In the vast rainbows of life, there are those whose existence resonates as an embodiment of destiny’s intricate design. As Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher, once pondered 3,000 years ago, “Character is destiny.”
Within this timeless truism lies the narrative of Prince Eberechukwu Oji, a tale woven by the threads of unassailable destiny, dignified lineage, congenital brilliance, and uncompromising dedication to service and excellence.
Much like the river that shapes the valley through which it flows, Prince Eberechukwu was guided by the currents of his heritage, drawn from the legacy of greatness which echoes through the annals of Arochukwu Kingdom’s history. His early years were a canvas painted with variegated brilliance, each stroke revealing a prodigious mind destined for greatness.
Prince Eberechukwu Oji was born on May 6th, 1973, in Onitsha Olona Iselukwu in Delta State to the distinguished family of Rev. Prince Joshua Kanu Oji and Dr. Mrs. Doris Oji. His father, Prince Joshua Kanu Oji, is the third son of a former iconic Eze Aro, Eze Kanu Oji, who reigned for 73 unprecedented years in Arochukwu Kingdom.
Prince Eberechukwu Oji was an early shining academic prodigy. He always came first in his class. In exceptional instances, in those days when he took the common entrance examination at Elementary Five and the West African School Certificate (WASC) examination in Class Four, Prince Eberechukwu Oji came out with excellent scores in both exams.
The young Eberechukwu Oji started schooling at Methodist College, Uzuakoli, an institution that was part of a golden era in education in Nigeria. However, he completed his secondary school education at Emmanuel College, Owerri, another school highly reputed for academic excellence. In 1988, Prince Eberechukwu Oji gained admission into the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, at a very young age. Yet, he graduated with a Second Class Upper degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 1994.
In his budding years before he entered the university, Prince Eberechukwu Oji had shown unmistakable signs that he would professionally become an engineer. According to his siblings, he was always tinkering with one thing or the other, especially with one friend called Chinedu who had similar interests. The youthful Eberechukwu Oji could also be found building and designing things like toy cars and playhouses, and lighting them up with torch batteries. It all looked like a play, but he was already engineering his future with his brains and hands.
So, it was not a surprise that Prince Eberechuwku Oji turned out to be an engineer. But he is not just any engineer; he is today a highly accomplished petroleum engineer of global orientation and reputation. After graduating from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, he went on to undertake his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) stint, working with the National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO), a joint venture engineering company with NNPC. Done with the NYSC, he got a job at Shell Oil Company, rising through the ranks speedily as an international staff for over 23 years before he was subsequently seconded to the LNG in Bonny, Rivers State.
Eventually, Prince Eberechuwku Oji left Shell Oil to become the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of ND Western Limited in March 2020. ND Western Limited happens to be one of the foremost energy companies in Nigeria today. With his sterling career as a petroleum engineer and technocrat, Prince Eberechukwu Oji cumulatively boasts over 25 years of experience in the Oil and Gas sector. A Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and a Chartered Engineer with The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, he did not stop his education with the first degree obtained from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.
Having the inherited blood of academic excellence running in his veins, he got a Master’s degree in Engineering (MEng) Electrical & Electronics Engineering in 2002 from the University of Benin here in Nigeria. Then, during his top-flight career years, he went abroad for the very best of higher education. From 2006 to 2009, he studied for another Master’s degree in Technology (MTech) Petroleum Engineering at Curtin University, Australia, graduating with Distinction. Still hungry for more, he obtained a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Warwick University, UK, between 2008 and 2011. Thus, the highly cerebral Prince Eberechukwu Oji ended up with 3 master’s degrees, making him an uncommon engineer who knows his bearing inside out.
Any wonder that his professional expertise and experience portfolio are profoundly wide and intimidating? Before becoming the CEO of ND Western, his fields of experience extended far and wide. He was the Chief Operating Officer (COO), of Neconde Energy Limited, plus the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of OML42 Asset Management Team (AMT), Warri, from March 2019 to February 2020; Operations Manager, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Bonny Island, Nigeria, 2018 to 2019; Asset Manager, SPDC Central Production Hub Asset, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 2016 to 2018; Maintenance & Integrity Manager, Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN), Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 2014 to 2016; Offshore Operations Readiness & Assurance Lead, Shell Secondee to Agip Kazakhstan Company, Kazakhstan, 2012 to 2013; Operations Readiness & Assurance Lead – M&I, HSSE & Logistics, North Caspian Production Operations Company and Shell Secondee to Agip Kazakhstan Company, Kazakhstan, 2009 to 2011. And only recently he was part of a consortium of oil firms to buy Shell’s onshore oil business for 1.3 billion U.S. dollar.
With his high-performing, high-range strategic leadership competencies, Chief Executive profile and over 25 years of composite deep technical, leadership and broad functional expertise in Upstream & Midstream Asset Management, Operations Management and Major multi-billion dollars projects in the Oil & Gas industry, Prince Eberechukwu’s professional footprints in transformational business improvement and delivery remarkably ran across Nigeria, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, United Kingdom, United States, Singapore, Australia, Continental Europe and other Shell Operating Units across the world. Suffice it to say that his professional experiences and expertise are so multi-faceted and deep that it will take a whole book to capture them all.
Yet, despite all those out-of-this-world secular attainments, Prince Eberechukwu Oji is refreshingly spiritual, humble and humane to the core as a person. Yes, he has kept faith in God and humanity. In fact, despite all his hectic job schedules, he is an ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). He has served in the mission across many continents planting churches and growing congregations, a strength he intends to deploy to unite and progress Aro Kingdom.
Coupled with a royal pedigree steeped in impeccable dignity and uncompromising excellence, Prince Eberechukwu Oji cannot but be an exemplar of spirituality and humanitarian impact. For instance, he began constructing roads and installed over 500 solar streetlights in the Aro homeland. As part of youth empowerment, deserving youths have also gained employment through his efforts and a unit of a voluntary agency established in Aro to facilitate reorientation and recruitment of Umu Aro into Nigeria forces amongst others.
As a responsible family man and head of his own home, (Ogbiti) Prince Eberechukwu Oji is married to a gorgeous Nneoma. Together, they are blessed with three charming children, namely Ivunanya, Eberechukwu and Amarachukwu.
Prince Eberechukwu Oji emerged as the Eze Aro Designate on Wednesday 18, October 2023, following the age-long traditional selection process of Arochukwu Kingdom as conducted by Okennachi Kindred. Fulfilling all traditional conditions, he was presented and accepted by the Royal Family at Oror, the Royal Family at Utughugwu, Bianko, Amaja, and the Okennachi Kindred.
Umu Aro, ndi Abia, Prince Oji promises a new era of unity, progress and renaissance in Arochukwu Kingdom. Let us rise to acknowledge, honour and celebrate the grandson of the legendary Late Eze Aro, Eze Kanu Oji; an academic prodigy; a profound thinker; an accomplished petroleum engineer; a global technical authority; an acclaimed technocrat; CEO of ND Western Limited; a humanitarian beacon; a responsible family man; and a dignified Aro man par excellence: Prince Eberechuwku Oji.
Long live the Aro Kingdom!
Discussion about this post