For his leadership, legacy, and transformational impact,Industrialist, High Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu (Onowu Anara), has been nominated for the 2025 Sun Entrepreneur of the Year.

The industrialist will receive the award at the Sun Newspapers Annual Awards, holding at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos

From the vibrant cultural driven Anara ancient kingdom to the dynamic urban landscapes of Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, Ejiogu’s journey is a testament to vision, resilience, and a rare leadership capacity that blends commerce with community. He is a serial entrepreneur and doyen of real estate business, a builder of industries and lives, and a good fertiliser for entrepreneurial aspirations.

Long before accolades and chieftaincy titles conferment, Ejiogu saw possibility where others saw risk. Today, as the Chairman of Citygate Homes, a leading and most reliable real estate company in the federal capital territory and across the country, he commands a conglomerate that spans real estate, hospitality, construction, logistics, aviation, maritime, community services, and oil & gas, an empire rooted in discipline, strategy, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

But business, for Ejiogu, has never been solely about expansion or profit margins. It has always been about people. Through award of educational scholarships, skills acquisition programmes, youth entrepreneurship funding, football tournaments, and sponsorship of cultural festivities, he has touched thousands of lives across Nigeria. From the young entrepreneurs he mentors to widows he supports quietly, Ejiogu’s impact extends far beyond boardrooms and business balance sheets.

Recently, his efforts earned him the chieftaincy title of Onuowu of Igboland, conferred by the South Council of Traditional Rulers at an event attended by the Imo State Governor, Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umuahi and a host of dignitaries. It was a recognition not only of achievement but of service, patriotism, and a life dedicated to lifting others.

In the world of real estate, where challenges are constant, regulatory hurdles, economic volatility, and fierce competition, Ejiogu’s approach has been deliberate, strategic, and transformative. Citygate Homes is not just a property company, it is a laboratory of innovation, setting benchmarks for housing, urban development, and sustainable growth in Nigeria. He has nurtured a new generation of real estate billionaires, guiding them into becoming trusted, capable, and socially conscious industry leaders.

Yet, despite the scale of his influence, Ejiogu remains unassuming, cerebral, and approachable, a leader whose charm and diplomacy have made him a bridge-builder in both business and society. His life exemplifies the idea that true industrialists do not merely create wealth; they create opportunity, stability, and trust.

As the Sun Entrepreneur of the Year award approaches, it is clear that this recognition is not simply about corporate milestones or impressive growth figures. It is about a man whose vision and leadership have reshaped industries, empowered communities, and created enduring legacies that will outlast any accolades.

High Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu’s story reminds that leadership is measured not just in profits, but in the lives touched, the standards set, and the nation strengthened. In him, Nigeria sees a business leader and entrepreneur who builds not only structures, but hope, capacity, and possibility for generations to come.