IFEDIASO @60: An Ode to Chief Innocent Chukwuma

You might not be the first to do it. But reinvent the wheel so damn well that you become the template -Ebuka Obi Uchendu

Chief Dr. Innocent Chukwuma is a man of few words. He is not your average businessman, he is a magician. When I mean “magician”, I mean one that wakes up to do the unbelievable, that seems “undoable” but the result ends up wowing everyone and building a template everyone follows. Beyond the story of his birth and the prophecy from his childhood, Ifediaso as he was called after his birth and was given as a title is a wonder that has since risen from the start of his business sojourn to his current state. He started out the very normal way, serving his masters till it was time for settlement.

The story of Ifediaso will never be complete without mentioning how he fared well as a servant, had great track records with his masters (His elder brother inclusive) he served and also eschewed great honest trait as a young trader that made the Igbo spiritual leader “Ogirisi Igbo”(Chief Rommy)  single him out as one that will be greater than his peers – which eventually came to fulfilment.

Nkwo Nnewi market, his first point of call was not just a business hub that made Ifediaso who he is, but his avant-garde business acumen made him revolutionize the market. The feat he achieved and the height he attained, none has been able to do or reach there till this very date. After conquering Africa’s biggest motorcycle market, Ifediaso looked elsewhere – it was the plastic industry, well dominated by the likes of Eleganza Plastic and others as of old. His “A-game” was brought to the fore, as he also did “magic” like he always does, took over the plastic industry and ended up erecting West Africa’s Largest Plastic plant. Ifediaso cannot brag of an MBA from great business schools of the world, but what he has been able to achieve with his massive native intelligence, a lot of people with MBAs haven’t done anything close to it. 

The automobile manufacturing business, to many brought Ifediaso to global limelight, but people who knew him before then, will testify that he has been doing big things from time immemorial. His venture into auto manufacturing was a huge leap of faith. As one that had no background knowledge of production of cars but his passion towards the business and his penchant for taking big risks led him to a sector even the greatest of businessmen, investors and industrialists dreaded to take a dive into. He is currently enjoying massive goodwill from Nigerians and beyond the shores of the country. 

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The unheard story of the man behind the Innoson group will be told soon in a book written by one young man that has learnt under the ropes of his master, and also bought in most of his virtues and traits – that he lives them, talk them and acts them. We can’t wait for the full dosage from that book as it is one pointac to help lead this generation of youth that don’t believe in hard work and honestly, and the very many attributes that birth success. 

Chief Innocent Chukwuma (Ifediaso Nnewi) is blessed with a beautiful wife, is husband to the beautiful Mrs. Ebele Chukwuma, their union is blessed with five children and 5 grandchildren.