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Johnbosco Obinna Onunkwo’s name is synonymous with philanthropy and humanitarian services. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but his effort, coupled with providence, has earned him a golden life. It offered him a place of honour and recognition where a few of his contemporaries tread.

He advocates the Biblical injunction, “do not despise the days of little beginning.” He backed up the Biblical order by imbibing the principle of “to be like a millionaire, think like a millionaire.” Considering his background, he made up his mind to carve a niche for himself by sowing the seeds of hard work and perseverance.        

 

“One thing is unique; despite my family’s lean resources, l never presented myself as someone managing life. I wanted no one to see it as such. I started in primary school to do what l called packaging. I have never presented myself as the son of a teacher or a civil servant. I looked like the son of a millionaire because I packaged myself like you would think I was from a rich background and the only way to survive is to start doing something that will be giving me a little money. I started thinking big at an early age with diversification.”

Chief Onunkwo’s life tells of a story of one whose life inspires others, particularly, youths, who wallow in despair or are frightened by prevailing economic circumstances to make a daring move towards actualising their dreams. As a child, he cannot forget the experience of his parents living with lean resources. It still stares him in the face, propelling him to this day to continue to advance his lot in life.

“When I attained the age of reason, I discovered that my parents measured whatever the family consumed. We don’t have anything in abundance. We had to manage everything. My father would always tell us that they are civil servants suffering under the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). The austerity measure was introduced in the 1980s by the Gen Ibrahim Babangida regime. 

“My father made me understand that I needed to start on time to find my footing in life. My parents are teachers; the family always looked for ways to augment my parents’ salaries as civil servants. From my childhood, I remember, sometimes, after school, we go to the farm to fetch palm nuts and fruits to sell at Nkwo Umuchu. Besides, we go there to sell one or two things to make money. In the process of doing that, I started raising pigeons. I started with two, and it grew to 70 plus. I engaged in it up to the time I got to university.”

The Umuchu, Aguata, Local Government Area-born philanthropist is a practicing Electrical/Electronic Engineer and business mogul who strives to make a difference in people’s lives. He started his journey to significance on October 31, 1975. His father was a retired school principal and his mother was a former headmistress. He began his education at Central School Umuchu, and continued at Union Primary School, AdaziNnukwu, where he sat for his First School Leaving Certificate. He started his secondary school education at Model Comprehensive Secondary School, Neni, and finished at St. Theresa’s College, Nsukka, in 1991. 

Thirst for tertiary education took him to Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) from where he graduated with a degree in Electronics/Electronics Engineering in 1999. His interest and desire in politics and leadership started at NAU when he became Deputy Senate President of the students union.

Campus life prepared him for a more meaningful life. He pursued his academic career while being humble enough to engage in some jobs to earn money. “When I got to university, I had a friend, and that’s because I believe in making friends with wealthy people; anybody that comes from a rich family, I wanted him to be my friend. I had to follow them, wash their father’s cars, and do one or two things for them so that they would give me money. I had a friend whose mother had a big restaurant in Onitsha. During weekends and holidays, I went there to wash plates and serve and get tips from some customers. I enjoyed those tips, and when going back to school, she gave us money to make up.”

When he went to the village and noticed that his father was asleep, he used his father’s car for a taxi. Before he woke up, he would fill the car’s fuel tank, and give out some money for family use, keeping the little change for himself. “My life has been like that. Some people would look at me and say ‘nwaonyenkuzi; son of a teacher you live big.’ I said, yes that my father is extraordinary.”

His advice to youths; “Restrategise, this country is a blessed country for those who are hardworking. I started thinking big in childhood. I studied engineering majorly because I decided to study a course that would make me financially independent. Otherwise, I would have taken my father’s path.”

“Many youths want to succeed, but they want it at once, but it doesn’t happen that way. You have to start small. Work hard, if you make yourself exceptionally good at something, people will look for you. Even if you are lazy, befriend a wealthy man’s son or daughter if you are a woman. Let the guy give you access to his father. 

Do something for them in a special way; something that is extraordinary that will make you welcome. Befriend people that have a future and not otherwise. If you want to be successful, go to people who are already there and key in. They wouldn’t want to associate with you, but they will allow you when they see you are serious. Nobody wants to be identified with liability, but when they see that you are an asset, they will accept you.’'

“My father had a man he trained who worked in NNPC, MrNwobodo from Achina.  Each time we went to the man’s house to see him; we had to pass through protocols. The man is wealthy. I decided to be like him; consequently, I had to work in an oil company. Oil companies employ 80-90 per cent science inclined people; I read a science-related course. Since they employed 80 per cent engineers; I read engineering. That made me study electrical/electronics.”

I did the mandatory in the National Youth Service Corps programme in Rivers State. In 2001, Milyke Investments Ltd employed him as the head of operations, from where he joined Nigeria Agip Oil Company as a  Global Maintenance Engineer in 2003 and then became a Rotating Mechanical Engineer. In  2008, he took a programme on  Positive Organizational  Politics as well as  Team Development,  Capital  Project  Evaluation and Decision Making in the oil industry at  Paradigm  Service  LTD, in  Manchester, England, to enhance his professionalism.

As a young man growing up, Onunkwo attributes the enormous influence of Gianni Ayozini, in his life. “He transformed me. He made me understand how to identify my potential. He made me stand strong on my talents and strongholds. He made me understand that to excel in life; I must do away with my liabilities, know my assets and the value of work, and above all, know how to cushion the shock-absorbing system. He taught me all these, including how to have stoic skin. He has been a wonderful father to me.”

His philanthropy was drawn from his parents as the driving force, “My parents believe in helping people no matter how little to the extent that we manage food, but when we have guests, we taste better meals. My father would tell us, to let them eat very well not to think that we are managing. My father believes in almsgiving. I imbibed it from my parents and have taken it to another level. I like helping people, and doing that is sowing seeds. I do it for the sake of God. And when I give, and people want to use it to punish me, the grace in me will disgrace the person or such people.

“I made a covenant with God to help people, and many people seem not to understand that as my driving force. I serve God with my resources in church, my foundation, and through other philanthropic and humanitarian means. I started helping people from my nuclear family to the kindred, village, and later, my town, which I have done for the past 15 years. I extended it to the state level and now at the federal level. I have a reality TV show called ‘Strongest States Nigeria’ that aims to inspire people via cultural exhibition, to identify our unity in diversity and live in peace.”

The philanthropist par excellence says he has no regret in life; pointing out that he wasn’t happy with the turnout of some events but has learnt not to regret things that he cannot change. He strives to take life from more positive angles than otherwise. His work ethic includes; hard work, goal-orientated, the right attitude, commitment, perseverance, and humility. His philosophy about life is doing good and avoiding evil. If Chief Onunkwo has the power to change one thing instantly, he said it would be to alleviate people’s sufferings and make the world a better place.  

His JohnBosco Onunkwo Foundation primarily covers four sectors - health, education, Community Development, and Humanitarian Services. 

His foundation’s health sector has donated home kits for blood pressure and blood sugar tests, offered free outpatient consultations and drugs, free eye tests, free reading glasses, and free cataract surgeries to the masses.

On education: The foundation has given scholarships to over 100 students in tertiary institutions as well as paid school fees and registered students in post-primary schools to take their Senior School Certificate Exams. 

The foundation also holds her annual education project – PROJECT BACK TO SCHOOL, which provides school bags, textbooks, writing materials, and other learning aids to primary school pupils in Anambra State. This exercise aims to reduce the parents’ economic burden as the children resume a new school session.

The education arm of the foundation also offers youth empowerment/ skill acquisition. In 2017, the foundation hosted ‘The New Conversation’ for youths in Anambra State to educate them and create awareness of their need to participate in the country’s political exercises.    

In 2019, ‘The New Conversation 2’ taught and encouraged, and gave budding entrepreneurs opportunities on other means of survival other than depending on the government.

In community development, the foundation made provision for sporting facilities (Premier Court of Amawbia City Sports club, Awka, Ultra-Modern Bus Station, Unizik, Awka, and provision of transformers to boost electricity. It has conducted seminars for the improvement of social values in society. The foundation donated N2 Million to the Ochanja Market fire outbreak victims and provided over 10,000 fire extinguishers to various Anambra State markets.  

His selfless and humanitarian services earned traditional recognition of Aka Ekpuchi Onwa of Umuchu, Ochendo Ndigbo; Ochendo Nri, Dike EjiEjemba Igboland, among others. 

Career-wise, Onunkwo is a member of, Society for Petroleum Engineers (MSPE), member, Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Member, Council for the Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria, among others.    

Given Johnbosco’s philanthropic nature, he has received several awards: Outstanding Philanthropist of the year 2009 by Anambra to the World Organisation. Philanthropy Hero of the Year 2019 by the Nigerian Philanthropy Awards in September 2019.

The Student Union Government, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, honoured him with the Most Student and Youth Friendly Personality Award 2019. The University’s Faculty of Environmental Science, June 2019 honoured him with the Environmental Ambassador Award. He was installed as Grand Patron, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, National Youth Wing in July 2019. 

His local government of Aguata Award for Excellence for his numerous contributions to the development of the area in 2019.Aguata Peace Icon Award in recognition of his contribution to the development and peace in Aguata.  Eastern Heritage Awards honoured him with a Special Recognition Award for Humanitarian Service by. In 2018, the New Telegraph honoured him with the Outstanding Humanitarian of the Year. He was featured in the top 100 Most Influential Young Nigerians in 2018.

The high-flying humanitarian is happily married to DrElfredaEkinedonoseOnunkwo, a beauty he described as very patient and understanding. “Initially, I prayed to have a wife that will understand me; a wife that will understand the nature of my work and philanthropic activities as it will affect my mobility. It takes the grace of God to have such a wonderful woman as my wife.” They are married with a child.