King of Artesunate
He did not respond to our first letter indicating that we were writing a book on 50 Nigerian Entrepreneurial Success Stories and we needed to talk to him to share his experience on how he started from zero in Idumota, Lagos, to build a massive pharmaceutical empire in Nigeria, crowned by his pioneering effort in bringing into Nigeria from Vietnam the malaria-stopping drug artesunate which gave him the breakthrough he was looking for.

When we didn’t hear from him, we wrote a second letter. This time, he responded by inviting us to his stately home in Ikoyi where a Rolls Royce Phantom lies covered in his garage, among other assorted luxury cars. In his library where we sat for the interview, there were all kinds of corporate books, especially motivational and biographical works. Prominent among the success literature were books by celebrated author, Dr. Napoleon Hill, the man whose books inspired and taught him the art of achieving success in general and succeeding in business and making stupendous wealth.

But, happily for us, we also saw two books on prominent display on his shelves by Mike Awoyinfa and Dimgba Igwe: 50 NIGERIA’S CORPORATE STRATEGISTS and NIGERIA’S MARKETING MEMOIRS.

If he knew us so well through our books, why then didn’t he promptly reply to our first letter? Why dillydally?

“I wanted to know how serious you are with the book,” he replies. “I wanted to test your resolve, your persistence. Without persistence, you cannot make it in business and in anything. When I saw your second letter, I laughed and decided to invite you here. I took you seriously.”

For two hours, we sat as Poly I. Emenike (MON), the chairman and chief executive of NEROS Pharmaceuticals Limited took us on a flashback to the journey of his life. How deprivation made it impossible for him to go beyond primary school after the Nigerian Civil War. How he became a houseboy and office boy to an uncle who was a lawyer. How he became an apprentice and later a trader who sold rubber slippers. How he was inspired to read Napoleon Hill’s book that changed his life. How he switched from selling slippers to pharmaceutical business which he learnt at Idumota without any knowledge of pharmacy. How as a well-travelled international trader, he went on a “pharmaceutical odyssey” to Brazil where his consignments were seized an auctioned. How he went to Vietnam en route China in a daredevil adventure with just $150 in his pocket. And there in Vietnam, he discovered artesunate, an anti-malaria drug that had not only saved millions of lives in Nigeria but became the flagship of his pharmaceutical company.

Since 2001 he has grown to become the biggest importer of this potent malaria drug to Nigeria, with his own brand of artesunate strategically registered with NAFDAC as Artesunat. Some of the key brands out of the 125 brands of drugs under his company’s patent, including some popular Vitamin C brands, have brought him billions, fame and acclaim as a captain of the pharmaceutical industry. Today, he is even building a factory where drugs would be manufactured in Nigeria.

To prove that he walks his talk, this ardent disciple of Napoleon Hill philosophy took us on a visit to Sango Ota in Ogun State where his factory is located. Nothing really prepared us for what we saw at the Nero pharmaceutical factory. There it stood on five acres, (about 30 plots) as big as a football stadium. Emenike is not new to stadia. For the people of his hometown in Nanka in Anambra State, he built a NEROS Sports Stadium. “When I was constructing the multimillion-dollar stadium, people felt that I was a mad man,” he says, laughing. “But I knew what I was doing. Football is big business not just in Nigeria, but all over the world. And as they say, charity begins at home. But it should not end there.”

For nearly 90 minutes, we were taken on a guided tour of the factory led by the head of operation, Engineer Peter Okiye. It was surprises all the way. We were taken from one sophisticated machine to another, running to dozens of sophisticated and costly drug-making plants. We saw machines for making tablets and capsules. We saw placebo samples of antibiotics, anti-malaria drugs, Vitamin C and special products. In the construction of a pharmaceutical factory, everything is meticulous and painstaking. Control measures in different forms must be put in place to avoid contamination, pilfering and health hazard as well as ensuring that the products meet WHO standards.

There at NEROS, we came face to face with the grim challenges of manufacturing. It is truly a Herculean task which requires that you provide your own electricity, water and firefighting safeguards. If you don’t do it, government would not do it for you. We were shown first-rate water treatment facilities needed in the making of something as delicate and sensitive as drugs. We were shown labs where all kinds of tests would be conducted. We saw Indians working along with Nigerians. Most of the equipment were imported from India. We visited the library and saw the pharmacopeia (pharmaceutical literature and discoveries) of every country minus Nigeria. And I asked: When will Nigeria have its own pharmacopeia? And when will Nigeria start producing medical equipment like India and China?

Well, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, says the famous Chinese proverb. And people like Poly Emenike are taking the early steps. They need to be encouraged. That is why I am writing this column. Visit the factory and you will marvel. You can’t but marvel at how a Nigerian can invest so much on health business. Not even the multinationals can boast of such an ambitious project in the present day Nigeria. You ask him why he is going into this gargantuan business and Emenike says: “I have to do this. If I don’t do it, who will do it? It could have been easier to stick to importing but my country must have a strong manufacturing base as a vehicle to drive the economy, to create jobs for our people. Health, they say is wealth. I am in the business of creating health and wealth for our people. I am in the business of adding value through job creation and producing world-class drugs to be sold at affordable price. Moreover, I used to see factories set up when I travel to other countries and I ask myself: why not in Nigeria? I am thinking of the future, thinking of 100 years to come. I hope that in future our leaders would recognise the importance of industry and support it. But the problem with government is that they keep somersaulting and changing policies. That is not good for business.”

In a massive project like this, you need billions of bank loan. But Emenike simply refused to take any bank loan. “I am doing this project gradually,” he says. “I didn’t borrow from any bank. If I am to borrow, it will be several billions of naira. And I will pay so much on interest that would create problems upon problems for me.” He chose to walk alone and carry his cross without any support.

As we were leaving, he gives us a new book he has just written and published—a 358-page autobiographical manual on entrepreneurship. The very thing we had come to interview him on. His book is titled: ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRITS—Through the 17 Principles of Napoleon Hill. Indeed, Dr. Napoleon Hill will be rejoicing wherever he is today that a man with little or no education who read his books like Think and Grow Rich was inspired to acquire education up to a doctorate degree level and to even write a book amid making money through thinking and growing rich. He would be proud of this man who has climbed the ladder of success and reached the apogee of wealth to become a millionaire and a respectable captain of the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry. Such men must be celebrated. I will bring you more of such stories about Nigeria’s Heroes of Enterprise as we come across them in our arduous journey of writing business books.
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/emenike-nigerias-king-artesunate/

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What is it with this Anambra State sef! The name alone since the last elections sounds like a promising Eldorado.


My best guess is that we have two states in Nigeria, Anambra State and the rest!


Don't get it twisted...am from the SW but the news emanating from that state is just so impressive!

Inspiring.

decatalyst:
What is it with this Anambra State sef! The name alone since the last elections sounds like a promising Eldorado.


My best guess is that we have two states in Nigeria, Anambra State and the rest!


Don't get it twisted...am from the SW but the news emanating from that state is just so impressive!

As in ehn the state just dey improve economically under a leader who is being guided by Holy Spirit.

I no fit shout! Proudly Anambra.

I know my Akpokuedike 1 of Aguleri is a great technocrat and master strategist who promised to make Anambra an Eldorado .

Anambra adigo mma

Okowa where are you? Come and see how ur fellow governor is performing.

Good.... Nice to see men doing things to change their society.

Chai...can they handle this barrage of good news from the East?...some people go hang there sef oooo

Igbos using media to promote their culture,heritage,beauty,economy and lifestyle but some people from the other side uses it to hype they are from One former Nigeria Capital,propaganda,e battle and trying to put confusion between us and our Cousins in SS...#SaynotoLagos/Ibadown Express way media

Aregbese come and see what your fellow governor is doing


But I thought they said osun IGR is bigger than that of the south east combined..........what happened

ozoigbondu:
Aregbese come and see what your fellow governor is doing


But I thought they said osun IGR is bigger than that of the south east combined..........what happened

that's the lies their elders tell them so they can have some sort of self worth...they always want to measure up with the igbos while the igbos are measuring up with Europe and Asia

Nice but why build your pharmacitical factory outside south east? Well let's say you started it when we didn't know the people we were dealing with. Anyway kudos to the stadium in your villa

Obiano throwing immaculate punches left, right and center! Big ups, man. Jisie ike.

Anambra adigo mma.
God bless Igboland.

nice

Masterclass32:
Obiano throwing immaculate punches left, right and center! Big ups, man. Jisie ike.

Anambra adigo mma.
God bless Igboland.

Anambra where the elbows only know grease!

Biko will Willie ever stop working?

Lol. Haters won't like this served punch.
Anambra I hail O

In my next world, I would still be an Anambrarian.

good

I am yet to see why some people are mentioning obiano here

InyinyaAgbaOku:
I am yet to see why some people are mentioning obiano here

Some people are so lazy to read these days, though it's a long passage. The cheering should go to NERO..

InyinyaAgbaOku:
I am yet to see why some people are mentioning obiano here

Anambra has four private standard stadiums constructed by big guys from the state:

Rojenny stadium Oba-Ezeonwuka, Rojenny tourist vill

IUFC stadium Nnewi- Ifeanyi Uba, capital oil

Obijackson stadium- Okija by Ernest Azudialo, Nestoil

Nero stadium Nanka-Emenike, Nero pharm

More from Nero stadium, still under construction

Good work, if this man continues and comes for the Presidential seat, Nigerians may consider but if you bring that bad market that grew up in Kano (IF you call Rochas, Na you sabi) as the major contender then the east will have a long way to go.

Nigerians gon hate so much on this news

it seems small

HERO PHARMACEUTICAL.

Good stuff. Moral of the story govt can never do everything we need private to develop ourselves with good govt support and policies.

This is called, giving back to the society.