Born in Kaduna City on April 30, 1960, Frank Uzoawuotu Nneji hails from Nguru, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, of Imo State. He grew up in a village from a family of nine; his father was a retired soldier turned farmer, while his mother was a nurse. He attended the University of Nigeria Nsukka, where he graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences in 1982 before proceeding for an Executive programme at Wharton Business School, Philadelphia, USA and Chief Executive programme at Lagos Business School, Lagos.
When he left secondary school in 1976, he enlisted as an auxiliary teacher during the Universal Primary Education (UPE). He taught for about one year before gaining admission into the university.
As a nurse, his mother wanted all her kids to be in the medical line. This led him into reading Biological Science with the idea of switching over to medicine. But after the first year, it became obvious that he wasn’t cut out to be in that field. He wanted to change to a business course but abandoned the idea when he discovered that it will cost him one year, so he opted to learning business from the outside.
He made extra money publishing in school. At the end of each semester, he would go to the records and collect the past question papers of the difficult courses for the session. He would then reproduce them and sell them to students. That was how in 1980 during his 200 level he was able to raise N500, which was big enough to buy a student rebate ticket being offered by Nigerian Airways to travel to Italy where he bought T-shirts, jeans and belt. That was how he started selling T-shirts, jeans, belts, etc as an undergraduate.
After graduating with a degree at the age of 23, he headed straight into the business world. Aimed with little experience and his N750 NYSC bicycle allowance he rented an office and started RAPIDO, a company that supplies educational materials. He started with writing boards and from there to other audiovisuals like projectors. His first major contract was with the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) which was taking off as at then. He was to supply them with writing boards. With less money and no staff, he made the boards himself employing the services of his friends who were waiting for jobs by buying them drinks.
Many did not give him a chance as a young man to survive. He still remembers vividly the comments of two people who saw him the first time he was trying to get his reading table which he had gone to the village to carry for office use. One was an engineer who having learnt about his new office said, “You small boys, why don’t you go and get a job and gain experience? You people are becoming too ambitious.” He also remembers the comment of the second person who said, “I wish you all the best.” the irony is that the second person recently came to beg him for a used tyre for his grounded car.
Having no money, what he did was to go out with his LPO and source for money. His friends will bring in the money, he would execute the business and they shared the profit on equal basis. Creating a win-win situation. That was how he built capital over time. While he was doing this, he frequently travelled to Lagos where he was exposed to the hassles of public transportation. Either the bus is over loaded with what is called attachment or the unruly behaviour of the bus driver or conductor.
One experience that was to change the way things are done happened somewhere at Ore. On that faithfully day, the bus finally broke down after frequent stopping of picking passengers on the way. While others were pre occupied with how to get to their destination, he was asking himself series of questions. “Is there no way things can be done better?” that was all that he needed to set his mind in motion.
And so in 1987, he told himself he was going to run a bus service with a difference. His idea was to provide all that was lacking in other bus companies. To provide the things he would’ve wished were there for people of his class. With his little experience as a part of the student’s union transport management in his university days he did his feasibility study and put up a business plan in place. In 1991 he was able to get Diamond Bank to lease 5 Hiace buses for him at N1.5 million. That was the birth of Associated Bus Company Plc (ABC Transport).
The number one priority in ABC is safety. The company has been able to carve a niche for itself by spending heavily on safety, comfort and general customer service relations. The company which has the record of recruiting skilled and highly professional and educationally-qualified personnel including drivers with adequate training as a back up is the only transportation company in the country for now that is implementing the tracking of buses. This makes it impossible for speed limits to be violated.
With executive express, super sleeper and 40-sitter vehicles in which you can relax and almost sleep, just like a bed, the company came out with different services hitherto unknown or thought to be impossible in the country. One of such services is the ABEX Services, which makes it possible for mails and goods to be delivered over night at an affordable price. Running almost a fleet of 100, with more than 15 trucks and a daily departure of more than 80, movement of individuals, mails and goods became easier. Others include travelling in an air-conditioned bus with toilet facilities.
With over 1,200 people in their pay roll, and going into other areas like courier and hospitality, the company in 2004 came out with a new service tagged Coach West Africa. It’s a service that cuts across West African sub-region and has been able to expose the tourism potentials of the sub-region. ABC has brought comfort and decency in long distance travels not only in Nigeria but also in other West African countries. An industry were in the past a typical bus that could seat 50 people is made to carry times two of that number with half standing.
Dr. Nneji from a humble start has won several awards like the SuccessDigest Entrepreneur of The Year Award, Federal Road Safety Award, Travel Personality of the Year Award, Fate Model Entrepreneur Award amongst others.
ABC Transport Plc
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