Birth And Early Childhood

Chief Louis Onwugbenu was born into the family of the late Mr. Augustine Onwugbenu and Mrs. Cecilia Onwugbenu of Ndi-Ojukwu village in Uruagu Nnewi. His date of birth was unique, because it coincided with the Assumption date (15th

August), a day regarded as sacred amongst Catholics, when the body and soul of Mary, the Virgin Mother of God was assumed into the glory of heaven.

 The famous missionary priest Rev. Fr. Louis Kettles, who was working in Nnewi at the time was like a Prophetic Simeon who foretold the future full of hope for the new born child as he baptized him,three weeks later (13th September 1953).Rev.Fr Louis Kettle who gave him the name Louis.

Nurtured early in life in the precepts of Christianity, the young Louis imbibed solid discipline and deep- rooted faith in God together with the memory of the famous missionary  greatly influenced his life and still inspires him till today.

As a young boy, it was a rare privilege at the time to come close to priests let alone dwelling with them. But the young Louis enjoyed this rare privilege.

When the young Louis came of age, he was enrolled at Philip’s Nursery and Primary School, Okpunoeze, Uruagu and subsequently had primary education at John of the Cross Primary School Egbo Uruagu Nnewi.

He was quite a brilliant young lad, intelligent and smart. This was evident while he was fielding questions during

Catechism classes and led to his qualification to receive the first Holy Communion and Confirmation at a very tender age.

After the gruesome civil war, Louis continued to serve in the mission under the then indigenous Parish Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Basil Onwuasomba, who contributed immensly to what Louis is today.

 His quest to draw his academic career to logical conclusion was, however, truncated midway in to his secondary school due to the prevailing economic, political and social factors at that time, including the gruesome Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970.

Business Life

After the war in 1970, the horrible experiences some teenagers of his age went through discouraged them from furthering their education. It was at this point that Louis Carter thought deeply about their challenging family situation and decided to allow his younger siblings who were also academically brilliant to further their education while he joined the business world to pursue his dreams.

In his proper reasoning, such move would ease the burden of school fees on his parents who lost everything they had during the  civil war and yet to recover from the ravages of the war.

Rather than being dejected and despondent by the unpleasant turn of events, which really gave him little or no chance to activate his intellectual potentials, he became more positively encouraged and took the bull by the horns.

Between 1970-1973, Louis Carter had joined his uncle Raphael Ezimora to learn trade.

 As an apprentice, he slept inside the shop with others and it was there he joined the Block Rosary Crusade. The discipline and experience gathered at that early stage helped him go far in life.

He quickly understudied the auto parts business. Within a short period of time, he mastered the rudiments of the trade. The experience he had gained earlier helping his parents in their oil milling business was key to his quick understanding of the auto parts business.

In 1973, Louis launched himself into the world of business. His initial capital was meager compared with what the motor

spare parts business require at the time. This made him to start with  servicing parts like plugs,filters,bolts and nuts. He gradually graduated to bigger and more capital intensive items like pistons,engine blocks,top gaskets among others which today are the predominate trade of Nnewi people.  

His prayerful life and closeness to God gave him good energy and motivation to succeed. Louis would pray assiduously every morning. He would play Christian music before setting out for the day on a high positive spirit. He had the conviction that God’s grace was with him and that he was born to win. To him, the world was at his feet to explore, exploit and conquer and will be the last person to give up. He usually played Jimmy Cliff’s track “Born to win” as a motivating music to keep him focused on his activities as he held his dream and kept the ball rolling.

Breakthrough

Between 1973-1977, Louis Carter had already started distinguishing himself in the business world, shuttling to and fro Lagos three times a week in order to buy and sell his goods. Louis’ watchwords were honesty, hard-work and

determination; these principles earned him the favour of many who came in contact with him.

Gradually but steadily, the business began to flourish. Hence, the young Carter began to expand and diversify the frontier into other lines of trade that much later metamorphosed into manufacturing, Agriculture, food processing, Estate Management and general merchandise. Like a divine Providence, what he lost academically, he gained handsomely in business.

Married Life

By 1977, young, successful Louis was already longing for a partner. The yearning of Louis Carter’s heart later found its satisfaction in the home of Sir Anthony and Lady Roseline Ojukwu, the then Catechist of St John of the Cross, Egbo-Uruagu Nnewi. Louis mother’s (Omaka), eagle eyes captured the central Catechist’s daughter, young Patricia Ojukwu and would not opt for any other but her. God approved of this proposal and both were joined in marriage on the 21st day of October 1978. The marriage is blessed with 2 boys, 6 girls

and 14 grand children. All the children are all doing well in their respective fields.

Billionaire

With the marriage blissfully progressing, Louis pursued his ambition with high and burning determination.He was touring the world, searching for and indeed grabbing business opportunities.Louis Carter  currently,is solidly established globally.

Today, Chief Louis Onwugbenu with his phenomenal business talent sits atop a thriving and sprawling business conglomerate;rooted home in Nigeria;the subsidiary companies that sum up THE LOUIS CARTER GROUP LIMITED.

A utility player, Louis Carter has combined beautifully his business talent, sharp reasoning and swift execution of his ideas to maximum effects.

But it wasn’t easy. It took incredible focus courage and being intentional to carry himself the way he did. Credible sources have it that he became a billionaire before the age of 27years.

Philanthropy

As his business grew, even when he was under 30, he surprised many with his big heart of philanthropy when he undertook one of the four endowment projects of the University Teaching Hospital for then Anambra State University of Science and Technology (ASUTECH).

The impact of these endowment projects catalyzed the University upgrading by the then Military Head of the State, General Ibrahim Babangida to a Federal University in 1991. Louis Carter felt happy with the success and development orchestrated by the project (he was one of the four Nnewi Patriots that undertook the gigantic projects). This singular feat spurred him on.

It took humility and grace to seek beyond entrepreneurial exploits and improve lives via selfless and fortune-changing philanthropy. The story of Louis Carter aptly reminds us that we can resist the excuses that shield us from showing love to the less privileged ones. Whatever power we have, whatever our wealth and attainments, we attain humanness and immortality, perhaps, by lifting others up; especially those who are less privileged than us.

Philanthropy is at the heart of everything that Carter does. Why a lot of elite philanthropy is about elite causes, it is not so for Louis Carter. Through his eponymous Louis Carter Foundation, he puts smiles on people’s faces by creating or supporting initiatives that deliver knowledge, skills, resources and infrastructure that will stimulate innovation, facilitate commerce, drive enterprise and improve living conditions. Its core programme interests are entrepreneurship, education, health and rural development.

Notwithstanding his breathtaking success as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and citizen of humanity, Carter covets no vanities, unlike some other billionaires. He demands no free verses, heroic couplet or ornamental hymns to glorify his personage as a man. He is hardly given to such infectious varieties. He is not a man who seeks vain glory.

In thanking God for his goodness with the gift of children and huge business success, Sir Louis Onwugbenu has given out profusely to the Church, to the poor and needy. Like King Solomon, Sir Louis was chosen by God to build St Louis Catholic Church, Uruagu Nnewi, which he accomplished in a record time.

Philanthropy is at the heart of everything that Carter does. Why a lot of elite philanthropy is about elite causes, it is not so for Louis Carter. Through his eponymous Louis Carter Foundation, he puts smiles on people’s faces by creating or supporting initiatives that deliver knowledge, skills, resources and infrastructure that will stimulate innovation, facilitate commerce, drive enterprise and improve living conditions. Its core programme interests are entrepreneurship, education, health and rural development.

Notwithstanding his breathtaking success as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and citizen of humanity, Carter covets no vanities, unlike some other billionaires. He demands no free verses, heroic couplet or ornamental hymns to glorify his personage as a man. He is hardly given to such infectious varieties. He is not a man who seeks vain glory.

In thanking God for his goodness with the gift of children and huge business success, Sir Louis Onwugbenu has given out profusely to the Church, to the poor and needy. Like King Solomon, Sir Louis was chosen by God to build St Louis Catholic Church, Uruagu Nnewi, which he accomplished in a record time.

The church was dedicated by the then Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Most Rev. Hilary Odili Okeke on December 27, 2003 and handed over to the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi as part of activities to mark his 50th birthday and silver Jubilee celebration of his marriage. Built alongside the church was the Father’s house.

Much later and on different occasions, he added a Chapel of Adoration (built in memory of his parents, Augustine and Cecilia Onwugbenu), Primary and Secondary schools in the premises of St Louis Catholic Church and donated to the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi with a future plan of adding St Louis University.

It is worthy of note that the renaming of the church building to St Louis was at the behest of the then Catholic Bishop of Nnewi, His Lordship, Most Rev Dr. Hilary Odili Okeke, who got clearance from the Supreme Pontiff to rename the Parish from St Bartholomew Parish to St Louis Parish, only a few days to the dedication of the church project.

It would be recalled that before these legacy accomplishments, his philanthropic acts had included,

settlement of hospital bills for many families who were finacially handicapped, Provision of access to education up to university level for children from indigent family, training of the religious, including priests and reverend sisters, giving out alms to assist people and building homes for the homeless,adoption of quadruplets and quintuplets children from about seven different parents,offering them scholarships from nursery to university levels.

Louis Carter Foundation

Following the joy and satisfaction he derived from God’s blessings upon him and his family, he desired to have a broader and wider reach to more indigent families and children.

On 15th August, 2013 during the celebration of his 60th birthday, he got an inspiration to float a Foundation aimed at wiping tears away from under privileged families. He founded the Louis Carter Foundation to alleviate the sufferings of the less privileged in the society and support human capital development, skills acquisition and empowerment to youths.

From the inception of the Foundation in 2013 till date, thousands of students have benefited massively from Louis Carter Foundation at all levels of Education within and outside the shores of the continent. Some have since graduated and are gainfully employed.

Despite the economic meltdown in the country, Okpataozuora has kept adding more students annually to the Foundation. The Foundation has grown in leaps and bounds.

In December 2021, Louis Carter Foundation massively empowered over 100 youths drawn from his home community of Uruagu Nnewi and across the nation with life changing purses ranging from N1m to N5m. This instantly sprung up new businesses and boosted the struggling ones. The beneficiaries who were never known to him further endorsed his detribalised disposition.. His generosity knows no bounds.

Remarkable Birthdays

His early humble beginning as a Block Rosary member and Mass Server (Altar Boy) living with the Irish Missionaries and the strong foundation from his parents, mentally affected his

world view. Infact, living with Irish priests went a long way in giving him a good and solid foundation, thereby complementing what his parents started in him.

Against this background, Chief Louis Onwugbenu, a papal knight of St Gregory, derives pleasure in celebrating his birthdays with children, especially members of the Block Rosary crusade. When he marked his 60th birthday, he was joined by the Uruagu, Nnewi region and Ndi-Ojukwu center (founded by his mother, Omaka) where young children of God were feted.

All these assisted in no small measure to mould his life as a true believer and practical Christian. This year, as he marked his 70th birthday anniversary, Louis Carter will sponsored all the Block Rosary Centers in the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi made up of more than 5000 young children of God. Added to this number was  the presence of over 2000 charity and destitute homes, including the poor and indigent who were lavishly fed at the occasion hosted at St John of the Cross Catholic Church, Egbo-Uruagu Nnewi. The event also witnessed the presentation of fat purses to the various Block

Rosary groups, the poor, indigent and Charity homes from Anambra State and beyond.

Despite his absence at the celebration, the Celebrant  pulled all strings to make his 70th birthday a memorable one for guests. There was quiz competition, march past  and cultural displays among the zones. Various mouth-watering prizes were won by the competing zones as an  encouragement to them as that was how he started his life.

In addition, he assisted the Block Rosary groups in completing some of their challenging projects. He did all these to boost their morale and make them believe that as  members of the Block Rosary, they have every opportunity to grow bigger and do much more than he is doing now. It is his believe also that after his exit from this world, many more Louis Carters’ will emerge from the young lads.

Inspiration

The Celebrant once said that his interactions with the Irish Missionaries, especially Rev. Fr. Louis Kettle impacted a lot in his philosophy of life. He reasons that he saw a group of selfless individuals who left their homeland and brought their

resources to a community where they do not have any blood relationship. They brought development to communities and charity works to people they did not know without expecting any pay back from them.

He revealed also that Fr. Louis Kettle who baptized him with the name Louis, had a hand in the acquisition of the land where St Louis Church is sitting. Hence, the Celebrant mentioned that the church he built was in honour of the Irish Priest, Louis Kettle.

He also appreciated the mentorship roles of Rev Fathers’ Duncan and Baylon; Monsignor Basil Onwuasomba who he continued to serve the Church after the Civil war when the missionaries were forced to leave the country and our indigenous priests were handed over.

Challenges

April 10, 2020 (Good Friday) would have been the end of his life if not for God’s grace and intervention. His world seemed over as the famous Louis Carter and his family members were hit with the deadly Covid-19 virus. They were among the first

people at the early stage of the pandemic that contracted the dreaded virus in America when it was still a mirage to the whole world. The world was in great confusion and hapless as people were dying in thousands. Nobody had any clue on how to stop the spread not to talk of its cure. Even the then American President Donald Trump was quoted as having  said in the news “that the pandemic was the third world war but it was so difficult because one could not see the enemy physically. That if America was fighting known enemies like Russia or Iraq, she would surely know what weapons to deploy to fight them unlike this pandemic that has put the entire world into confusion and a total lock down”. 

Sir Louis and family fought and survived the pandemic to the glory of God. This marked a turning point in his life. To him, if his family could survive the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic which ravaged mankind and his close shave with death, then he remains indestructible in the sight of man and nothing can uproot God’s grace upon him.

For his traducers and detractors who enviously desire to covet his Estate worth billions of Naira, thereby putting spanners into his investments that spans across decades, the very calm looking Louis Carter remains unruffled and unperturbed, knowing well that only God Has control over his life.

Louis Carter is stupendously blessed and wealthy, hence he sees such challenges as a mere distraction that would be overcome.

For him, only his detractors’ figment of imagination would suggest that such ugly development or any other can pull him down, as he is still counting his blessings as a man born to win. Psalm 124 Vs 1-8.

Fulfillment

On completion of St. Louis Catholic Church, Chief Louis Onwugbenu derives so much joy seeing the congregates trooping and going home from Mass daily, especially on Sundays when four different Masses are celebrated. The pleasure of seeing the people going to hear the word of God and seek salvation makes him feel very fulfilled.

Secondly, seeing pupils and students attend the Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools he built in St Louis Parish remains a thing of joy. Since he wasn’t opportuned to acquire education, it is comforting to him assisting others to excel in it.

Thirdly, he was encouraged to build industries to create job opportunities and wealth at the same time. Therefore seeing workers going home after their shift jobs makes him feel excited that he is reducing unemployment.