There is no gainsaying billionaire extraordinaire, Benedict Peters is an inspiration to most of his peers; he paved his path to acclaim like the proverbial fortune hunter who dared the odds and braved through storms to create eternity from a moment. Peters’ wealth bears the sweet, dazzling glow of infinity; pundits would say it’s because he worked for it. Even his detractors would acknowledge that he toiled really hard to attain his current height.
Yes, in top business schools across the continent and beyond, the corporate exploits of Peters are veritable case-studies for academic researches. And there seems to be unanimity of opinions that the patently self-effacing businessman has created phenomenally successful businesses and changed the world in significant ways.
A force of nature; a towering force of hope and entrepreneurial depth, indeed, very few men can knead the tripartite traits of genius, modesty and character into that moral and human centaur that remains unattainable to generations of tycoons and multi-billionaires like this entrepreneur extraordinaire.
No doubt, becoming an industrialist however, is not mere lip service. It requires consistent effort and focus to grow from just being an entrepreneur with interest in a particular business to becoming a respected and renowned empire builder. Nigeria is blessed with many of such men who started from the scratch, kept their nose to the grindstone and turned seemingly insignificant ideas into behemoth industries. Yes, billionaire extraordinaire, Benedict Peters is one of these great Nigerians.
He is one man that would be sent to Mars and still treat it as a stepping stone to Saturn – the quality of constant invention and self-improvement that has earned him worldwide acclaim and prosperity.
Peters has become the high watermark by which his contemporaries are measured. Innovative and insightful, he is a ruler of his world and not bound by a time clock, yet he does not abuse the privilege. Today, he is celebrated at home and abroad as one of Nigeria’s league of extraordinary entrepreneurs.
Interestingly, however, there is no gainsaying the business terrain is like a wilderness riddled with storms. But despite its inherent dangers, Peters navigates through its perilous paths with a stubborn resolve and unyielding spirit, like bog-hardened seekers.
Interestingly, however, Benedict is pumping $1 billion into the mining of platinum in Zimbabwe. Bloomberg reported that Peters’ Bravura Holdings Ltd. said the money is available, quoting the country manager, Lionel Mhlanga. The 3,000 hectare (7,413-acre) concession where Bravura plans to dig the mine is in Selous, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Zimbabwe’s capital Harare and close to existing platinum mines.
“From where we are now, we will go to resource definition, after that we will go to resource modelling, after mine development and then mine construction,” Mhlanga, Bravura’s manager said in an interview at the mine. “Those are all things that should happen in the next 18 months.”
Bravura is one of the companies that have secured platinum concessions in Zimbabwe as the government seeks to kick start its stagnant economy. Still, established platinum miners haven’t announced plans to expand their operations.
While Zimbabwe has the world’s third-largest platinum group metal reserves, investors have been deterred by frequent changes to mining laws and currency policies. Peters owns Aiteo Eastern E & P Company Ltd., Nigeria’s biggest domestic oil producer, but has little experience in mining.
Still, the group also intends to explore mining lithium, rare earth minerals and tin in Zimbabwe, Mhlanga said. It’s also seeking to mine cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, copper in Zambia, gold in Ghana and iron ore in Guinea, he said. Namibia and Botswana could also be options for the company, he said.
