By Tony Manuaka
Founder and chief executive officer, Climax Lubricants Industries Limited, Emmanuel Iheagwazi, has added another feather to his cap of entrepreneurial skill. At a well-attended ceremony in Lagos at the weekend, Iheagwazi was awarded honourary Doctor of Business Administration by the University of America.
The ceremony was conducted by the vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Gamelia Onyemaobi. It was in recognition of Iheagwazi’s accomplishments in business, particularly as an industrialist, who has contributed immensely to the social and economic development of the Nigerian economy.
Iheagwazi emerged the winner of the prestigious The Sun Industrialist of the Year in 2021. The award was in recognition of his managerial skill, which manifested in building a small company and growing it to become a major player in the auto lubricants industry. Thereafter, several other awards and recognitions from reputable institutions have come in quick succession, confirming and endorsing the choice that was made when he became the Industrialist of the Year.
In 2020, he was conferred with a PhD in Industrial Peace and Human Relations by the United Nations Positive Livelihood Award Centre (UN-POLAC Foundation). The centre, according to Prof. Halo B. Eton, Director General, promotes United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and UNESCO Culture for Peace Project, particularly the maintenance of peace and security, and the restoration of human dignity.
According to the Foundation, the award given to Iheagwazi is reserved for individuals of proven integrity who exhibit the ideals of living for the sake of others and commit themselves to promoting universal moral values, strong family life, social harmony, inter-religious and ethnic cooperation and the culture of peace. In addition to being appointed a peace advocate, the award came with several other benefits including a flag of authority and special vehicle number plate in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).
Similarly, the Engine Lubricants Dealers Group, an affiliate of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) conferred on Iheagwazi, the Grand Patron of the association with an award for his outstanding contribution to the growth of the lubricants business in Nigeria.
In recognition of his significant contribution to the development of the society and competence in his career as an industrialist in the lubricants segment of the oil and gas sector, the International Entrepreneur University, a corporate university for members’ development, based in the United States of America, also awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science in Petroleum Resources Management and Corporate Leadership.
In 2022, Climax Lubricants Industries Limited, which he nurtured to become a leading manufacturer of top range of auto lubricants, won the International Standard Excellence Award for the Best Premium Lubricant Products Company of the Year. According to Dr. Stanley Ohenhen (PhD), chairman of the award panel, the award is meant to celebrate compliance and conformance to standards by the winners of the awards.
Also, at the 10th Pan African International Annual Conference and Awards 2022, Iheagwazi was also conferred with the Africa’s Industrialist of the Year award by the Pan African International magazine. He was also appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of the organization.
Additionally, in recognition of his ranking as a prominent businessman, entrepreneur of note with passion for economic, youth and societal development, he has been honoured with the Nelson Mandela Leadership Award for Excellence and Integrity.
Born December 1972 in Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, Iheagwazi is a Nigerian businessman, industrialist, business development strategist and philanthropist. He is a graduate of Mass Communication from Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto. Over time, he has attended a lot of capacity-building conferences and training programmes in management and entrepreneurship as well as trade events in Nigeria and overseas.
His company, Climax Lubricants Industries has a License To Operate (LTO) from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). The company has developed top range products in the automobile and industrial lubricants, such as Climax multi-grade oil, CX7, 20W/50; Climax Auto Lube, SAE 40, 50; Climax Diesel, SAE 40, 15W/40, CLIMAX Full synthetic lubricants: 5W/20; Climax Gold, 5W/30 and Climax 1, 5W/40.