By Jennifer Y Omiloli
Uchechukwu S. Ogah, appointed minister of state mines and steel (born 22 December 1969) is a Nigerian oil magnate, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist.
Ogah is the President of Master Energy Group, a conglomerate with over 15 subsidiaries and interests across a variety of industries.
Ogah holds the Nigerian national honour, the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
Ogah was born to Chief Wilson and Ezinne Pauline Ogah of Onuaku Uturu,Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State.
Ogah attended Ishiagu High School, after which he worked at West African Examination Council (WAEC) from 1986–89, before he proceeded to the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu State where he obtained Upper Credit at Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in 1992 and Distinction at the Higher National Diploma (HND) Level in 1995 in Accounting.
He also attended University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) where he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in 2005.
He also has a Bachelor of Science degree (Banking and Finance) from Ogun State University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Lagos.
Ogah obtained his ACA in 2007. He is a Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN);Fellow, Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria; Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Shipping; Fellow, Employment & Career and member, Chartered Institute of Bankers.
Ogah began his career as a banker with a year of National Youth Service year at NAL Bank Plc.
Thereafter, he took up full employment at All States Trust Bank where he worked for around two years before joining Zenith Bank in 1997.
At Zenith Bank, he set a record of growing a new branch from zero balance sheets to over N9 billion and rose to the position of an Assistant General Manager (AGM) in Zenith Bank.
In December, 2001, Ogah established Uche Ogah Foundation which aims to provide empowerment, poverty alleviation, and providing education for the less privileged.[8]
He had sponsored free medical services in different parts of Nigeria, in addition to building and equipping a number of modern hospitals in his native community, Uturu and other communities in Nigeria.
He also partnered with a number of medical centres, including the Hopeville Rehabilitation Centre, to fabricate artificial limbs and calipers for people with a disability.
