All is now set for Nigeria’s most influential newspaper, LEADERSHIP, to hold its 2023 prestigious Conference and Awards ceremony scheduled for March 5, 2024.
The annual LEADERSHIP Conference and Awards billed to take place at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, at 10am is the 15th edition of the annual event organised by LEADERSHIP Group Limited to celebrate those considered by the media outfit as having distinguished themselves in the public and private sectors in the previous year.
This year’s conference, with the theme: An Economy In Distress: Which Way Forward? brings together prominent Nigerians, critical stakeholders from various sectors, legislators, and members of the diplomatic corps to brainstorm on the way out of the present economic quagmire.
The selection of the award recipients as usual followed a critical review of their various contributions to the growth and development of Nigeria, as laid down by the founding chairman of the LEADERSHIP Newspaper Group, the late Sam Nda-Isaiah.
The 2023 award is phenomenal with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu clinching the Person of The Year award for braving monumental odds to clinch the APC presidential ticket and subsequently win the keenly contested election.
For providing exceptional leadership qualities in their states, four governors emerged as LEADERSHIP 2023 Governor of the Year. They are: Benue State governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia; Umar Dikko Radda of Katsina State, Muhammed Umar Bago of Niger State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
For the 2023 Politician of the Year category, the duo of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial district, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, both emerged winners.
Obi, a first timer in the presidential race, changed the narrative of the conduct of the election, making history with the Obidient Movement which saw a majority of Nigerian youths defying the usual voter apathy and coming out en masse to cast their votes. Senator Uduaghan-Akpoti, on her part, is the first female senator from Kogi State who surmounted all odds to reclaim her mandate through the courts after she was initially denied victory.
The LEADERSHIP Public Service Person of the Year was jointly won by Interior Minister, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the managing director/CEO of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engr. Abimbola Akinajo.
Tunji-Ojo, a.k.a. ‘Minister Talk and Do’ won the heart of many Nigerians for his exceptional reforms in tackling the perennial passport booklet problem while Akinajo’s exceptional commitment culminated in the delivery of the Lagos blue rail line under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
United Bank of Africa,UBA clinched Bank of the Year for its unbroken record performance in the first three quarters of 2023.
Yemi Edun, a seasoned banker, chartered accountant and MD/CE of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) emerged LEADERSHIP Banker of the Year. Edun successfully steered the bank through increased SME lending as well as facilitating credit to small businesses.
CEO of the Year was jointly clinched by a trio of the CEO of Emzor Pharmaceutical Company, Dr Stella Chinyelu Okoli; the CEO of Transcorp Hotels, Dupe Olusola, and the CEO of Marvelous Mike Press, Engr Michael Bayo Akinola.
LEADERSHIP Social Impact Person of the Year went to the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Sulaimanu Adamu, for touching and shaping the lives of his subjects by promoting unity, and tremendous upliftment against myriads of social constraints that had bedevilled the people of Bauchi for long.
The Business Person of The Year Award was won by chairman of Gerewa Group of Companies, Isa Mohammed Gerewa for building one of the most successful companies that helped in the achievement of economic diversification.
Other winners of LEADERSHIP’s coveted awards are Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) which took the Government Agency of the Year, and Seplat Energy Plc which won the Oil & Gas Company of the Year.
The Company of the Year was won by Zeberced Group, while the Oil and Gas Local Content Champion of the Year went to Aradel Holdings Plc.
IT Company of the Year went to CWG Plc, while Brand of the Year was won by Flour Mills Nigeria Plc.
Fintech Company of the Year was won by MoniePoint.
The Artiste of the Year award went to Nike Okundaye Davies for her unwavering dedication to promoting and empowering Nigerian youths and women through arts and craft.
The Sports Persons of the Year award went to D’Tigress for winning a historic fourth consecutive AfroBasket title, while Awwalu Sani, for displaying honesty when he found and returned N15 million to Chadian merchants who forgot it in his tricycle, won the Outstanding Young Person of the Year award.
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