08/08/2025
Enviable: How a 30-Year-Old Ex-Okada Rider Revolutionised Hire Purchase in Nigeria
In a country where innovation often rises from necessity, the story of Ituma Chukwuemeka Enviable, the 30-year-old founder of Enviable, stands as a compelling tale of resilience, grit, and vision. From the dusty streets of Umuahia, Abia State, to boardrooms filled with strategic partnerships and national logistics operations, Chukwuemeka's rise is as remarkable as the impact he is creating.
Born and raised in Umuahia, Ituah began his journey humbly first working as an Okada rider (commercial motorcyclist), a trade many Nigerians rely on for daily income. Seeking to improve his earnings and expand his impact, he transitioned into operating a tricycle (Keke Napep), joining the bustling world of urban mobility.
It was during this period that he noticed a recurring problem - many tricycle riders struggled with managing their vehicles as assets, often losing money due to poor maintenance, inefficient routes, or a lack of financial discipline.
Rather than turning a blind eye, Chukwuemeka leaned into the challenge.
“I realised that the real opportunity wasn’t just in driving,” he once shared. “It was in helping others succeed by managing the assets properly.”
What began as informal asset management for fellow tricycle riders evolved into something much bigger. Chukwuemeka launched Enviable, a structured transport and asset management company that applied modern principles to an age-old concept - hire purchase.
Under Enviable’s model, individuals could own tricycles without managing them directly. The company offered a centralised system for purchasing, maintaining, and operating these vehicles, returning profits to asset owners while managing risk.
This approach not only made transportation investments more accessible but also professionalised the hire purchase system in Nigeria, long known for its informal nature and inconsistent outcomes.
The real turning point for Enviable came when Chukwuemeka was introduced to Dr. Obinna Iyiegbu, better known across Africa as Obi Cubana - a billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, and investor.
Obi Cubana saw not only a working business model in Enviable but also a scalable platform with potential to transform asset ownership and logistics across Nigeria. He invested in the brand and joined forces with Chukwuemeka as co-owner, providing both capital and credibility to fast-track its national expansion.
“What made the partnership seamless was that Enviable wasn’t just an idea - it was already functioning. Chukwuemeka had built a tested and trusted system that was ready for scale,” Obi Cubana noted during a business roundtable.
With fresh investment, strong leadership, and operational experience, Enviable quickly grew beyond its home state of Abia. What started with managing tricycles in one city expanded into a nationwide transportation ecosystem, offering not just Keke management but now full-scale haulage and logistics services.
Today, Enviable operates in multiple Nigerian states, managing fleets of commercial vehicles ranging from tricycles to delivery vans and trucks. It continues to empower investors, entrepreneurs, and everyday Nigerians looking for safe, transparent, and profitable ways to engage in asset-backed earning.
In 2023, Chukwuemeka introduced the Flow App, a digital platform that simplifies the Enviable model. This platform allows users to monitor their assets and receive payments - all through a mobile app. This innovation not only makes participation easier but also boosts transparency and trust - two key pillars often missing in Nigeria’s informal investment landscape.
A look at Ituma Chukwuemeka’s rising from an Okada rider in Umuahia to the co-founder of one of Nigeria’s most promising transport and asset management startups simply explains that innovation doesn’t always come from tech labs - it often comes from lived experience.
Through hard work and having the right partnerships, he has redefined what hire purchase can look like in modern Nigeria - replacing informal agreements with structure, technology, and long-term opportunity. And in doing so, he's not just building a business, he’s creating a movement around ownership and economic empowerment.
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