The Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Coscharis Group, Dr. Cosmas Maduka, has stated that transparency, accountability, honesty, trustworthiness and decency were the reasons why Nigeria banks are lending him money without demanding for a collateral in accordance with the banking law.

Maduka disclosed this while mentoring Nigeria youths on how to be self-disciplined, responsible, hardworking, determined, dedicated and focused in their various fields of endeavour at a two-day 2025 Under 45 CEOs Business and Leadership Summit with the topic: ?From power to purpose, leading with ethical courage, organized by Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation (UDUF Africa), held at Bishop Patterson auditorium, All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State, on Saturday.

According to him, faith in God, self-belief and trust are what every Nigerian youth need at the moment to grow and develop themselves and the country at large.

?I didn?t do money ritual to grow. I made my money through faith in God and the trust people bestowed upon me. What you build on people last longer than what you build for yourself. You wouldn?t believe that in the last thirty years, I never signed a cheque of Coscharis Group despite having Yorubas as my Group Managing Director and Financial controller respectively as a typical Igbo man from Nnewi, Anambra State.

?I am reciprocating that trust people, investors and Nigeria Financial Institutions bestowed on me that have graciously lead me to the position I found myself today. I am looking for value and not tribalism as a humble man who started hustling as an Akara seller in Jos, Plateau State.

?You must learned to be trusted if you want to change your negative narratives in this World. Today, we live in a place where trust is almost impossible. Nobody will believe your vision and passion until you believe in yourself. You are the change Nigeria is looking for.

?I didn?t start life as a CEO, I started as an Akara seller in Jos, Plateau State, after I lost my father at the age of four.

?I rose to this position I am today, through faith in God and self-belief.

?I didn?t do my business along government sectors, I didn?t build Coscharis to prove that I am a powerful Nigeria, I built it because I believe that business is a calling. My guiding principles is whatever thing you do, do it as unto the Lord. Success is not about what you gain but about who you become and how you serve the society. Success without integrity leads to destruction. Focus without purpose is like a motion without direction.

?Because of my honest determination to grow and my trustworthiness, banks in Nigeria are lending me money without demanding for collateral, and the bank that first risk the trust in me was Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB).

?In 1977, I founded Coscharis Motor, a one- man trading venture that grew into the Coscharis Group, a wholly Nigerian-owned conglomerate with interest spanning automobile, auto-assembly, logistics, IT, agriculture, medical equipment, food and beverages, and chemicals. Today, the group represents leading global brands such as BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Ford, Renault and Rolls Royce with operations across Nigeria?s six geo-political zones and in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Japan respectively.

?When you live a life of integrity, people will trust you, investors will believe you and most importantly God would back you up. Do not look for change; you are the change Nigeria is yearning for. I therefore urge you all to use what you have learned here today to develop a vision that will change the socio-economic hardship Nigerians are currently going through at the moment,? Maduka concluded.

In his opening remarks, founder of UDUF Africa, Dr. Ezuma Smart Chinedu, emphasized the importance of youth perseverance and acquiring necessary skills to achieve business goals.

He explained that the 2025 summit with the Theme; LeaderShift: Building a new mindset for ethical leadership, was to guide young entrepreneurs on how to remain afloat in their endeavors following the challenges faced by businesses in the country.

?It also aimed to enhance leadership and business management skills and encourage networking among over 200 participants drawn from various sectors of the economy.

Chinedu noted further that Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation aims to provide capacity-building opportunities to young people, entrepreneurs, and leaders who have a passion for serving humanity and transforming African communities.

The Summit that also featured panel discussion was equally attended by Prof. Olusegun Oludapo Sogbesan, Director General of Onitsha Business School, Lady Chinwe Okoli, CEO Solution Innovation District, Prof Stella Chinyere Okunna, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Paul University Awka, Daniel Chinagozi, Founder Innovation Growth Hub, Bishop Dr. E.C Obiorah, Chairman, EMOS Best Industries, Kenny Adenugba, Sylvanus Izebhokhae, Registrar, Onitsha Business School, among others. (THISDAY)

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