How I became  king of the six nations of Asia.- HRH Uzochukwu Ezeneche, Eze Ndigbo Mekong

His Royal Highness, Eze Amb. Uzochukwu Jerome Ezeneche is the king of six nations in Asia.
Recently, he speaks with the media on how he became the king of six nations in Asia.
He added that because of the great leadership roles he played in bringing Ndigbo people together, fostering the sense of brotherhood and keeping Igbo culture alive in a foreign land, his people decided to present him to Ohanaeze as their king.  Since then, the Royal father has continued to render help to Igbo people in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, China, Cambodia and Malaysia (the six countries around Mekong River).
He speaks further.

Why did Ndigbo in Mekong make you their king?

It is because our people  realized the inborn leadership qualities in me, particularly my sacrifice for the general well being of our people,  generosity, humility and good sense of judgment.  That is why they unanimously decided to make me their leader, and so far, I haven’t betrayed their trust and confidence reposed in me.

Tell us where you lived before coming to Thailand and other Asian countries?

Before I settled in Asia, I was an international businessman that shuttles from Nigeria to Asia to purchase goods and then return to Nigeria to sell them. As I progressed in my business, I decided to come to Asia to settle because of the ease of doing business there. Again, I thought of the stress and risk attached to my constant travels from Nigeria to Asia. I then decided to establish a base here in Asia where I can purchase my goods and send down to Nigeria and have them send money to me once the goods are sold off. I have actually had brief stay in some major Asian countries. I have lived in Vietnam and while in the country, I had a shipping company and a restaurant. So when I visited Thailand on a holiday, I discovered that the country has the kind of fish we consume in Nigeria and they have almost the same taste with the ones we have in Nigeria. So I decided to move to Thailand since the country has most of the goods in demand in Nigeria. I moved to Thailand because of the potentials it has for my restaurant business and other opportunities.

Why do  Igbo people and other Africans come to Thailand?

There is a saying that wherever you don’t find an Igbo man, the place is not viable economically. The Igbos are naturally sojourners and in Igbo philosophy, travel is part of education. We believe that traveling and  exposure to other cultures deepens experience, enriches understanding and  contribute to a man’s wisdom. They like to operate in environment where their legitimate businesses and aspirations are unhindered. In the case of Thailand, the country has a working system of government and a sincere leadership, making it possible for laws to be effective. The government of Thailand makes life easier for her people including the foreigners. There is ease of doing business in Thailand and the government has a lot incentive for startups and existing businesses.  I for instance, have my business and restaurant here in Thailand and the government has in many ways supported me especially in the area of providing credit facilities. In Thailand, the credit system or what is called the BNPL system (Buy Now Pay Later) makes life much easier and reduces the pressures  associated with living. This is unlike what obtains back home where you pay in full for whatever you need.  This is owing to the insurance practice that works better here. So life in  some countries in Africa is very difficult. Thailand also has well developed and thriving  tourism industry. These are factors that make the country attractive to people who are looking for opportunities.

What goods do  the Igbos and  other Africans mainly trade in?

Here in Thailand, the Igbos trade mostly on rice, cosmetics, dry fish, ladies and men’s wear including the footwear. These are the major businesses the Igbos are involved in over here. The reason we buy these from Thailand is because of the quality of the products and affordability.


How  do  you help  Nigerians in Thai prisons?

My restaurant is a rallying point for majority of our people. Most of them are always able to reach out to their families and loved ones in prison through my office. Most of these families have implicit trust in me because they know I have a contact address and most of them have visited my restaurant to have lunch. So apart from the embassy, my office is the next place they know. Most times if some of their families in Nigeria want to contact their loved ones here in Thai prison, and they don’t want to experience difficulties because at times the embassy does not reply all their letters, they reach out to my office which is their fastest and most reliable way to contact their families. That’s the reason they always address their letters to me. In some cases, some of them also solicit for help. We do contribute money and send to them bearing in mind that it is a correctional facility and the inmates will eventually regain freedom and continue their lives. So we just can’t forget or ignore our friends or loved ones because of the problem they are facing. So we do help them as they serve their time in the correction facility and once they are done there, we help them to reintegrate themselves into the society immediately so they can recover their lost years faster.

On why I helped Thai people during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, I discovered that some of the Thais were badly affected by the lockdowns. Many businesses laid off staff. Some completely shut down their operations. The pandemic was a call for humanity to unite. Big and small, men and women, rich and poor.  I decided to reach out to the better angels of my nature by sharing whatever I have with the people. It is in my nature to give and show love.

What kind kind  cultural integration do Africans needs in Thailand?

Cultural cooperation, trade and commerce, technology transfer and the sciences.
The Asians, particularly the Thais have developed their countries and they do well in construction, agriculture, manufacturing and real estate.  These are areas where their expertise are help boost the developmental process in Africa. Nigeria, for instance has huge potentials because of the market and the largely undeveloped construction industry. Despite the challenges of doing business in Nigeria, the returns is massive. MTN Nigeria, for instance,  declares massive profit that dwarfs the entire profit they make in all other countries they are doing business. The potentials are enormous. I believe the Thais and other Asian countries should be coming to Africa the same way we are moving to Asia. This is because since they have the technical manpower to make their place comfortable and easy to live, they can also replicate the same in Africa. There are a lot of solid mineral materials in Africa that are largely untapped. Our technical know-how is still at the rudimentary stages. So it presents an opportunity for foreign investors with access to capital to hit gold by investing in our markets. No continent offers the insane returns to investment like Nigeria does. Asians should take advantage of the Nigerian market and reap bountifully. Infrastructural challenges are evident, but so also are the opportunities. More risk, more reward.