Innocent Chukwuma

Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma (popularly known as Innoson) was born on October 1st, 1961 in his hometown of Umudim in Nnewi North local government area of Anambra State, Nigeria. He is a business mogul, investor and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, Nigeria’s first indigenous automobile manufacturing company.

Innocent Chukwuma Age

Innocent Chukwuma is 63 years old.

Innocent Chukwuma Early Life

Innocent was born as the last in a family of six. He had his primary and secondary education in Uru-Umudim Nnewi, Anambra State.  In 1978 after he was done with his secondary school education, Innocent applied to study Engineering at the university. He waited for a while to get his admission results before resorting to work at his elder brother’s (Gabriel) medicine store. When his university application results were finally out, he didn’t make the cut, and so couldn’t get in that year.

While he worked for his brother, he realised he had a natural talent for trading, and so moved on to serve Chief Romanus Eze Onwuka, where he learnt a trade. A year later, in 1979, Innocent left his boss and returned to his brother, Gabriel. During which he registered a business called Gabros International. The business was funded by his brother to the tune of 3,000 Naira ($10; which had a considerably higher value back then), and traded in motorcycle spare parts.

With total freedom to run the business his own way, Innocent rented a shop and started purchasing merchandise. By the end of 1980, Innocent and his elder brother, Gabriel, took a thorough account of everything the medicine store and the spare part business were making, and realised that Gabros International was making 10 times more money than the medicine store.

Innocent Chukwuma Career

In 1981, Innocent began dealing in spare parts. His business has since expanded into four manufacturing companies namely: Innoson Nigeria Limited Nnewi, manufacturers of motorcycles, tri-cycles, spare parts and accessories; Innoson Tech. & Industries Co. Ltd Enugu, manufacturers of Household and Industrial Plastics, Health & Safety accessories, Storage containers, Fixtures & Fittings, Electrical components & accessories; Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Nnewi, manufacturers of Capacity City bus, Mini & Midi buses, Pick-Up trucks and Garbage Collecting vehicles; General Tyres & Tubes Co. Limited Enugu, manufacturers of Tyres and Tubes.

Innocent later founded a vehicle manufacturing company called Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), which manufactures trucks, SUVs, buses, sedans, and even spare parts for the Nigerian army’s fighter jets. Presently, the company has made in-road into some African countries such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, Chad, Niger, and Togo. His main focus was to prove to people that Nigerians can do it. According to him, the inspiration to go into vehicle manufacturing was drawn from a desire to see Nigerians drive new cars instated the scraped one we see on the road every day. According to him in an interview with Vanguard he says “Nigeria has become a dumping ground for second hand cars. I know it was the high price of new vehicles that made Nigerians resort to patronising old vehicles, but since we decided to manufacture the vehicles here, the price is affordable, and our people can drive new vehicles again,”

At the inception of his vehicle manufacturing company, there was lot of challenges because some people felt it won’t work, but today, he is the first black man to embark on such a venture. His company has provided job for many Nigerians, employing over 7,400. He was appointed Deputy Chairman, Board of Trustees National Coalition for Jonathan and Sambo Presidency, a group setup to promote the election of the former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan.

Innocent Chukwuma Personal Life

He is married to Married to Mrs. Ebele Chukwuma and they are blessed with children. In December 2017, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested Mr. Innocent. The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement, said he had earlier jumped an administrative bail. He was picked up at about 11am at his Savage Crescent, GRA Enugu residence on Tuesday December 19th, 2017. Mr. Chukwuma said that his wife was slapped while his four-month-old grandson and staff members were tear-gassed by EFCC operatives after forcefully gaining entrance to his house.

Innocent Chukwuma Awards

• Honorary Life Vice President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (NACCIMA)
• Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA)
• Most Outstanding Indigenous Entrepreneur in the Manufacturing Sector by Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (NACCIMA)
• Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR)

Innocent Chukwuma Net Worth

Innocent Chukwuma is estimated to have a net worth of about $1.5 Billion

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