The chairman of Nigeria’s leading transport company, Peace Mass Transit, Dr Sam Onyishi, has been recognized with the 2022 Man of the Year award by the influential Nigerian magazine, Top10 Magazine.
Top10 Magazine recently held its 2022 Annual Man of the Year/Excellence Awards with notable personalities, industry leaders, and policy influencers, as well as organizations that have contributed to the growth and development of their chosen career path and the economy at large.
The paper rewarded their unflinching roles and the impact they have had throughout the year.
The award ceremony took place on Saturday, December 10 at the Sheraton hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.
Dr Sam Onyishi was given the 2022 Man of the Year Award because of the revolutionary touch he adds to every industry he enters, beginning with transportation.
He is currently extending his Midas touch to the education sector with the establishment of Sam Maduka University and the Maduka University College, Ekwegbe, Enugu State.
While the college arm of the university has commenced operations, the university is billed to commence operations by next year, subject to final approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC). The institutions are expected to tackle the problem of unemployment by training and producing graduates with an orientation toward self-reliance and job creation.
While receiving the award from the chairman of the occasion, Dr Sam Onyishi shared his life story with the audience gathered in the hall, starting with the story of how his mother gave him 1200 naira in 1985, which was the capital, and the mustard seed that gave birth to what is known as Peace Mass Transit, the largest transportation company in Nigeria with over 4,000 employees with interests in different sectors of the company.
The Man of the Year recipient also shared with the audience, which was on its feet clapping for the businessman at this point, what wealth means to him.
According to the billionaire businessman, wealth for him means his relationship with his wife Ify, with whom he has not had any issues for over 30 years that they married till date.
His brilliant, enterprising kids, of whom he is proud
Five of his kids made him proud as a father by graduating with first-class honours from different reputable international universities around the world.
A feat not seen in any other family in Nigeria.
The Top10 Magazine Man of the Year award was instituted seven years ago as an annual award to recognize and honour an outstanding personality that has recorded milestone accomplishments in a given year in any relevant sector.
From ground zero as a Bus conductor and second-hand clothes retailer, Dr Sam Maduka Onyishi has seen his fortunes rise to unimaginable heights.
He rose from his humble beginnings to conquer the business sector with the establishment of Peace Mass Transit (PMT), one of the largest road transport companies with many subsidiaries.
After conquering the business world, he has decided to extend his business Midas touch to the educational sector with the establishment of Maduka University College and Sam Maduka University in Enugu State.
PMT, which he started in 1995 as a student with only two buses, has over 3000 buses on the road today, and he has successfully ventured into several industries, including Banking, Pharmaceuticals, Marine Logistics, Real estate, Auto Assembly, Courier Services, Chemicals, Petroleum, and Lubricants.
Chief Onyishi is set to revolutionize the education sector through his Sam Maduka University (SMU) and Maduka University College (MUC), both of which are programmed to be pacesetters in the Nigerian educational sector. MUC, located within the same premises as SMU at Ekwegbe, Enugu State, is a secondary school system that was conceived to transcend conventional academic narratives.
The new university, too, was designed to address the failings of the existing institutions, especially in the area of tackling unemployment problems in the country. It will make its graduates employers of labour rather than job seekers, irrespective of course of study.
Through his leadership and vision, the new Man of the Year recipient has not only built a successful business empire but also played a crucial role in the growth and development of the Nigerian economy.
