Aham Rochas, the 27-year old Nigerian entrepreneur impacting Africa through business and leadership

He is the founder and Managing director of the Aham Rochas group and the President of the Aham Rochas Foundation a non-profit, non-governmental that provides scholarships and free education to less privileged children at primary, secondary and university level, as well as initiatives to tackle poverty and unemployment.

Born in Plateau State, Nigeria, Aham is the fourth child and the first son of Nigerian politician, businessman and philanthropist, Rochas Okorocha; the Nigerian Senator representing Imo West Senatorial district at the 9th Senate of Nigeria and also the former Governor of Imo State, Nigeria.

Despite being born into wealth, it is something Aham has never taken for granted, and unlike many of his kind, he has chosen to follow the path of enabling more focused and hardworking individuals become wealthy through their innovative ideas. Aham has never seen his upbringing as an advantage but rather as a means to work harder and make positive impact in society.

Aham has had a stellar education obtaining a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester with first class honours. He also has an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the Imperial College London and an MSc in entrepreneurship from the University of Cambridge.

He has carried that first class mentality into his business and leadership engagements, inspired by his own drive to always push for excellence and the highest standards. The Aham Rochas Group under his watch has become one of Africa's apex venture capitalist firms. Significant progress has been made in identifying and developing businesses that arrest the need of the moment with a keen eye on the future and the group isn’t resting on its laurels.

His foray into entrepreneurship began in 2013 when the then-19-year-old decided to start his own business, Ryan and Russel; a retail outlet for men’s fashion in Abuja while still in the university. The inspiration to go into business stemmed from working with his father, Nigerian billionaire businessman and philanthropist, Rochas Okorocha, as an intern at the Rochas group. He agrees that the experience he gained there helped prepare him exceptionally for his future engagements. The obvious impact has been that he runs his businesses with sound leadership and focus.

In 2015, he launched a real estate company, FULA, and a year later, Aham started a venture capital, private equity & holding company, the Aham Rochas Group. 

Aham Rochas has grown in leaps and bounds as an investor with a knack for identifying startups that address the major needs of the Nigerian people and Africans as a whole. Currently, the Food and Beverage industry is one industry the group is taking seriously, as evinced in its most recent investments in food startups; Chop Away, Spot Express and Liberian food startup, Planet Suya.

“There is great potential for food products for the mass market,” he says. “High-end restaurants do okay, but their scale is limited. If you find something the mass market can consume."

Although, the Aham Rochas Group has reported consistent fast-paced growth, with significant milestones recorded since its inception, Aham’s approach to building a business has been slow, thoughtful, and purposeful. He is gradually building one of the most impactful firms in Africa and the world is his oyster.