Orji Uzor Kalu

Orji Uzor Kalu Biography / Profile

Orji Uzor Kalu was born in the industrial city of Aba, Abia State, Nigeria, to Chief Tom Ikoro Orji and Lady Eunice Uzor Kalu on April 21st, 1960. A native of Igbere, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, Kalu's father was a very influential colonial warrant chief who built the first storey building in Umuahia as early as the 1930s but was highly acclaimed for his insistence on discipline

Uzor Kalu is a business tycoon cum politician who served as the Governor of Abia State in Eastern Nigeria from 29th May 1999, to 29th May 2007. He is the chairman of SLOK Holding and the Daily Sun and New Telegraph newspapers in Nigeria, both of which are popular firms across Africa.

Orji Uzor Kalu Age

Orji Uzor Kalu is 63 years old.

Orji Uzor Kalu Early Life

Kalu went through his academic career at Christ the King School, Aba for his primary education, Eziama High School, Aba and Government College, Umuahia for secondary education and tertiary education at University of Maiduguri to study Political Science. He left the University to study at the Abia State Universuty, Uturu, where he obtained his degree. He also obtained a degree in Business Administration from Harvard University. The University of Maiduguri later honoured him with a doctorate degree.

Orji Uzor Kalu Career

Kalu went on to establish his own company and he named it SLOK Holding- a conglomerate that would comprise other thriving companies like Ojialex Furniture Company, SLOK Nigeria, Limited, SLOK United Kingdom Limited, Adamawa Publishers Limited, SLOK Vegetable Oil, Aba, SLOK Paper Factory, Aba, SLOK United States Incorporated, SLOK Ghana, Togo, Cotonou, Guinea, South Africa, Liberia, Botswana, SLOK Korea, Supreme Oil Limited, SLOK Airlines, Sun Publishing Limited, and First International Bank Limited.

He eventually stretched out into Newspaper business and heads quite a number of prestigious News Paper’s in the country including the Daily Sun and the New Telegraph both of which are very much respected and renowned. His company, SLOK Holding, is a Nigerian owned syndicate with webs in just about every sector and a significant presence in West Africa. It has operations in Oil and gas, banking and finance, media and publishing, real estate, trading, manufacturing, insurance and tourism.

SLOK Holding also owns SLOK Nigeria Ltd. SLOK Nigeria owns, operates and manages its own fleet and is the largest indigenous company in Nigeria that can boast of that feat. The company is basically into marine transport services and as such it is involved in operations like offshore support and deep sea transportation within the Nigerian coastal and inland waterways. He also made a sizeable amount of money in the early 80’s from the contracts he was awarded by the Nigerian military government to import and supply arms and ammunition to the country’s military and defense forces.

Kalu later ventured into politics and became the governor of Abia Sate of Nigeria from May 29th 1999 to May 29th 2007. During his time as governor, he was pivotal to the 2003 and 2004 CAF Champions League of Enyimba FC of Aba, Abia State. He was later honoured with the Pillar of Sports in Nigeria. In 2007, he attempted to become president of Nigeria under the Progressive People's Alliance (PPA), but came 4th in an election won by People's Democratic Party's Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. As governor, he was succeeded by Theodore Orji.

Kalu belongs to many professional and trade bodies which includes, Nigerian Institute of Directors, Nigerian Association of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria, Nigeria-Philippines Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nigeria Importers and Exporters Association, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria-Israel Association, Spartansburg Chamber of Commerce S.C. USA and Association of Nigerian Products Exporters, Nigeria. He was a member of the National Sports Commission under the chairmanship of Chief S.B. Williams between 1989 and 1990, and Federal Government Commission on the Re-grading of Traditional Rulers.

Orji Uzor Kalu Personal Life

In December 1989, Kalu married Ifeoma Ada Menakaya, and together they have four children - three daughters, Neya Kalu, Nicole Kalu, Olivia Kalu and a son Michael Uzor Kalu. During his wife's time as First Lady of Abia State, she rarely made public appearances. At the time, her reserved personality gave rise to several theories bordering on her absence from the social and political scenes.

In the year 2014, Forbes listed Kalu as the 26th richest man in Africa. His net worth recently took a devastating plunge from $1billion to $330million as an effect of weakness in the oil business and a drop in real estate prices.

Orji Uzor Kalu Awards

A Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), Kalu has been a recepient of numerous awards. Some of them include; the youngest Nigerian to receive the National Merit Award when he received the award at the age of 26 from President Ibrahim Babangida in 1986, the Humanitarian Award of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Humanitarain Club, the Volunteer Award of the International Association of Volunteers, and the National Merit AWard.