when he and a couple of other student activists participated in the “Ali Must Go” riots, against the then Minister of Education.

While this was a devastating blow to several of the students, causing them to come together and take the school to court over their suspension, this same devastating blow was an inspiration to Orji Uzor Kalu as he took the opportunity to leave school and establish a business for himself. 

Business History

With no capital to begin his business at 19 years, he borrowed a $35 loan from his mother which he used to trade palm oil, purchasing it from South Eastern Nigeria and selling it in the Northern regions for a good profit.

While his profit expanded, he decided to take another turn by also trading on furniture which he bought from Aba and resold in Maiduguri.

Subsequently, his furniture business was self-sustaining to the point he abandoned the palm oil business to not just focus on trading furniture, but also in its manufacturing.

The university decided to pardon some of the students that were suspended during the riot when Orji was building his business but he refused to receive pardon due to the fact that everyone who took part in the riot had to be pardoned at the same time but they weren’t; only a few were.

Rejecting the amnesty granted him offered him more focus on his business full time.

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At 26, in 1986, the then military head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida, granted him the National Merit Award, making him the youngest person in Nigeria to be honored with such prestigious award.

He registered SLOK Holdings in 1987. Over the years, his company has received tenacious expansions going across oil & gas, hospitality & travel, manufacturing & trading, financial services, media, and logistics, in 11 countries and 3 continents, ranging from Nigeria to Gambia, Botswana, Cotonou, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, South Africa, Korea, and several others.

Some of his notable businesses that collectively employ over 3,000 people across various countries are:

  • The Sun Newspaper
  • The Telegraph Newspaper
  • First International Bank (in The Gambia)
  • International Insurance Company
  • Slok International (logistics)
  • Happy Home Furniture Limited
  • Neya Nigeria Limited (Metal recycling)
  • Bende Export (agro-product sourcing)
  • Slok Nigeria Limited (Import & export, and shipping)
  • Sun Heaven Hotels And Resorts
  • Mak Travels Agency Limited
  • Slok Energy Limited

His Achievements

Asides from the National honor he received from the presidency, Orji Uzor Kalu has been honored with awards including;

  • Selected as the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce’s Industrialist of the Year
  • Awarded the Humanitarian Award of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s Humanitarian Club
  • The Volunteer Award of the International Association of Volunteers
  • The National Merit Award
  • The EU Special Award in Brussels
  • And the World Bank Leon Sullivan Award.

Corporate / Political Background

Kalu headed First International Bank Limited at the age of 33. He also stewarded Nigerian commercial relations with China’s Sino Pacific Shipbuilding company while serving as a principal of SLOK Holding.

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On July 11, 2007, Kalu was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on charges of corruption while serving as the governor of Abia State. He was later released on bail, and accused the Obasanjo regime of persecuting him during and after his tenure in office, an accusation mentioned by former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell in his book, “Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink.”

Daily Sun

Kalu is the chairman of the Daily Sun, a Nigerian daily print newspaper founded and published in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. The newspaper had a daily circulation of 130,000 copies as of 2011, and 135,000 for weekend titles, with an average of 80% sales. The Daily Sun was the highest selling newspaper in Nigeria.

The Daily Sun was incorporated on March 29, 2001, and began production as a weekly on January 18, 2003, and as a daily on June 16, 2003. The newspaper is similar in format to the Sun newspaper in the United Kingdom.

New Telegraph

Kalu is also the chairman of the New Telegraph, Nigeria’s first politically independent all-national newspaper, with a circulation of 100,000 copies per day.

The newspaper targets domestic and foreign readers in major urban centers throughout the country and offers objective coverage of political, social, and cultural issues.

First International Bank Ltd

Kalu is the chairman of First International Bank Limited. The bank operates branches throughout the Gambia. All of the bank’s branches are networked, allowing customers to make deposits and withdrawals at any branch.

It was incorporated as a commercial bank in January 1999 and commenced full banking operations on July 1, 1999.

Njiko Igbo Movement

Kalu is involved with the Njiko Igbo Movement, whose purpose is to help secure the presidential seat for a Nigerian citizen of Igbo extraction; an Igbo has only held the presidency for six months since Nigeria’s independence.

The movement has branches and supports groups throughout the diaspora. Kalu launched the organization together with former Nigerian Senator Emmanuel Onwe, a human rights advocate and lawyer earlier based in the United Kingdom.

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