LEADERSHIP Banker Of The Year 2025

For Pioneering Inclusive Finance Through Innovation And Integrity, And Strengthening The Foundations Of Nigeria’s Economy, Dr Tony Okpanachi Is…

When Dr Tony Okpanachi took the helm in 2017 as the pioneer Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), the institution was little more than an ambitious idea. Eight years on, it has evolved into one of the country’s most consequential development finance institutions, quietly redefining how access to capital can unlock national growth. Under his leadership, DBN has become a lifeline for Nigeria’s small businesses, proving that banking, when guided by purpose, can be a powerful instrument of social transformation rather than mere profit.

The scale of impact is both striking and deeply human. DBN has disbursed over ₦1.1 trillion to more than 700,000 micro, small and medium enterprises across the country, with women and youth accounting for about 65 per cent of beneficiaries. These interventions have created or sustained an estimated 1.2 million jobs, breathing life into workshops in Aba, farms in Kebbi, tech hubs in Lagos and artisan clusters in Kaduna. For Dr Okpanachi, financial inclusion is not a slogan but a strategy for national inclusion—one that deliberately channels opportunity to communities long excluded from conventional banking.

What truly sets his tenure apart is the architecture he built for sustainability. Dr Okpanachi positioned DBN not as a competitor in the financial system, but as a catalyst that strengthens it—deploying data-driven, technology-enabled lending through over 65 partner financial institutions, while embedding strong governance, environmental responsibility and capacity building. From entrepreneurship training to green finance frameworks, DBN has earned the confidence of global partners and the trust of local businesses. Today, its balance sheet tells a story far richer than numbers: a legacy measured in livelihoods restored, enterprises empowered and a development vision that connects policy with possibility.

It would be recalled that LEADERSHIP, in November 2025, unveiled its 2025 awardees, with Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, emerging as the Person of the Year 2025.

According to the LEADERSHIP Board of Editors, despite the country being on the brink of another election year, there was no winner for the Politician of the Year award.

Six governors, comprising Uba Sani (Kaduna), Abiodun Oyebanji  (Ekiti), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Hope Uzodimma(Imo State), and Abdulahi Sule (Nasarawa), emerged as Governors of the Year.

The governors earned the award for “diligently focusing on the implementation of programmes and policies that transformed lives in their respective states.”

Governor Abiodun Oyebanji clinched the Governor of the Year 2025 award for his people-centred leadership that has transformed Ekiti State through inclusive governance.

Governor Dauda Lawal won the award for his unwavering commitment to restoring security, as well as his massive investment in education, healthcare, and infrastructure, which have repositioned Zamfara on the path of peace, progress, and sustainable development.

Governor Uba Sani emerged Governor of the Year 2025 for his inclusive and reconciliatory leadership that unites people across divides in Kaduna, while

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori clinched the award for his visionary ‘MORE Agenda’ that has redefined governance in Delta State through peace, inclusion, and pragmatic reform.

Governor Abdullahi Sule won the award for focusing on infrastructure and human capital development.

Meanwhile, Providus Bank clinched the Bank of the Year award for its contributions to digital transformation and innovation in financial services.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) was named Government Agency of the Year for expanding Nigeria’s enforcement frontiers and recovering over N10 billion for consumers.

The LEADERSHIP Environmental Impact Agency of the Year award was presented to the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for championing sustainable industrialisation, renewable energy, and climate-friendly technologies that reduce carbon emissions and promote clean power solutions.

Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) won the Oil and Gas Local Content Champion of the Year 2025 for pioneering the development and operation of Nigeria’s first onshore crude export terminal.

Other winners include Fintech Company of the Year, won by OPay for revolutionising digital finance through inclusion; Product of the Year, Nestle’s Pure Life; and Company of the Year, Trade Modernisation Project.

Mrs Mabel Ijeoma Duaka and Dr Seidu Adebayo Bello jointly won the Primary Healthcare Model of the Year award. At the same time, the Outstanding Young Person Award went to David Adeyemi for nurturing innovation, empathy and excellence by developing an AI-powered app that transforms access to education for visually impaired learners.

Nafisa Abdullahi Aminu clinched the Young College Person of the Year 2025 for her outstanding achievement in elevating Nigeria’s presence on the international academic stage.

This year, the Artiste of the Year award was clinched by the duo of Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, better known as Skales and Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke.

The LEADERSHIP Sports Person of the Year award went to Justine Madugu for guiding the Super Falcons to their record-breaking 10th WAFCON title.

The awardees will be celebrated for their outstanding leadership, vision and commitment to national development at the LEADERSHIP Conference and Awards ceremony scheduled to take place on 12 February 2026  at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.