HE IS THE 17TH RICHEST MAN IN AFRICA-
Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of integrated energy company, Aiteo Group, Benedict Peters, clocked 51 on Tuesday, December 5, 2017. And in the past two weeks, the elusive billionaire who has changed the face of Nigerian football and is taking us to the World Cup in Russia, has received 3 big awards from New Telegraph, BusinessDay and Leadership.
A consummate businessman with an unassuming personality, there is a lot about the gentleman fondly called Benny that many do not know about.
Here are 10 of them
1. Born in Abakaliki
Although of Delta State origin, Benedict Peters was born in Abakaliki, the capital of present-day Ebonyi State on December 5, 1966 to a middle class family. He and five other siblings were raised by their banker father and a homemaker mother. Formal education began at Ekulu Primary School, Enugu, from which he proceeded to Federal Government College, also in Enugu.
2. Graduate of UNIBEN
He graduated from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) with a B.Sc. degree in Geography and Urban Planning in 1989 at the age of 22. His father retired from banking while he was at the university, prompting the young Peters to develop entrepreneurial skills ahead of many of his contemporaries.
3. Tomato and cocoa trader
After graduation, an enterprising Peters became a cross-country merchant with interests in agricultural produce. He started with large-scale trading of tomatoes from northern Nigeria to the south and trading in cocoa for local consumption and export. Sale of new and used cars, vehicle spare parts and real estate were some of his other early business interests.
4. From banking to Ocean and Oil
The seed of what would later become a flourishing career in oil and gas was sown at Union Bank where Peters did his mandatory one-year National Youth Service. A job offer by the bank was politely turned down for a chance to build a fortune from his relationship with Wale Tinubu, Jite Okoloko and Mofe Boyo of Ocean and Oil.
5. Managing Director of MRS
Convinced of Peters’ competence and far-reaching influence, Alhaji Sayyu Dantata head-hunted him to join MRS Oil Nigeria Plc as Group Executive Director in 1994, followed by promotion to the position of Managing Director. In no time, the company became a prime player in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry. Peters wrote his name into MRS folklore in five short but eventful years.
More after the break.
