Dr. Anaebonam's strategic vision for Breej is a model for business excellence and empowerment

Special to USAfricaonline.com
NigeriaCentral.com
The Black Business Journal

Dr. Aloysius Anaebonam represents the new breed of African-Americans who have achieved a consummate marriage of intellectual distinction with business savvy. It must noted, set on a clear global vision of how a community and business can benefit each other.

"For me, it's an empowering mechanism, a vehicle to offer and share opportunities with our folks and all persons who like to look good, do good business and groom themselves very well" the member of the American Pharmaceutical Association and the American Chemical Society told our media networks: USAfricaonline.com, USAfrica The Newspaper, NigeriaCentral.com and The Black Business Journal during an exclusive interview.

Remarkably, Dr. Anaebonam, founder and chief executive officer of the Breej Technologies group, holds eleven United States Patents and co-authored a chapter in the Encyclopedia of Pharmaceutical Technology and the Pharmaceutical Textbook, Tablets Volume II. It is important to note that the initial marks of the higher standards Anaebonam set for himself was evident during his early years in college in his native home of East central Nigeria. He made the rare and privileged First Class Honors for a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy. It was in 1978 from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the country's first indigenous university founded by the country's first president and alumnus of Lincoln University, the late Dr. the Hon. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

At the college, he was also one of the the founding members and later in 1977, the Governor of the elite college fraternity in Nigeria, the Ancient Hellenic Order of the Beta Sigma Fraternity.

Afterwards, the young and promising Anaebonam set sail for the United States, in search of the proverbial "golden fleece." He did not only make it golden but in good time. He obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree and Master of Science degree in Industrial Pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, Boston MA, USA in 1986 and 1983 respectively, while striving with some additional work to sustain his needs as an international student

He told me during our interview that "three major things which motivated me towards getting in to this beauty care business are these facts: Black folks suffer from shaving bumps [pseuodofolliculitis barbae]. My last two jobs opened my eyes to new opportunities in the area." He added that "combining the fact that we need some corporations in the African-American to serve this unique need and niche in Black skin care remains a major factor." Indeed, it is a multi-billion dollar business.

In order to make the vision work even better he has a team of local and international director and investors who have contributed their time, resources and ideas to sharpen the Breej mission. Some have been his friends for well over two decades. They include Dr. Emma Okafor, Thad Ugha, Anayo Nwandu, Dr. Augustine Duru, Jim Barbato, Ben Ugha, Walter Adichie, Dr. Ije Nduka-Nwosu, Dr. Mike Ihemaguba and Henry Barber.

For the event, Dr. Anaebonam's mother, Mrs. Maria Nneka Anaebonam, has flown in from Nigeria to support her son. A proud mother she must be. He has nurtured an extensive international business experience and contacts, having traveled to and worked with Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic development companies in the United States, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Japan and Nigeria. Some of those international partners will join as the Breej group of companies perform the launch on December 9, 2000 at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester, Massachussetts, of their flagship product line, The Black Luxury Shave. According to a statement sent to USAfricaonline.com by the Breej group, "it is a comprehensive ten-product shaving bump treatment system to provide relief to a lot of Black men plagued by this problem."

He has been an active member of the United States Society of Cosmetic Chemists since 1983 and was Chairman of the New England Chapter in 1994 and 1997.

Dr. Anaebonam underlined the fact that he's in business not only to make money but to offer "first-rate service and well-packaged products and the synergy of natural products and modern technology." He proudly cites the work of the Milan-based design company, Studio Green, for Breej.

But why is appearance and grooming so important? "The appearance of everyone is important because your face is the very first thing people see." He made the case that Black men should groom themselves without being "feminized."

When I asked him what the ultimate mission for Dr. Aloy Anaebonam and the Breej Group really are, he was unwavering. "With God leading (and He is in charge of our lives) and blessing us, we'll be creating a business with global reach and opportunities for employment for our folks and the best products. Our team wants to be a core part of the solution."

Dr. Anaebonam has logged almost twenty years of industry experience "covering all aspects of Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic product development, testing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, validations, regulatory submissions and business development."

He was Vice President of Product Development and Quality Control at Ascent Pediatrics, Wilmington, Massachussetts and Section Head, Pharmaceutical Development at Fisons Corporation, Rochester, New York.

In order to achieve professional and consumer value assessment for the Breej, an ongoing clinical trial for the line is being conducted on behalf of Breej by Skin Medicine and Surgery Inc. with its Medical Director, Dr. Nomate Kpea as Principal Investigator.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, he is ably supported by a vivacious wife Nneka (a healthcare manager). They have two children: daughter Adaeze, 4 1/2 and son Obinna, 15 months old. The CEO is not all about work. His hobbies include listening to African music, playing tennis, and world travel.

Just before we concluded our interview, the multilingual industrial pharmacist told USAfricaonline.com and The Black Business Journal that "making money and working with the community are not mutually exclusive." Without a doubt, Anaebonam, speaker of functional French and Italian, has a lucid vision set on firm entrepreneurial foundations. I was substantially impressed by the relationship of his business model model to the needs of his community, the African-American sector. Such business visionaries make history; on December 9, 2000, Anaebonam, certainly, will lead the Breej Group to a new pedestal in their quest to serve the beauty care needs of Blacks, globally.
Chido Nwangwu, recipient of the Journalism Excellence award (1997) and an adviser to the Mayor of Houston on international business (Africa), is founder and publisher of the first African-owned U.S.-based newspaper to be published on the Internet, www.USAfricaonline.com. He is writing a book on the experiences of recent African immigrants in the U.S., and covered U.S President Bill Clinton's visit to parts of Africa, March-April, 1998, and the August 26-28, 2000 visit to Nigeria.

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