Chickens And Clothes On The Way To A Business Empire
Forbes Africa|November 2017

Alexander Chika Okafor is a multimillionaire with a finger in many businesses, from construction and mining to oil and gas exploration. It all started when he was a boy selling newspapers and eggs.

Peace Hyde
Chickens And Clothes On The Way To A Business Empire

Alexander Chika Okafor has avoided the trappings of wealth that many in his position cling so desperately to. He answers his own phone, has no swanky corporate communication executive as a gatekeeper, and you won’t find conversations with him infused with trendy buzzwords. His response is precise and straightforward, with just enough color to paint a detailed picture so even someone with little knowledge of his business will begin to understand just how far he has come.

The 60-year-old Okafor is the executive chairman and founder of the Chicason Group, which has interests in oil and gas, mining, real estate, transport and manufacturing. Okafor maintains a handson approach to driving the business that has taken more than 36 years to build. That journey began as a street trader during the Biafran war in Nigeria.

“I came from a poor family. My mother was a fish seller and my father was a farmer and wine tapper. My mother valued education because she didn’t have the opportunity so she wanted all her children to have an education. I was in primary two, in 1966, when the civil war started but we still went to school until 1967 when they shut down all the schools,” he says.

Okafor epitomizes self-reliance. He had to fend for himself and his mother at the age of eight following the death of his father. Okafor started by helping his mother sell akara (bean cake) and before long expanded into more lucrative business ventures. 

Bu hikaye Forbes Africa dergisinin November 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Forbes Africa dergisinin November 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

FORBES AFRICA DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
TRACK, WATCH, BEFRIEND
Forbes Africa

TRACK, WATCH, BEFRIEND

IN THE PRISTINE WILDERNESS OF GABON ARE THE MAJESTIC AND GENTLE WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLAS. A FIRSTHAND REPORT FROM OUR TRAVEL WRITER ON WHAT GOES INTO HABITUATING THEM.

time-read
4 dak  |
August - September 2024
CHALLENGING BUT NECESSARY: THE AI BALANCING PROBLEM
Forbes Africa

CHALLENGING BUT NECESSARY: THE AI BALANCING PROBLEM

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues transforming many industries, providing unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency. However, these advancements bring complex challenges that necessitate a delicate balancing act.

time-read
3 dak  |
August - September 2024
BEYOND ACADEMIA: THE SOCIETAL IMPACT OF MULTILATERAL EDUCATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
Forbes Africa

BEYOND ACADEMIA: THE SOCIETAL IMPACT OF MULTILATERAL EDUCATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

The great poet William Butler Yeats once said, \"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.\"

time-read
3 dak  |
August - September 2024
The Business Of Dance: Embracing One's Individuality And Style
Forbes Africa

The Business Of Dance: Embracing One's Individuality And Style

In the dynamic world of street dance, passion and perseverance pave the way for success. Living out this ethos is South African born B-girl turned businesswoman, Courtnaé Paul.

time-read
2 dak  |
August - September 2024
COMPASSION FATIGUE: THE DANGEROUS DESCENT FROM HELPING TO HURTING
Forbes Africa

COMPASSION FATIGUE: THE DANGEROUS DESCENT FROM HELPING TO HURTING

It is a workplace reality that caring too much for your colleagues can hurt you.

time-read
2 dak  |
August - September 2024
IT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE CRITICAL TO FIND OUR NICHE
Forbes Africa

IT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE CRITICAL TO FIND OUR NICHE

Have you found your niche? I received a lot of advice when I set up my company, but perhaps the most important consisted of just three words: Find Your Niche.

time-read
3 dak  |
August - September 2024
HOW TO MAKE AFRICA WIN OFF THE FIELD TOO
Forbes Africa

HOW TO MAKE AFRICA WIN OFF THE FIELD TOO

When all else fails, try sports. It's good for the soul.

time-read
2 dak  |
August - September 2024
BEAN THERE, DONE THAT
Forbes Africa

BEAN THERE, DONE THAT

British author Roald Dahl tapped into every chocoholic's imagination when creating Willy Wonka's bizarre chocolate factory in his 1964 children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

time-read
6 dak  |
August - September 2024
IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN WORKING WITH AL PACINO ON BROADWAY'
Forbes Africa

IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN WORKING WITH AL PACINO ON BROADWAY'

Arnold Vosloo Actor

time-read
2 dak  |
August - September 2024
BLENDED FINANCE: BRIDGING THE GAP IN EMERGING MARKETS IN SUPPORT OF THE SDGS
Forbes Africa

BLENDED FINANCE: BRIDGING THE GAP IN EMERGING MARKETS IN SUPPORT OF THE SDGS

Amid the widespread global support for the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there was an underlying concern among economists and financial advisors in the emerging and frontier markets: public sector and donor funds were stalled, if not regressing, and the funding gap to realize the SDGs was increasing.

time-read
2 dak  |
August - September 2024