Michael Ibru sold “frozen fish”, see 10 other facts about him
On September 6, a business tycoon passed away in Florida, United States of America. Here are 11 things you should know about the illustrious Nigerian.
- He was born Michael Christopher Onajirhevbe Ibru on December 1930 to the family of Chief Peter Epete Ibru and Chief (Mrs) Janet Omotogor Ibru in Warri, Delta State.
- As a traditional chieftain of his homeland, the name “Olorogun” is a tribal title.
- He is an indigene of Agbara-Otor, Delta State.
- He attended Igbobi College and acquired a school certificate in 1951.
- Immediately after secondary school, he joined the United African Company as a management trainee.
- In 1956, a few years after joining UAC, he dropped out of the company and started a partnership he called Laibru with an expatriate, Jimmy Large. It had an interest in general trading.
- In 1957, he decided to explore the frozen fish market as he discovered it had the potential to deliver returns above the market rate.
- He also formed a partnership with Ibru Organization, a Taiwanese company, Osadjere Fishing Company, which provided trawlers and other accessories for general trading.
- By the end of the 1960s, he branched into other businesses like transport, palm oil production, tourism, timber, brewery and poultry.
- He made an attempt at politics, in 1983, by contesting for the gubernatorial candidate of Delta State but lost to Samuel Ogbemudia.
- He was a husband to five wives and a father to 17 children.
