It is impossible to think about road transportation in Nigeria without Frank Nneji coming to mind. The transportation icon recently retired from the trade, but he did it in style, leaving behind an industry that he impacted so much.
As supply chain legends go, very few have revolutionized an industry anywhere in the world as much as Frank Nneji has done it. The best part is that he did it amid chaos and fear of the Nigerian roads.
Let’s review the icon and glimpse palpable lessons for African transportation businesses.
Frank Nneji: The Background
Frank Nneji was born to a retired soldier and grew up in Kaduna (a state in Northern Nigeria). Considering how much militaries across the globe have revolutionized logistics, it is little wonder that he was such a logistics and transportation guru.
Originally slated to study medicine at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, the student will start with biological sciences as a pre-degree. As a student, he fell in love with business and was involved with many ventures, including selling past questions and supplying educational materials.
The young boy seemed like he was living and breathing various businesses. However, it is the transportation business that will eventually hold his attention. It began while in school, where he offered transportation services to students who went to watch football matches and various endeavours.
He saw an opportunity to offer them quick and comfortable transportation back to their hostels, and he made quite a bit of money doing this. Little did he know that in a few years, he would need the experience when he launched his transportation business across the nation.
The Birth of ABC Transport
While immersed in small business ventures across campus, Frank Nneji travelled across Nigeria for supplies. However, he would eventually get fed up with the transportation system. There was little regard for customer safety and comfort.
In fact, on one such occasion, he was sandwiched between two passengers for hours on end. One of these passengers was a young nursing mother with her baby. At some point, he forgot about his discomfort and had so much passion for the young woman.
This was what prompted the idea to launch a transportation business that would offer convenience, safety, and comfort to her passengers. He approached the then Diamond Bank (now Access) with the idea. And he got some funding to start with five buses.
Unbeknown to him, Nigerians had been waiting for this service, and his business immediately blew up. In part due to the services offered and the chaos from the 1993 elections.
Passengers wanted a safe mode of transportation, and ABC Transport PLC was their go-to choice. Frank Nneji had really hit a gold mine with the business.
You would think he would stop there had no limits. He gradually introduced the business to other African nations and transported passengers across West Africa.
It is little wonder that the company was registered on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. It is the first of its kind for any business in that industry.
Frank Nneji: Other Business Ventures
As we said, the man had an insatiable appetite for business. Although ABC Transport was a massive success, he would not stop there.
He eventually went into other ventures that have proved to be a massive success. These ventures include the Rapido group, Fibi Foods, Transit support services, Shacman truck assembly plant (formerly ANAMMCO), Mayfair suites, and Transit Inn.
What We Can Glimpse From Frank Nneji and His Contribution to Africa’s Transportation Industry
Although Frank Nneji has been successful in his business ventures with an emphasis on ABC Transport, three things have stood out with the company.
- 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Frank was always tweaking the process and finding ways to make customers feel more at home. This led to him installing toilets, televisions, and comfortable seats on each bus. But he also knew when the market needed a change and how to adapt swiftly.
- 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: He recognized that his employees were the foundation of the logistics and transportation process. He paid them better, treated them better, and they far outperformed other companies in the space.
- 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱: He was as customer-centric as they came, which was the secret behind his innovative strategies
These are the traits that made ABC Transport PLC so successful in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. You won’t believe how much a difference these three can make for most logistics businesses across the continent.
You can read about another logistics legend. This time in the Air transportation industry: Adefunke Adeyemi
Obinabo Tochukwu Tabansi is a supply chain mastro and writer with a decade of experience working in different facets of the supply chain. Today he is living his passion for writing on all things supply chain. His blog, Supply Chain Nuggets, is Africa’s fastest-rising supply chain blog, helping professionals, business owners, and curious minds navigate the supply chain complexities on the continent.
