From Poor Almajiri To Iconic Industrialist: The Transformation Of Isa Gerawa -By Abdu Abdullahi

Mr. Mike Adenuga is the second richest man in Africa, who started business selling lace and soft drinks in Ibadan. At a time, he found himself in New York, driving a taxi to finance his studies. Today, he is a renowned guru in telecommunication industry. His Globacom has over 60 million subscribers. Alhaji Auwalu Abdullahi ( AA Rano) has also weathered the storm, unraveling his reserved potentialities, to the bewilderment of many. His beginning was cumbersome and combative, characterised by a petty trading in ice blocks, groundnut oil and other local items, now a multi- billionaire who owns a fleet of trucks and numerous filling stations across the country.

Alhaji Isa Gerawa from Jigawa state is not completely different. For long, he had launched a bizarre trend for self-actualisation. The perceived odds that blocked his way were discerningly neutralised, paving the way for a prosperous life. A redefined human personality both in history and status, also redeemed of conservative forces, Gerawa is currently a force to be reckoned with in the nation’s industrial sector. A practical example of a man who saw, came and conquered his impediments, he has never been shy of narrating his humble beginning as an Almajiri.

When he found his way to the complex city of Lagos in search of greener pastures, many must have mocked at his impromptu adventure. But unknown to the world, it was the journey of the creation of new Gerawa, the trip that would liberate him from the prison of misfortunes. Unlocking the gateway to his economic prosperity, he was tremendously naive but strengthened by the emotional fear of failure. Fate had worked in his favour, went to one filling station along Zaria Road Kano, and luck smiled at him for making a contact with a truck driver, whom he begged to be taken to Lagos. This casual event occurred in as far back as 1980.

While in the hustling Lagos, he came into contact with a new and unfamiliar world where he enquired about the Hausa community. From the known to the unknown phenomenon, he was instructed to go to Alaba, where he met a good Samaritan who agreed to make him an errand selling tea, egg, bread, washing cups, plates and fetching water. At a later stage, he decided to stand on his own feet, hawking tea and bread with just N20 from Alaba to Mile 2. Spontaneously and gradually, he kept growing, dismantling the barriers to personal development.

Back to Kano with the huge stock of Lagos experiences and impressions, his new version of striving was small scale industry with groundnut oil as the focal point. He started with two engines for grinding of groundnut for the production of oil. He was simultaneously engaged in loading and off loading the machine, making a steady progress, keeping pace with destiny, bearing in mind his articulated goal which he assiduously worked for its manifestation.

For over 37 years, Gerawa has made a groundbreaking record of being in the industrial sector. He is famous for his remarkable feats in agri-business by establishing Gerawa Company with its Head Office in Kano, expanding business empires, creating jobs and contributing to the growth of the economy. In 2018, he invested 50 million dollars to build the Gerawa Oil Mill Limited, one of the largest Soya beans Oil producing plants in Nigeria located in Kano. The biggest in Africa, it has the capacity to mill 1,200 tons per day. In 2021, he collaborated with the Central Bank of Nigeria and invested over 30 million dollars in the Gerawa 420 metric ton per day Rice Mill. Described as the biggest Rice Mill in Africa, it has gone a long way in conserving foreign exchange, providing employment opportunities to hundreds of Nigerians.

A popular African proverb goes: ” If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together’. To achieve sustainable impacts based on emerging issues for boosting his business, Gerawa has made it in a gigantic way. Apart from his tremendous successes in business, the quality of his philanthropy is enigmatic and splendid,  profoundly touching and improving uncountable lives, changing the world around him. Alhaji Isa Gerawa is moving both fast and far, blending his individual ego to align with collective aspirations. While going both fast and far, he has established a strong defence against pessimism, bridging the enormous gap between the school of possibility and that of impossibility. In a nutshell, his magnificent achievements are a great lesson of life.

A dictum has it that one should not bother about the reason of doing something, but rather be concerned with the method or way of something. Gerawa’s effective style has made stupendous gains in philanthropic activities, deepening his humanitarian passion. He has entrenched and mastered his insurmountable infatuation for improving the lives of the vulnerable segment of the society. He has built schools, hospitals, donating relief materials, paying rent for the poor and giving out bulky consignment of foodstuffs to the poor and the needy among others. Only last week, he dolled out N50 million which was disbursed to the vulnerable people of Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Thus, the amazing and miracle face of Alhaji Isa Gerawa needs continuous emphasis, from go-getter to go-giver, from food begger to food giver.

Indeed, Alhaji Isa Gerawa was not born with a silver spoon but it is now in his possession. His well deserved award of Business Person of the Year 2023 by the Leadership Newspaper was a clear testimony of his towering economic adventure, with unwavering impacts on the downtrodden.