Financial Times Showcases LEADERSHIP Conference And Awards

In a rare promotional swing, the LEADERSHIP Conferences and Awards is being showcased in Financial Times, the world’s leading business and financial newspaper.

The campaign which started in the first week of February will be on until March ending just ahead of the 17th edition of the Conferences and Awards Ceremony slated for April 8 at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Senior vice chairman/editor in chief of LEADERSHIP Group Ltd., Azu Ishiekwene, said, in a statement on Sunday, that the decision to showcase the flagship event in the Financial Times was taken because of the special nature of the forthcoming programme.

“This event marks the 20th anniversary of LEADERSHIP,” Ishiekwene said. “We have decided this is a good time to showcase the Conference and Awards as a truly global event consistent not just with the choice of our recipients this year, but also with the ranking of FT.”

According to the statement, the advert for the conference in the Financial Times newspaper will be seen by CEOs and people in top managerial positions who read FT in US, UK, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.
Other countries covered by the campaign are Egypt, Algeria, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

“Over 35, 000 subscribers to the FT in any of these countries will be able to click on the banner ad and land on the website of the LEADERSHIP Conferences and Awards,” the statement said.

LEADERSHIP Board of Editors had in November 2024 nominated 26 distinguished individuals and organisations who made exceptional contributions to governance, business, and public service in Nigeria, for the newspaper’s gold standard awards.

The nominees will be celebrated for their outstanding leadership, vision, and commitment to national development at the LEADERSHIP Conference and Awards at which the Special Guest of Honour, Vice President Kashim Shettima, will also give the keynote address on the challenges and opportunities of fiscal federalism.

The nominees for the 2024 awards include Alhaji Aliko Mohammad Dangote, Nigeria’s foremost industrialist and philanthropist, as the winner of the Person Of The Year Award for his immense contributions to the nation’s economy. His philanthropic and groundbreaking efforts make him a deserving recipient of this highest honour.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike won the 2024 Quinquennial Award for Governance and Infrastructure, a rare recognition by the LEADERSHIP Group Limited, an award to be conferred once every five years.

Also, for the year 2024, apart from Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, five other state governors were jointly nominated for the award of Governor of the Year. They are Bala Mohammed of Bauchi; Pastor Umo Bassey Eno of Akwa Ibom; Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of Enugu State; Mallam Umar A. Namadi of Jigawa State and Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke of Osun state.

The governors were recognised for driving sustainable growth, infrastructural development, and policy innovations in their respective states.

Former governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (CON), won the Politician of the Year award for his political influence in Edo State where he frontally led the campaign that led to the emergence of Governor Monday Okpehbolo as the governor, and for his advocacy for democratic growth in Nigeria.

The Business Person of the Year award was won by Benedict Peters, founder and CEO of AITEO, for massively investing in mining and hydrocarbons sector in Africa, while Dame (Dr) Adaora Umeoji, GMD/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, clinched the Banker of the Year award for her transformative leadership in the banking industry.
Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), Comptroller-General of Customs, emerged as the Public Service Person of the Year for his exceptional leadership in improving the efficiency of Nigeria’s Customs Service (NCS).

Other remarkable business leaders, including the CEO of NORD Automobiles Ltd, Oluwatobi Ajayi, won the CEO of the Year award for the Private Sector) while Bamanga Usman Jada, MD/CEO of the Oil & Gas Free Zone Authority, clinched CEO of the Year award for the Public Sector.
In other award categories, AVSATEL Communications Limited won the Company of the Year award, while ARCO

Engineering Limited is the Oil & Gas Local Content Champion of the Year.
The Social Impact Person of the Year award will be presented to Olori Ivie Atuwatse III for her tireless efforts in championing education and healthcare initiatives.

OPAY won the Fintech Company of the Year award for promoting financial inclusion in Nigeria, while Alternative Bank clinched the Most Innovative Bank of the Year award for its pioneering work in digital banking.
Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal will be honoured as Environmental Impact Person of the Year for his leadership in advancing environmental policies and addressing climate change.

The Outstanding Young Person of the Year 2024 award will go to the Enactus team from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi. They are recognised for championing innovation and sustainability. Terra Cube will receive the Product of the Year award for its innovative solutions in sustainable living.