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Nigerian businessman Cosmas Maduka speaks plainly when he reflects on success, and his message leaves little room for shortcuts. In a recent LinkedIn post, the Coscharis Group founder addresses a new generation of African entrepreneurs, urging them to build patiently and guard their character, arguing that businesses that last are shaped more by values than speed.
“If my life carries one message, it is this: Build slowly. Walk humbly. Honour God. Protect your name,” Maduka writes. He frames success not as a sudden breakthrough but as the result of steady choices made over time, adding that endurance in business is rooted in character, not convenience. The post was not framed as advice from a distance. Instead, it drew directly from a life shaped by discipline and long years of learning the trade from the ground up.
Growing up strong through adversity
Maduka recalled growing up without privilege, losing his father at a young age and taking on responsibility early. By six, he was hawking goods on the streets to support his family. School gave way to survival, and work became his classroom. “I did not grow up with comfort,” he wrote. “I grew up with hardship, discipline and the determination to survive.”
That sense of realism runs through his account of entering business. As a teenager apprenticed to his uncle as a mechanic, Maduka swept floors, carried heavy loads and endured rejection. A disagreement ended the apprenticeship, and he was sent away with just N200. Rather than seeing it as an end, he describes it as the moment that forced him to stand on his own.
From auto startups to diversified empire
At 17, he co-founded a small auto parts venture called CosDave with a friend. The business failed, but it taught him lessons that proved lasting. In 1977, he started again, this time founding Coscharis Motors, a name drawn from his own and that of his late wife, Charity. Married at 21, the partnership between the two became both personal and professional, shaping the direction of the business in its early years.
A key break came in 1982, when the Nigerian government issued import licenses to 10 motor companies. Coscharis was among them, opening the door to formal partnerships and national recognition. Over time, the company became a major distributor for global brands including Ford, Jaguar and BMW, thus establishing Maduka as a top figure in Nigeria’s auto industry.
Growth did not stop there. As opportunities emerged, Coscharis expanded into agriculture, technology, healthcare, petrochemicals and consumer goods, thus reflecting a cautious approach to risk in a volatile macroeconomic environment. Maduka often credits patience, consistency and faith for keeping the group grounded through cycles of expansion and correction.
Maduka values Coscharis at over $5 billion
In November 2025, Maduka drew attention when he said that if Coscharis Group were publicly listed, it could place his net worth at $5 billion. “If our company were listed on the stock exchange, which is how Forbes usually estimates wealth, I wouldn’t be worth less than $5 billion,” he said. While external estimates put his fortune below $500 million, the comment highlighted the scale of value built over decades.
That focus on long-term thinking is still clear today. In 2024, Coscharis Technologies announced a $4 billion renewable energy project to help Nigeria move toward solar and green infrastructure. For Maduka the project fits into a broader view of business as service, built on trust, self-control, and a strong sense of duty.
