By Victor Ikem
Tall, smart, elegant and savvy; these are the words that best describe Igbere born businessman who has been instrumental to so many successful deals in the oil and gas sector as the managing director and ceo of Ceecon Energy Oil and Gas limited.
Born under a heavily influenced entrepreneurial environment in Enyimba City, Aba, Chima Anyaso not only took to business early in life, as his father was also a successful business man in Aba, but he took his time to go to the university first where he earned a bachelors degree. In his characteristically inquisitive nature, as soon as he graduated, he travelled to Lagos to begin his journey into business and soon found a break in the oil and gas industry. At the age of 30, while so many young men would still be trying to find their feet in life, Chima Anyaso had made his first billion and emerged as one of Nigeria’s young entrepreneur and business leader.
Encouraged by his successful ventures, Chima Anyaso was soon to venture into philanthropy. Through his initiatives in education, the Ahuoma Anyaso Educational Foundation was founded. The foundation which provide free school, free feeding and conducive learning atmosphere for indigent students has earned the recognition of the various international bodies.
Although richly blessed, Chima Anyaso has more compassion and love for the poor that can equate to his wealth. He is seen donating to good causes around his native Abia state and around Nigeria, including some parts of Africa where he has identified people with urgent needs.
Not satisfied with the progress he has recorded as an individual, Chima Anyaso sort a platform to mobilize society into more inclusive drive for progress. He joined other like minds to found the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum, NYPF through which platform he began a subtle but noticeable advocacy towards public reorientation and promotion of excellence is service in both private and public sectors.
Not done yet, he alongside others founded the New Nigerian Movement NN19, a political pressure group committed to advancing the inclusive participation of youth in politics. That group became instrumental in the advocacy that latter resulted to the passage of the Not Too Young to Run Bill which was recently accented to by president Mohammed Buhari.
A firm believer that government should work for the benefit of the people and that the legislature is the bedrock of effective democracy, Chima Anyaso has recently indicated interest to run for the Bende federal house of representative’s seat under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. Despite entreaties from various other political parties within Abia state, he prefers to stick with the PDP because of his firm believes in the party structure in the state and the good relationship that he has earned from party leaders, especially the Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu
For his numerous contributions to humanitarian services, Chima Anyaso has received so many awards and recognitions, among which is Forbes rated African Achievers Award given at the British Parliament. In presenting him with that award, the awardees described the Community Impact Award under which category Chima Anyaso was awarded as a coveted award category only reserved for individuals who have made significant selfless contributions to communities, reserved only for individuals who have shown commitment towards changing the lives of the less privileged in no small measures and that goes in recognition of Chima Anyaso’s life changing initiatives towards poverty reduction, youth empowerment, girl child education and skill acquisitions programs.
Married to a daughter of Nigeria’s outstanding politician and administrator, Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe, Chima Anyaso is poised to offer a bold and differentiated political dividends built on the principle of inclusiveness, growth and entrepreneurship. At 38 and still waxing strong in business, Chima is not only tall physically, but he is articulate about his tall vision for a new Bende and Abia, and thoughtful of the poor in the society with a drive to reduce poverty.
Victor U. IKEM who is a public policy analyst lives in Lagos
