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Awwal Garba AD: A Major Player in the Global Business Sector with Investments across Vast Terrains

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5 years ago

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“It is not in the pursuit of happiness that we find fulfillment, it is in the happiness of pursuit.” Denis Waitley
Taking a cue from Waitley, it is safe to say since the soul is the power and core of who one is, fulfillment is therefore the feeling of being happy and satisfied with one’s life because of interesting, useful, or important things embarked upon.

Alhaji Awwal Garba is a major player in the global oil and gas sector whose sense of fulfillment is succinctly summed up in the above analogy, as his life for a long time, has been dedicated to meaningful and oftentimes sacrificial commitments to his fatherland as well as to the lives of his countrymen.

With particular interest in Nigeria, Alhaji Garba has been discovering untapped resources within the oil sector upon which he has over the years, successfully built his chain of business interests, under the Magma Group, thereby immensely contributing to the economic growth and development of Nigeria.

With a humble mien, a virtue instilled by his upbringing, Alhaji Garba is a highly self-motivated person with an unbridled and a fervent desire to change the oil and gas sector narratives in ways that will benefit indigenous players and the Nigerian youths.

His words; “I was motivated into the sector by the desire to make a change, especially in the upstream sector of the industry where it is believed that only the oyibos (foreigners) hold sway therein.

“Of course, also in that direction would be the desire to contribute one’s quota to the national economy, in terms of creating jobs, which of course would help in giving the youths a sense of worth and direction.”

Early Years

Born into a family of affluence, Alhaji Garba may well be said to have grown up being fed with a silver spoon. His late father, a traditional title holder ‘Talban Kano’; a king maker, was also an astute businessman, with wide spread interests in commodity trading, exports and imports. It may not be out of place to say that Alhaji Garba cut his entrepreneurial teeth under the tutelage of his father.

However, with strict and disciplined parents, adherence to what is right was the only rule, and this helped in shaping his character and personality, which he himself admits was the greatest gift he received as a child.

“I thought my parents were being hard on us as children, but I have come to appreciate all those moments later in life. It actually made us humble, yet strong. This was the best gift I received as a child because it helped in shaping my character.”

The desire to discover himself spurred him to break away from the comfort and sureties that being under the umbrella of his father provided.

According to him, “I can say that I was born into privilege, but that did not stop me from finding my own niche. The most difficult thing was finding a balance by breaking away from my father’s umbrella in order to find myself. I call it the period of soul searching. It took time to find what makes me tick, and since then, it has become a passion to reach out to greater heights. More importantly, I have worked hard to create and maintain it. And I am still working hard.”

Education

Alhaji Garba had his early education in Kano, Nigeria and spent his early years in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. A Nigerian and British trained Economist of a rare kind, Alhaji Garba attended the Bayero University Kano, Nigeria and the City University, London, United Kingdom, tucking two degrees in his kitty from these institutions.

A Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Business Management UK, Alhaji Garba also acquired a Master’s Degree in Business Economics in the UK. He has in practice been a major player in the oil and gas sector of the global business environment, with particular focus in Nigeria, since gaining his Master’s degree.

Entrepreneurship Drive

Awwal Garba is a man with very strong instincts which, interfaced with his realities have enabled him make life-changing decisions. One of the difficulties he had was deciding whether to go into private or public service. Looking back at the years of successful business entrepreneurship, his instincts to go for the former paid off handsomely, although from hindsight, it is clear to see that should he have chosen the latter, he still would have been profoundly successful.

A global oil and gas business mogul, Garba is an entrepreneur with an innate ability to sniff out business opportunities where many cannot; a rare disposition which has enabled him to excel in countless ventures and investments, especially within the oil and gas sector.

Garba’s major areas of focus cut across sectors like, Telecommunications, Power, Finance, Management Consulting, Marine, Oil and gas Exploration and Production (OEP), oil refinery and real estate development, among others. He is a consummate professional with strong interpersonal and effective communication skills, integrity, tenacity and strength of character.

Awwal Garba’s core area of specialization in the oil and gas field is Exploration, with eight assets so far. He is building a 100 thousand barrel refinery in Akwa Ibom State at the moment, on a hundred hectare land, close to Exxon Mobil, while also negotiating with 3 marginal oilfields from oil mill 370 with Exxon Mobil.

“In the gas area of the sector, we have made proposals with respect to the Brass LNG, into which my partners and I are ready to commit $1bn. This would cut the issue of oil importation and also provide 300,000 jobs for skilled and unskilled workers in Akwa Ibom.”

Alhaji Garba’s companies include Magma Petroleum Investment Limited; Magma Exploration Production Limited, which is working on a JVU with Total Upstream, and also working with MPDC. His other companies include Magma Agro-Allied Limited; Magma Logistics Limited; Magma Gas and Power Spectrum Limited; Magma Pipe and Coating Limited, Rhone Petroleum Limited and H. Oil Limited, among others, all of which are aiding the economy of the country in terms of investment.

“We have Magma Exploration which is working on a JVU with Total Upstream, and also working with MPDC. We have Magma Gas and Power Spectrum working on acquiring the Brass LNG. It is a $1bn project, and already the funds are available.
“We have H-Oil Limited which has assets in Angola as well as South Sudan and Liberia, with offices in Paris and headquarters in Madrid, Spain. Magma Logistics works with the Department of Petroleum Resources. We also have Magma Petroleum Investment in the downstream sector with our downstream partners, having facility in Amsterdam and distributing finished products all over the world.”

With this wide spectrum of business concerns, there are bound to be challenges. These however, are usually viewed by the astute businessman in the context of growth opportunities.

” The challenge of prospecting for and then drilling of oil is something we enjoy doing. On the exploration side especially, we want to expand and never get tired, that is why we are on the brink of acquiring more assets. We love the challenge. To get in there, prospect and drill the oil is something we just enjoy doing.

“Today, what kills the exploration business is greed. Many want to have everything and there’s no way you could do that when it comes to exploration. We engage partners from all over the world and our logic is that ‘half bread is better than none’. We can give out an asset with 5% interest, an asset with 2%, it does not matter. What matters is that when you multiply the 2% x 10, you get 20%. This is our logic.”

Humble Mien

It is not really commonplace to find the virtue of humility in the lives of many of the affluent. The life of Awwal Garba is a marked exception because it is the way he was brought up. Whether it was his father or friends of his father, who included the MKO Abiola’s, the Maitama’s and the Babangida’s, they all pointed to the importance of the virtue and instilled that in him. He also admits that life itself also taught him about humility.

“Life has taught me to be absolutely humble. Life has taught me to be analytical as well as critical with myself in my everyday dealings. My heart will never deceive me into thinking I am anything different or special. Ego is a recipe for failure in life.

“I mean all you have to do is to look around you. The seven-year-old selling sachet water or Moi-Moi on the streets of Lagos in the early morning rush hour could have been you. He, also given your opportunity, could perform as good or even better. There are always two sides of a coin.”

Patriotic Fervor, Leadership and Game Changer

Alhaji Awwal Garba is a de-tribalised Nigerian who sees his country as his constituency. Through his investments, he has been building bridges.

A unique vehicle with which he is stoking the embers of patriotism is ‘Game Changer’, a media established to ensure that the Muhammadu Buhari administration continues to change the whole game; from Agriculture, Corruption to Healthcare and very importantly, to unite Nigerians and give them a sense of belonging.

He uses Ghana as a yardstick in buttressing the importance of patriotism. “You will be shocked to realise the level of their patriotism. A taxi driver always has the Ghanaian flag in his cab as with every household, like it was in America perhaps before the Trump era when American schools taught American history, the need to be patriotic and love for country. So patriotism is very important. Game Changer is here to bring awareness about patriotism.”

His friends call him the preacher and this is not just based on his knowledge and adherence to the tenets postulated by the Quran, but because he never stops preaching the gospel of unity among Nigerians, believing in the oneness of the country as a pathway to wealth creation in a more sustainable way, strength and endless possibilities. No wonder his house is always like a beehive or a Mecca of some kind.

Garba sees leadership as the ability to see beyond tomorrow and to commit to that vision totally, when those around you follow you with absolute commitment even when they do not see what you see.

“Those who do not remember history are certainly bound to be consumed by it. It has happened in many countries before. The Asian tigers, from Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand to China, they have all gone through what we are going through. Mao Zedong closed up China for 50 years before opening up. America’s democracy took over 200 years to get to where they are now. Ours is only 50+ and with such multi ethnic groups, patience is the key.”

Philanthropy and Titles

Awwal Garba is a man with a heart of gold, compassionate, kind and in tune with his people. He believes in creating high-points in his life each day and one of those is the opportunity to make someone happy.

“There are just countless moments with that, but what you can do is to create one every day. Most importantly, put a smile on someone’s face and the picture stays with you permanently.”

It is not surprising then that he has been honored with the prestigious traditional titles of ‘Galadima Talban’, and ‘Talban Dan Hausa Daura’.

Family

Alhaji Awwal Garba maintains a closely knit family even as a very busy person, understanding the importance of family. Despite his busy schedule, which has shrunken some social activities, he still finds time to spend with his family.

“The pressure of work increased with growth, so whatever time I can squeeze out now for personal issues, I spend it with my family. We take the children to game parks when they are on holidays and try to have a feel of their minds by coming down to their level and appreciating them. My biggest fear is not being able to meet up with the expectations of my family and my loved ones.”

Even though Awwal Garba a fulfilled man, he believes in breaking new grounds as long as life permits him.

“I feel fulfilled in life, all the time. Yet, life itself is like sweet nectar from the most beautiful thorny fruit bearing tree. Once you taste it, you cannot but go back for another bite. I am always setting new goals to conquer.”

As Eleanor Roosevelt aptly puts it, “Happiness is not a goal. It’s a by-product of a life well lived.”

It is from that standpoint that Alhaji Awwal Garba says,” I believe in what life has dished out my way and believe me when I say if I have to do it all over again, I would not change a thing.”

Indeed, there must be some unique feeling that comes with blazing trails and impacting lives.

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EFCC grants ex-Delta gov, Okowa, bail over alleged N1.3trn fraud

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12 hours ago

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November 7, 2024

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The Port Harcourt zonal command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has granted administrative bail to Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, a former governor of Delta State for alleged diversion of N1.3 trillion 13% derivation fund from the federation account between 2015 and 2023.

 

Society Reporters reports that Okowa was arrested on Monday, November 4, 2024, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when he reported at the Port Harcourt Directorate of the EFCC on the invitation of investigators handling his matter.

 

 

We reliably gathered that the former governor left the facility of the anti-graft agency at about 9 pm Wednesday night.

 

According to the source: “He left the facility at about 9 pm yesterday (Wednesday).

 

“Okowa is expected to return soon to provide documents and answer more questions before the matter will be charged to court”.

 

The former governor was alleged to have failed to render accounts of the 13% derivation funds as well as another N40 billion he allegedly claimed he used to acquire shares in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas.

 

 

Specifically, Okowa allegedly bought shares worth N40 billion in one of the major banks in the country representing 8% equity to float the offshore LNG. The funds were alleged to be used for other purposes, including acquiring estates in Abuja and Asaba in Delta state.

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Ifechukwude Okonjo: Man convicted of theft in US emerges traditional ruler in Nigeria

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1 day ago

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November 6, 2024

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When Ifechukwude Okonjo emerged as the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku in Delta State in September 2019, there was no indication that he had been convicted of a crime in the US.

Ogwa-Uku is a community in Anaocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria’s South-South.

Mr Okonjo succeeded his father, Chukuka Okonjo, a professor whose death was announced on 13 September 2019.

Findings by PREMIUM TIMES showed that he was crowned days after the death of his father.

Chukuka Okonjo the traditional ruler

Conviction in the US

According to court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Okonjo was convicted of theft in April 1997 at the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, State of Maryland, in the US.

The court documents showed that his younger brother, Onyema Okonjo, was also convicted of a similar offence on 23 January 1998.

Charges, arraignment and trial

Mr Okonjo was first criminally indicted on 20 April 1995 and summoned to appear before a judge the following day.

After initially failing to make his appearance on 12 August 1995, he finally showed up at the court on 14 July of this same year.

He was initially charged with theft and conspiracy to commit the crime with his younger brother, Onyema.

Specifically, the first count charge indicated that Mr Okonjo stole “assorted computers and computer peripheral equipment, the property of Digital Equipment Corporation, having the value of $300 or greater” between 23 January 1995 and 24 March 1995 in Montgomery County, Maryland.

According to the court document, the offence violated Article 27, Section 342 of the Annotated Code of Maryland and was against the peace, government, and dignity of the US state.

He was released on bail on “personal recognisance” after paying a $2,500 bail bond.

Then unemployed and single, Mr Okonjo resided with his elder sister, Ngozi Okonjo, at 7004 West Greenvale Parkway, Chary Chase, MD 20815, in the US.

Ngozi Okonjo, now popularly known as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been the director-general of the World Trade Organisation since March 2021.

At the time of the trial, Mr Okonjo was 30 and had lived in the US for nine years. He is now 57.

His brother, Onyema, was criminally indicted by the court on 18 October 1996, and a bench warrant was issued against him the same day.

By then, Onyema was 28 years old and married; he is now 55. He made his first court appearance on 14 November 1997.

His charge indicated that he committed the crime of theft and conspiracy between 28 October 1993 and 24 March 1995 in Montgomery County, Maryland.

According to the court documents, he claimed to be homeless at the time.

Like his brother, Onyema was released on bail on “personal recognisance.”

Mr Okonjo and Onyema were told that the condition of their release was that they should appear in court during sittings or their bail bond would be forfeited.

They were also told that failure to surrender themselves within 30 days after the bail forfeiture might cause them to be further charged, fined and/or imprisoned.

Sentencing

Mr Okonjo and Onyema, after their bail, separately failed to appear before the court on hearing and trial dates, forfeited their bail bonds and also “willfully” failed to surrender themselves within 30 days after the forfeiture, according to the court documents.

One of the documents indicated that Onyema left the US after being granted bail.

The court then separately charged and found Mr Okonjo and Onyema guilty of failing to surrender themselves within 30 days of their bail forfeiture.

Consequently, the court, on 29 April 1997, sentenced Mr Okonjo to six months imprisonment.

For the first count of theft of assorted computers worth $300, the court also sentenced Mr Okonjo to one-year imprisonment beginning from 4 April 1997, when the judgment was delivered.

The court documents did not indicate if the sentences were to run concurrently.

Similarly, the court, on 23 January 1998, sentenced Onyema to 57 days imprisonment.

It is unclear if Mr Okonjo and Onyema served their jail terms in the US or ran back to Nigeria, given that they had jumped bail before their conviction.

Honoured in Nigeria

In 2019, after their father’s death, Mr Okonjo and Onyema joined other princes in the contest for the traditional stool of the Ogwashi-Uku Community.

The community residents were unaware that the duo had been convicted of theft in the US.

After the contest, Mr Okonjo emerged as the community’s traditional ruler and was crowned days later.

He is now the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, the highest traditional authority in the community.

Petition to the SSS

The conviction of Mr Okonjo and Onyema im the US became public knowledge after some community members obtained certified true copies of the court judgment.

Some members of the community subsequently petitioned the Delta State Government and the State Security Service (SSS) and accused Mr Okonjo of engaging in land grabbing, illegal arms dealings, harassment of indigenes, and formation of armed militia groups, among others.

The petition to the SSS, dated 4 October 2024 and addressed to the SSS director-general, was authored by F.O. Okolie, a law firm, on behalf of some community members.

The community members on whose authority the petition was authored included Chiedu Enwenwa, Hyacinth Okolie, Ellen Adigwe and Bruce Ugo Emordi.

In the petition, the community members claimed that Mr Okonjo, Onyema and others recruited some unnamed gunmen from South-east Nigeria into the community’s vigilante security outfit.

They alleged that the recruited gunmen were being used to forcefully take over people’s landed property and also to commit violent crimes such as kidnapping and murder.

They also claimed that the duo and others were using police operatives to intimidate community members, alleging that the issue had earlier been reported to the police authorities in Nigeria and that no action had been taken.

They expressed fear that, given the current tension, the community was on the verge of being thrown into war and a breakdown of law and order.

The community members, in the petition, appealed to the SSS to investigate all the community vigilante groups and palace guards as well as the alleged kidnap and murder of some indigenes of the community.

They also called for an investigation into Mr Okonjo’s alleged “illegitimate dealings in prohibited firearms” allegedly imported into the community by gunmen.

Palace speaks

On 31 October, a PREMIUM TIMES reporter contacted Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, Mr Okonjo’s palace secretary, to seek to speak with the traditional ruler about the allegations.

After dismissing Mr Okonjo’s conviction for theft as untrue, Mr Emordi promised to get the traditional ruler to speak with our reporter on the phone.

Minutes later, Onyema phoned our reporter and claimed, without evidence, that the petitioners were not representatives of Ogwashi-Uku.

Regarding the allegations of land grabbing, he claimed that all lands in Ogwashi-Uku are held in trust by the traditional ruler in accordance with the community’s traditions and customs.

“That’s our land tenure system. Obi doesn’t have to grab any land that is under his custody,” he said.

He said the SSS should be allowed to investigate the allegation of recruiting gunmen into the community’s vigilante groups and harassment of indigenes.

When quizzed about the conviction of the traditional ruler in the US, he responded, “We are not aware of that.”

Our reporter again requested to speak with the traditional ruler. Onyema promised to inform the traditional ruler and revert. But he did not get back to the reporter.

When contacted again on 6 November, nearly a week after, he claimed Mr Okonjo was busy and not available to speak on the issues.

Onyema said he might get another person to respond before the end of the week if the traditional ruler remained unavailable.

When our reporter informed him that court documents shows that he too was convicted in the US, Onyema retorted, “I can’t speak to all of these issues.”

“We will get back to you to try to clear the air as far as any of these issues are concerned,” he added.

Commission of enquiry

In response to the petition, the Delta State Government set up a commission of enquiry to investigate the allegations against the traditional ruler, particularly on land-related issues.

The commission is expected to begin a public hearing on Thursday and conclude it on 20 November 2024, according to an announcement from the Secretary to the commission, Gabriel Eze-Owenz, a lawyer.

SEE COURT DOCUMENT BELOW

DOCUMENT 1 

DOCUMENT 2

DOCUMENT 3 

 

SOURCE: PREMIUM TIMES

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OANDO WINS ‘DEAL OF THE YEAR’ AWARD AT AFRICA ENERGY WEEK 2024

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1 day ago

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November 6, 2024

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Oando Plc, Africa’s leading energy solutions provider listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX) and Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is pleased to announce that the Company has emerged winner of the ‘Deal of the Year’ award at Africa Energy Week (AEW) 2024.

The Africa Energy Chamber (AEC), the organisers of the annual week-long oil and gas conference, hosted and recognised different stakeholders at a Gala and Award night held at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CITCC), on Tuesday, 5 November, 2024.

In a category comprising other high-profile deals in the sector and across Africa, Oando won the award in recognition of the Company’s recently completed landmark $783 million acquisition of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) from the Italian Energy firm Eni on 22 August, 2024.

This acquisition, 10 years in the making since Oando’s initial entry into the ConocoPhillips/NAOC/NNPC Joint Venture (JV) in 2014 when the Company acquired ConocoPhillips Nigeria business, doubled the company’s stake in the JV to 40% and operator of the assets.

In receiving the award, the Company’s Group Chief Executive, Wale Tinubu, remarked “We are delighted and honoured to receive the ‘Deal of the Year’ award from Africa Energy Week. It’s been a remarkable year on many fronts. First, we marked our 30th anniversary as a business, then concluded our strategic plan to acquire our second IOC in a decade, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and step up to the role of operator.

“This award is more than just an accolade for a successful deal closure; it represents a public acknowledgement of the culmination of 30 years of grit, hard work, resilience, and sheer belief in our vision. It is a testament to my belief that with the #HumansOfOando, impossible is nothing. I’d like to thank the dream team, the #HumansOfOando, our financiers, and partners for their belief and role in making this award a reality.”

The acquisition is the culmination of a decade of preparation, strategic planning, and unwavering commitment to a vision of becoming Africa’s first indigenous International Oil Company.

It is a testament to the organisation’s 30-year journey spanning the entire energy value chain, with consistent and deliberate actions at each stage that have led to the advancement of indigenous participation in the industry.

The Deal of the Year award “recognises the most transformative and impactful deal in the energy sector – honouring excellence in negotiation, strategic alignment, innovation and collaboration – and celebrates deals that drive advancements in energy and economic growth.”

With this year’s AEW theme of “Invest in Africa Energies: Energy Growth Through an Enabling Environment”, the AEC, through the AEW Awards 2024, recognised other persons, International (IOCs) and National Oil Companies (NOCs) across the continent through awards in 10 categories.

 

Tinubu at the event also delivered a key note address with the topic, Transforming Africa’s Oil and Gas landscape through strategic Merger and Acqusition.

During the address he noted that indigenous companies contribute approximately 30% of the country’s crude oil production and hold around 40% of the total oil reserves. Additionally, they account for 60% of the country’s gas production and approximately 32% of gas reserves. This data underscores the growing significance of local players in the African oil and gas sector.

He also highlighted improvements in the business environment, citing the improved Ease of Doing Business driven by recent reforms that have attracted increased investments in energy. Tinubu pointed to the successful Implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which has established a regulatory framework that enhances transparency and boosts investor confidence.

Tinubu’s remarks included a call for enhanced collaboration among policymakers, investors, and oil and gas companies to foster the growth of indigenous firms through supportive regulations, financing access, and technology transfer. He urged stakeholders to focus on leveraging M&As to diversify and expand capabilities within the sector while emphasizing the need to strengthen Africa’s institutional and financing capacity for local firms.

As Oando continues on its growth trajectory, Tinubu’s insights served as a powerful reminder of the strategic importance of indigenous companies in Africa’s energy transformation and the collective effort required to drive sustainable development across the continent.

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