Chief Sylvanus Ghasarah, OFR, is a mining engineer, industrialist, philanthropist and community leader. His life runs from a village in Benue State to the head of one of Nigeria’s leading civil explosives companies, and he has given generously to the people of Kwande along the way.

Early Life

Ghasarah was born on 6th October 1948 at Ajio, Mbape, Ishangev-Ya, in what is now Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State. His father was a pioneer teacher in Tivland and lived in the Awaji compound. Papa Awaji gave him the name Awaji, and he has related to the Awaji family as his own ever since.

His parents raised him to be kind, humble, hardworking and God-fearing, values that have stayed with him throughout his career.

Education

He completed his primary education at St. Ann’s Primary School in 1962. He then gained admission to Mount St. Michael’s Secondary School, Aliade, and graduated in 1967 with excellent grades.

He went on to the School of Mines in Plateau State and earned a Diploma in Mining. He then worked on the Jos Plateau, in the then Benue-Plateau State, for some years before pursuing further studies. He was admitted to the University of Wales, Cardiff, and graduated in 1980 with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Mining Engineering.

A Career Built on Technical Expertise

His early career included work at the Jos tin mines and at the Nigerian Explosives and Plastic Company (NEPCO) from 1976 to 1977. He also worked with Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in the United Kingdom. From 1982 to 1992 he served with Chemical and Allied Products Plc in Nigeria.

In 1992 he voluntarily retired from government employment to give his full attention to his own company, Nigachem.

Building Nigachem

Under his direct management, Nigachem has become one of the most outstanding companies in Nigeria’s mining and explosives sectors. It began by importing and selling ammonium nitrate. As it grew in efficiency and working capital, it expanded into civil explosives and accessories, and eventually into manufacturing civil explosives.

His expertise spans more than 30 years. He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Mining Engineers and the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, and a respected consultant and reference point on explosives in the Nigerian mining sector.

Business Interests

Beyond Nigachem, he has served on the boards of a number of companies, including major microfinance banks (2013 to 2015). He was also a board member of Benue Valley Investment and Trust Limited from 2014 to 2015, and he holds interests in other companies, notably Sil-Adiman Limited and Wajima Limited.

Service to the Community

Ghasarah is widely regarded as a peace builder and a source of hope for the people of Kwande and beyond. Through his NGO, he supports the underprivileged, the physically challenged, widows and the downtrodden of Kwande on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. His work includes:

• Supplying fertilizer, seedlings and farm inputs to less privileged farmers
• Paying medical bills for people in Kwande
• Providing secondary and tertiary scholarships to indigenes
• Creating local employment and empowerment opportunities for young people

In collaboration with the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, he has also committed a large part of his resources to the feeding and medical care of Kwande residents displaced by herdsmen attacks and living in IDP camps. More recently, he made financial and material donations to Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, to support research and development.

Honours, Awards and Titles

His service to government, society and humanity has earned him many honours, including:

• OFR (Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic): a prestigious national honour conferred by the Federal Government of Nigeria
• Orwasen Tar U Tiv: a major traditional title celebrating him as an exceptional ambassador of Tivland
• Baaloro I of Orile-Igbore: a chieftaincy title from the host community of his manufacturing plant in Ogun State
• Fellow, Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers (NSME): recognising his technical mastery and professional contributions
• Honorary Doctorate Degree: Commonwealth University, London
• Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.): Benue State University, Makurdi
• Best Emulsion Explosive Manufacturing Company of the Year 2015: awarded to Nigachem by the NSME in 2016

Personal Life

Well travelled, he has visited more than 16 countries. He is happily married with children.

From a teacher’s son in Ishangev-Ya to the head of a leading Nigerian industrial company, Engr. Ghasarah’s life shows what discipline, education and faith can achieve. His work for the people of Kwande shows that success can be shared.

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