By Ayomide Otitoju
Prince Chris Odinaka Igwe, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, is a Nigerian entrepreneur and businessman who serves as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mainland Oil and Gas Company Limited and Chairman of Chrisnak Groups Limited. He is also a recipient of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) national honour.
Born on February 16, 1970, in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, Igwe began his career in sales before venturing into entrepreneurship.
He obtained an Ordinary National Diploma from the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, in 1996. In 2015, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Lagos State University. The following year, he completed the Owner Manager Programme at Lagos Business School.
In 2019, Igwe received an honorary Doctor of Science degree in Human Resources from Wesley University, Ondo State. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School in the United States, where he completed the Owner/President Management Programme.
Business Career
Igwe began his professional career at Nanac Enterprises Limited, Owerri, where he worked as a freelance salesman and later rose to become general manager.
In 1992, he established Chrisnak Conglomerate with an initial capital of N10,000. The company expanded from a trading business into shipping, freight forwarding and logistics.
He subsequently founded several companies under the Chrisnak Group, including Mainland Oil and Gas Company Limited, which operates across the downstream, midstream and upstream segments of the oil and gas industry.
Its subsidiary, Newcore International Energy Limited, focuses on petroleum product trading and tank-farm operations, while Chrisnak International Shipping Company Limited provides maritime and logistics services to the group and other clients.
Other businesses linked to Igwe include Chrisnak Industries Limited, which focuses on the production of polyvinyl chloride and lubricants; Chrisnak Properties Limited, which provides real estate services; and Chrisnak Farms Limited, which operates a 150-hectare cashew plantation in Isuochi, Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.
The agricultural venture was established as part of efforts to support economic diversification and promote agriculture as an alternative to dependence on oil.
Journalist’s Arrest
On May 27, 2024, the Nigerian Police arrested journalist and News Platform publisher Precious Eze Chukwunonso following a complaint by Igwe over articles the journalist had published about him.
Chukwunonso was charged with conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, provoking a breach of peace through offensive publication and conspiracy to commit a felony. The offences carried a possible prison sentence of up to two years if convicted.
International press freedom organisations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists, condemned the arrest and the complaint, raising concerns about potential restrictions on press freedom.
The controversy followed a report by Chukwunonso based on witness accounts concerning an alleged incident involving Igwe, a dog and its perceived owner in an upscale Lagos neighbourhood. The report alleged that Igwe was startled by the dog, fell during the incident and later returned with an armed companion, who allegedly fired shots in the direction of the dog’s perceived owner.
