Anastasios George Leventis
Encyclopedia
Anastasios George Leventis (December 1902 - October 1978) was a prominent Cypriot
businessman who owned a major merchandise trading firm in West Africa
.
. In 1937, he left the firm after it was acquired by the United African Company. Leventis then formed his own company and started out as a produce buyer, partly financed by some cotton
manufacturers in Britain
. In the late 1940s United Kingdom
authorities imposed a country by country quota on cotton imported from Africa, which was intended to influence textile and oil seed production in west Africa.
The situation created the impetus for A.G. Leventis to establish a branch in Nigeria
. In a few years the company expanded from cotton exports to merchandise trading. By the 1960s his firm had grown remarkably to become one of the largest distributors in Nigeria, rising to pre-eminence as one of the largest merchandise traders in the West African region. In Nigeria, he re-structured the business from general trading into a specialized trading firm and established various department stores in the country. During this period he thrived in the country as a result of the nation's relatively open economy as it was not until the 1970s that economic nationalism
became a dominant initiative. His marketing style also endeared the Leventis name to many customers in Nigeria.
, to display Cypriot antiquities from the early Bronze Age to the Roman era. In 1997, a similar display was opened at the Fitzwilliam Museum
, and in 2000 another at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
, New York.
In 2008 the A. G. Leventis Foundation endowed a new chair at Cambridge University in Greek culture
.
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
businessman who owned a major merchandise trading firm in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
.
Career
He started trading at the young age of 18, and rose to become the general manager of G.B. Ollivants in GhanaGhana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. In 1937, he left the firm after it was acquired by the United African Company. Leventis then formed his own company and started out as a produce buyer, partly financed by some cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
manufacturers in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In the late 1940s United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
authorities imposed a country by country quota on cotton imported from Africa, which was intended to influence textile and oil seed production in west Africa.
The situation created the impetus for A.G. Leventis to establish a branch in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. In a few years the company expanded from cotton exports to merchandise trading. By the 1960s his firm had grown remarkably to become one of the largest distributors in Nigeria, rising to pre-eminence as one of the largest merchandise traders in the West African region. In Nigeria, he re-structured the business from general trading into a specialized trading firm and established various department stores in the country. During this period he thrived in the country as a result of the nation's relatively open economy as it was not until the 1970s that economic nationalism
Economic nationalism
Economic nationalism is a term used to describe policies which emphasize domestic control of the economy, labor and capital formation, even if this requires the imposition of tariffs and other restrictions on the movement of labor, goods and capital. It opposes globalization in many cases, or at...
became a dominant initiative. His marketing style also endeared the Leventis name to many customers in Nigeria.
Philanthropy
In 1987 the A.G. Leventis Gallery was opened in the British MuseumBritish Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, to display Cypriot antiquities from the early Bronze Age to the Roman era. In 1997, a similar display was opened at the Fitzwilliam Museum
Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge, England. It receives around 300,000 visitors annually. Admission is free....
, and in 2000 another at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
, New York.
In 2008 the A. G. Leventis Foundation endowed a new chair at Cambridge University in Greek culture
A. G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture
The A. G. Leventis Professorship of Greek Culture is the first chair in Classics to have been endowed at Cambridge University since World War II...
.