By Uche Usim
The success story of Prince Chris Odinaka Igwe, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Mainland Oil and Gas Company Limited, usually resonates with lovers of hard work, resilience and discipline.
Born on February 16, 1970 in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, he braced the odds to succeed, having lost his father early in life.
Like most successful Igbo industrialists, Igwe delved into the tough business world early in life via various entrepreneurial incubations. Luckily for him, he imbibed from his parents’ strong ethos that has defined him as an accomplished businessman today.
Self and home tutored; Igwe sat and passed his General Certificate of Education, (GCE) examination. He then proceeded to the Federal Polytechnic, Oko where he obtained a National Diploma in Business Administration. He also bagged a Higher National Diploma (HND). He is an alumnus of the prestigious Lagos Business School.
He began his career as a freelance salesman with Nanac Enterprises Limited, Owerri and rose to the position of General Manager. In 1992, he established his own business with little capital as a small trading company in Onitsha. Due to his resourcefulness and hard work, he was able to grow the small business into a conglomerate.
He established Mainland Oil and Gas in 2003 to proffer an all round solution to consumers in the downstream sector of the Nigerian petroleum marketing industry.
From the commencement of operations till date, Mainland Oil has consistently grown at a meteoric pace. It is widely considered one of the fastest growing indigenous oil and gas companies in the Nigerian downstream sector.
Equipped with the strategic advantage of our numerous gas/petrol station outlets and a fleet of haulage trucks, Mainland Oil is now well positioned to become a household name for the uninterrupted supply of refined petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) primarily in the South-South, South-East zones of the country, and indeed throughout Nigeria.
Igwe who has well over 1,000 workers in his various companies, always invests in a strategic and calculated manner. He is into shipping, oil and gas, real estate, manufacturing, air services, travels and tours and general merchandise.
He is The Sun INVESTOR of the Year, award winner, 2020.