Cosmas Maduka

Cosmas Maduka
Born	(1958-12-24) December 24, 1958 Jos, Nigeria
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, evangelist, philanthropist
Years active	1977–present
Known for	Founder, president and chairman of Coscharis Group

Cosmas Maduka (born December 24, 1958) is a prominent Nigerian entrepreneur, evangelist, and philanthropist, recognized as the founder, president, and chairman of the Coscharis Group.

In 2015, Maduka was featured on the Forbes Africa TV series "Worst Day with Peace Hyde" with a net worth estimated at $500 million USD. Reports also indicated that he suffered a loss of N21 billion in a business deal involving Ifeanyi Ubah of Capital Oil and Gas. His entrepreneurial journey has been showcased on CNN Marketplace Africa.

Early life

Born in Jos to Mr. Peter and Mrs. Rose Maduka, Maduka is an Igbo Christian originating from Nnewi in Anambra State. Following the passing of his father, he began engaging in business activities at the age of six, leaving primary school to sell akara in order to support his mother.

Business career

At seventeen, after being dismissed by his uncle who had trained him in automobile mechanics, Maduka co-established a spare parts firm named CosDave, which unfortunately did not succeed. In 1977, with an initial capital of N300, he launched Coscharis Motor focusing on automotive spare parts. The company’s name is a blend of his first name Cosmos and his wife Charity’s name.

A significant milestone was achieved in 1982 when Coscharis became one of only ten motor companies authorized by the Nigerian government to import vehicles. Presently, the Coscharis Group is a diversified conglomerate valued at $500 million, with operations across Manufacturing, ICT, Petrochemicals, Auto care and Components, Automobile Sales and Services, Agriculture, and Agro-Allied industries. The group is an official distributor of luxury automobile brands such as Range Rover, Ford, and Jaguar.

In 2015, Coscharis Motors secured exclusive rights as Nigeria’s sole BMW distributor and became the first company to establish a local assembly plant for the Ford Ranger. The firm earned the Auto Brand of the Year award at Ghana’s Marketing World Awards. In 2016, Anambra State granted 5,000 hectares to Coscharis Farms for rice farming initiatives projected to generate 3,000 employment opportunities. The group is recognized among Nigeria’s top 50 brands.

Maduka attributes his achievements to principles absorbed from early interactions with Japanese business practices—dedication, humility, accuracy, and diligence—which he intends to elaborate on in his forthcoming autobiography.

He held several board positions including serving as a Director at Access Bank Plc., one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, from 2000 until 2012.

Mentorship and youth empowerment

Cosmas Maduka is actively involved in mentoring upcoming entrepreneurs. During the ‘Stanel Youths Empowerment Master Class’ held in Awka, Anambra State, he revealed how he provided start-up funding amounting to One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N150,000,000) to Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu, Chairman of Stanel Group, aiding him in becoming one of Nigeria's youngest billionaires.

Personal life

A committed Christian, Maduka often delivers sermons at churches and youth gatherings across Nigeria. He credits his early spiritual foundation and inspiration from the late Reverend William Marrion Branham as instrumental to his success. He was married to Charity Maduka (1958–2021) and is father to four sons and one daughter. His residence is in Lagos.

In 2015, Maduka graced the cover of Forbes Africa as the entrepreneur who transformed $1 into $500 million and appeared on the Forbes Africa TV series “My Worst Day with Peace Hyde.” He has a strong interest in football and his family holds a passion for motorcycles.

Awards

In 2003, Maduka was honored with an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He held the position of President and Chairman of the Nigerian Table Tennis Federation for sixteen years, during which he elevated Nigeria's status in African tournaments and facilitated the country's participation in multiple Olympic Games, including Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008. In 2012, he completed an Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School and received the prestigious Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) distinction from President Goodluck Jonathan.