Women Affairs Minister Najomo, Others Bag NMIA Honours

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo; and Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, were among prominent Nigerians honoured at the 2026 Nigeria Most Influential Awards (NMIA).

The awards were presented at the Nigeria Most Influential Awards and VGlamour 10th Anniversary, held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim received the Minister of the Year Distinguished Service Icon Award, while Najomo was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement in Aviation Award.

Adeniyi was also among the distinguished recipients drawn from the public and private sectors.

Others honoured included former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Deputy National Chairman (North) of the All Progressives Congress, Ali Dalori; Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South Senatorial District; and Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Aishatu Baju.

Also recognised were Dr Erasmus Ekpang, Dr Daniel Newman, Alhaji Sadiq Kashim and Adaora Sidney-Jack, while late media mogul, Raymond Dokpesi, received a posthumous award.

Speaking after receiving her award, Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the recognition as particularly significant because she said she neither solicited nor knew about it beforehand.

“I am so excited about this award, particularly because I did not even know about it. I am learning about it for the first time, and that makes the recognition even more special to me,” she said.

The minister commended the convener of the awards, Amb. Vivian Lam, for sustaining the platform for a decade, describing her as “an Amazon” and praising her commitment to recognising Nigerians making meaningful contributions to society.

She also highlighted the federal government’s focus on women, children and vulnerable groups, saying women’s economic empowerment remained critical to national development.

Earlier, Lam said the 10-year journey of Big Bang Magazine and the Nigeria Most Influential Awards had been defined by resilience, sacrifice and commitment to recognising excellence and positive impact.

She said the initiative had survived limited resources, failed sponsorships, difficult decisions and other setbacks because its founding vision remained strong.

“Every challenge became a lesson, every setback became a stepping stone, and every disappointment strengthened our resolve,” Lam said.

According to her, Big Bang Magazine was created to tell stories of courage, leadership, excellence and resilience, while the Nigeria Most Influential Awards emerged from the same vision to honour individuals whose contributions had positively impacted Nigeria and beyond.

She urged the award recipients to see the recognition as a responsibility, stressing that true influence should be measured by lives transformed, opportunities created, communities uplifted and lasting legacies.

Lam said the next decade would focus on greater excellence, stronger leadership, deeper impact and meaningful national development.

Also speaking, Najomo thanked Lam for the recognition, saying the award would encourage him and other recipients to do more in their respective fields.

He said he initially had reservations about the project but became convinced of its credibility after researching Lam’s profile and record of work.

The 10th anniversary celebration brought together government officials, political leaders, business executives, professionals and other stakeholders to mark a decade of VGlamour 10th Anniversary and the Nigeria Most Influential Awards.