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Igho Charles Sanomi (born 17 May 1975) is a Nigerian billionaire businessman, geologist, public speaker and philanthropist with business interests in oil, power, logistics, telecommunications, the maritime industry, aviation Eand real estate.


Background

Igho Charles Sanomi II was born in
Agbor Agbor is the most populous city among the Ika people. It is located in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, in South-south geo-political zone of Nigeria, West Africa. Agbor is the headquarters of Ika South Local Government Area, in ...
, Delta State, Nigeria, the fifth child and first son of a Catholic family. His father, Dickens Ogheneruemu Patrick Sanomi, was the second national vice-president of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) and a retired Assistant
Inspector General of Police An Inspector General of Police is a senior police officer in the police force or police service of several nations. The rank usually refers to the head of a large regional command within a police service, and in many countries refers to the most se ...
(AIG) in the
Nigeria Police Force The Nigeria Police Force is the principal law enforcement and the lead security agency in Nigeria. Designated by the 1999 constitution as the national police of Nigeria with exclusive jurisdiction throughout the country, as at 2016 it has a s ...
. His mother, Mabel Iyabo Sanomi, is a ''yeye jemo'' (
tribal chief A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribe The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia. Tribal societies are sometimes categorized as ...
) of the Isotun
Ijesha The Ijesha (written as Ìjẹ̀ṣà in Yoruba orthography) are a sub-ethnicity of the Yorubas of West Africa. Ilesha is the largest town and historic cultural capital of the Ijesha people, and is home to a kingdom of the same name, ruled by an ...
kingdom in
Osun State Osun State (; yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Ọ̀ṣun), occasionally known as the State of Osun by the state government, is a state in southwestern Nigeria; bounded to the east by Ekiti and Ondo states, to the north by Kwara State, to the south by Ogun S ...
in south-western Nigeria and a former nurse. Sanomi received a bachelor's degree in geology and mining from the
University of Jos The University of Jos, abbreviated as Unijos, is a Federal University in Jos, Plateau State, central Nigeria. History What became the University of Jos was established in November 1971 from the satellite campus of the University of Ibadan. ...
,
Plateau State Plateau State is the twelfth-largest Nigerian state. It is in the centre of the country includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau, its capital, and the entire plateau itself. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and To ...
, in Nigeria's
Middle Belt The Middle Belt (also spelt Middle-Belt or Central Nigeria) is a term used in human geography to designate a belt region stretching across central Nigeria longitudinally and forming a transition zone between Northern and Southern Nigeria. It ...
.


Career

Sanomi founded Taleveras Group (a Nigerian energy-trading company) in 2004. According to ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'', Taleveras ''Venture-Africa'', a bimonthly Pan-African business magazine about African capitalism, described the group as On 30 July 2013, Taleveras Group acquired Afam Power. It was one of the Nigerian companies reportedly awarded oil-lifting contracts in the federal government's bid, through the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC Limited is a for profit oil company in Nigeria. Formerly a government-owned corporation, it was transformed from a corporation to a limited liability company in July 2022. NNPC Limited is the only entity licensed to operate in the country' ...
(NNPC), to award nearly half of the 2012–2013 lifting contracts (worth $60 billion) to indigenous companies—promoting local content and "downsizing contracts awarded to international oil traders". In October of that year, Taleveras Group signed a technical agreement with
Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...
Group for the rehabilitation and expansion of the 776-megawatt Afam power plant in
Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa Ib ...
.
Patrick Kron Patrick Kron (born 26 September 1953) was the chairman and chief executive (Président-directeur général) of the French engineering conglomerate Alstom. Alstom is most well known for its Eurostar and TGV trains, and is headquartered at Levall ...
, chairman and chief executive (''président-directeur général'') of the French engineering conglomerate, signed the agreement with Taleveras Group during his visit with Nigerian president
Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957)Lawson Heyford, ''The Source'' (Lagos), 11 December 2006. is a Nigerian politician who served as the President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to fo ...
, Nigerian business leaders and members of the international business community in
Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
, Nigeria.


Philanthropy

Sanomi and his siblings founded the Dickens Sanomi Foundation (DSF) in 2011 to commemorate the life of their father, and he is the foundation's chairman. The DSF, funded by Taleveras Group and the Midel Group, limits its activities to Nigeria.


Essay competition

In 2014, the Dickens Sanomi Foundation began sponsoring an annual essay competition open to all Nigerian secondary-school pupils. The competition, which has attracted as many as 250 entries, is divided into junior and senior secondary-school students. The first prize for the winner of each group is a scholarship, and the schools attended by the winners receive grants for facilities such as computer equipment.


Flood aid

The foundation's Project Rescue 10,000 Flood Victims aided about 12,300 people displaced by floods which ravaged communities in Delta State in October 2012, donating food and relief material worth millions of
naira The naira (sign: ₦; code: NGN) is the currency of Nigeria. One naira is divided into 100 ''kobo''. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is the sole issuer of legal tender money throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It controls the volume ...
to flood victims at settlements in the Ughelli, Ewu, Arhavwarhien, Orere and Okparabe communities and the
Ughelli North Ughelli North is a Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the city of Ughelli. It has an area of 818 km2 and a population of 321,028 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 333. Notable towns in ...
and
South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
local government areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The phrase i ...
of Delta State. According to a ''
Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...
'' report, "The displaced persons were rescued in 500 seater engine and speed boats from communities in Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Patani, Isoko North, Isoko South and Burutu Local Government Areas of Delta State and were subsequently taken to some government designated camps". ''
This Day ''This Day'' is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos State. Founded by Nduka Obaigbena, the Chairman & Editor-in ...
'' society editor, Lanre Alfred, wrote: "The Dickens Sanomi Foundation gave out a comprehensive funding package worth over ₦100 million to flood victims in Delta and Bayelsa State, as part of its intervention programme to mitigate the effects of the devastating flood on the people".


Non-governmental organisations

Through the Dickens Sanomi Foundation, Sanomi has reportedly pledged a "substantial grant" to the Bobby Moore Fund for cancer research in the UK "to help fund vital prostate cancer research" and received the Martin Luther King Legacy Award for philanthropy. The foundation also pledged funds to Save the Children and
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...
. Sanomi was appointed to the West Africa Book Development Fund's advisory board. He became the honorary chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Salute Committee, taking over from the late
Ade Adefuye Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye (January 1947 – August 27, 2015) was a Nigerian historian and diplomat. Academic career Born in Ijebu-Igbo, Adefuye attended the University of Ibadan, first graduating in 1969. He obtained a Ph.D in history from the ...
. Sanomi co-sponsored the
Dance Theatre of Harlem Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) is an American professional ballet company and school based in Harlem, New York City. It was founded in 1969 under the directorship of Arthur Mitchell and later partnered with Karel Shook. Milton Rosenstock served a ...
's first Latin American tour in
Tegucigalpa Tegucigalpa (, , ), formally Tegucigalpa, Municipality of the Central District ( es, Tegucigalpa, Municipio del Distrito Central or ''Tegucigalpa, M.D.C.''), and colloquially referred to as ''Tegus'' or ''Teguz'', is the capital and largest city ...
from 31 January to 6 February 2014. According to a press release on the U. S. Embassy website, "DTH's trip was also made possible by Igho Charles Sanomi II, Executive Director of Taleveras Group." Sanomi is involved in the Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC), a non-governmental organisation with a mission "to promote sustainable programs and activities that will ensure a better life for the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC)", through his company's partnership.


Sports

Sanomi presented a ₦10 million cheque to Delta State Sports Commissioner Amaju Pinnick, pledging his support for the first Africa Youth Athletics Championships in
Warri The city of Warri is an oil hub within South-South Nigeria and houses an annex of the Delta State Government House. Warri City is one of the major hubs of the petroleum industry in Nigeria. Warri and her twin city, Uvwie are the commercial c ...
in 2010: "We share in the vision of Delta State in many aspects, especially in the area of sports development". Pinnick commended Taleveras for its contribution to sports. Sanomi is a polo enthusiast. Taleveras participated in the 2010 Kaduna International Polo Tourney and sponsored the 2011 tournament.


Honours

In the first edition its ''Choiseul 100 Africa'', published in September 2014, the
Institut Choiseul for International Politics and Geoeconomics Headquartered in the heart of Paris, France, Institut Choiseul for International Politics and Geoeconomics is an independent research center that analyzes international relations, economic and political strategies as well as international culture ...
ranked Sanomi number one among "growing business leaders, successful entrepreneurs, investors, etc." who "embody the dynamism and renewal of a whole continent and carry the hopes of an entire generation". The list "identifies and ranks the young African leaders of 40 years old and under, who will play a major role in the development of Africa in the near future". He also topped the 2015 list. In 2013, Sanomi was nominated by Nigeria's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment for a post on the Nigeria-South Africa Business Council. He received a Corporate/Friends of the Police Award at the first Police Sports Awards on 28 February 2014 in
Abuja Abuja () is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated at the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Plann ...
. Sanomi was cited by ''Forbes'' as one of "Ten Young African Millionaires To Watch in 2013", and was ranked one of Africa's top 25 oil and gas leaders of that year by ''African Leadership'' magazine. He received ''Mode Men'' magazine's Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2012. Sanomi was a speaker at the 2014 Africa Global Business Forum in Dubai, and was scheduled to speak again at the forum the following year. He is a recipient of the African Leadership Award. Sanomi received the 2014 Africa's Emerging Community Development Icon Award, and was granted honorary citizenship in the U.S. state Of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
.


References


External links



Igho Sanomi Official Website

Taleveras Group Official Website

Dickens Sanomi Official Webpage {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanomi, Igho 1975 births Living people 20th-century Nigerian businesspeople 21st-century Nigerian businesspeople Nigerian businesspeople in the oil industry Nigerian company founders Nigerian engineers Nigerian philanthropists University of Jos alumni Urhobo people Yoruba businesspeople Yoruba philanthropists Nigerian chairpersons of corporations