Rise and rise of Harry O Ighodakpo
There’s an exception to every rule. So, when the saying, “Jack of all trades master of none”, comes to mind one cannot help but think of Dr Harry Ighodakpo, An Emevor, Isoko North-born Deltan, who’s an exception to that rule.
Like every great wine who gets better with age, after having gone through years of painstaking nurturing, dedication and solemn grooming, Dr Harry, as he is fondly called by friends has grown from a local businessman to that of international stature.
And he didn’t take the elevator to the great stage, he has had to take the stairs, measuring every step, making the right choices after every bad one.
He started with small businesses in Warri Delta State, scrapping for livelihood until fortune smiled on him and the businesses, as many as ten, began to yield fruits of joy. With time, he simply outgrew the businesses and had to move further afield where his sails has set unto the international waters.
Having gone to the business school of hard knocks, learning the ropes through hard work and perfecting his craft , Dr. Harry has narrowed down his main concerns to four portfolios of real estate, automobile, import and export and tourism. While automobile and import/export may just be subsisting businesses, real estate and tourism are his main pie that brings the goods home.
In this areas, Dr Harry may just be a czar sitting upon an empire. Little wonder he had to shift his base of operation to Dubai, United Arab Emirates where he pulls the strings, while maintaining balance at home in Lagos.
He may truly be a man sitting atop an empire of business fiefdoms, Dr Harry doesn’t see everything in life all in dollars and cents, he is a gentle man, humble and kind and loves to be seen as ‘approachable’ and not that distant sergeant major who runs his troop ragged.
“ I’m a family-oriented person. I want to be seen as a family man and accessible person. If you are not going to tell me rubbish you can walk up to me and talk to me anywhere. I always want to put God first, my family comes next then my work and my friends, I don’t joke with these things. I’m very accessible, humility for me pays because I have been in a situation where humility has taken me from nothing to something very important. I want to be seen as an accessible and a blessed man” he once said in an interview.
