Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe: Nigerian Politician and Businessman

This photograph, taken in 1980 and published by Sunday Punch, captures Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe, a prominent Nigerian politician and businessman.

Born on 2 November 1938 in Oguta, Imo State, Nzeribe hailed from a distinguished family and held traditional titles including Ogbuagu, Osniji, and Damanze Oyimba of Oguta. He attended Holy Ghost College, Owerri, before earning a scholarship from the Nigerian Ports Authority in 1958 to study marine engineering in England.
Nzeribe’s career was marked by both business and politics. By 1960, he was selling life insurance to black immigrants in Britain and briefly worked with Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah in public relations. In 1969, he founded the Fanz Organization in London, dealing in heavy construction, arms, oil brokerage, publishing, and property investment, with significant operations in the Middle East and Gulf states. By 1979, Fanz reported an annual trading turnover of £70 million.

In Nigeria, Nzeribe expanded into insurance and other ventures, including Sentinel Assurance. Politically, he became a senator for the Imo Orlu constituency from 1999 to 2007 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He was also an influential figure in the Association for a Better Nigeria in 1993, which supported General Ibrahim Babangida.
Known for his wealth, influence, and strategic acumen, Chief Nzeribe remains a controversial yet significant figure in Nigeria’s political and business history.

Source: Sunday Punch; Wikipedia