Person Of The Year 2021: Yemi Osinbajo
Osinbajo may not be getting credit for a lot of the work he is doing; neither is he blowing his own trumpet, even when it is politically expedient to do so. And whether his name will be remembered 10 years down the line if Nigeria succeeds in lifting millions out of poverty or not, the impact of his leadership, now and then, will be felt. That is why he is the LEADERSHIP Person of the Year 2021.
Artiste Of The Year 2021: Maryam Bukar Hassan
Maryam Bukar Hassan, an indigene of Borno State in the North-East of Nigeria, is an inspiring leader, a social media influencer, and a brand advocate. Born on December 25, 1996, in Kaduna State, the renowned poet and exponent of the spoken word, gender advocate, wellness enthusiast and the new voice of young emerging Africans has been advocating women rights and emancipation in the North.
An activist on violence against women and children, Maryam who is simply known as Alhanislam, has gained recognition for her video on domestic violence entitled “Violence Has No Religion”, which has attracted over 3.2 million views on YouTube.
Business Person Of The Year 2021: Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu
Through his Foundation, The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Tony, as he is fondly called by peers, is acting on his firm belief that the private sector’s role is critical for Africa’s development. This, he insists, is hinged on the economic philosophy of Africapitalism which simply translates to the doctrine that “the African private sector has the power to transform the continent through long-term investments, creating both economic prosperity and social wealth In 2015, Elumelu committed $100 million to create 10,000 entrepreneurs across Africa over a period of 10 years through the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, a pan-African entrepreneurship initiative designed
to empower African entrepreneurs through a multi-year programme of training, funding and mentoring.
Governor Of The Year 2021: Udom Emmanuel
Not a man to blow his own trumpet, Governor Emmanuel has his massive footprints in infrastructural development. On his watch, the state government dualised the 19.5km Eket-Ebeno road and the 12.72km Awa-Iman-Asong-Ikot-Emem road even as it completed the emergency rehabilitation of Okopedi road. The 6.1 km Atam-Offot road, located in Uyo LGA, the 4.6 km School of Arts and Science road in Nung Ukim, the 5.1 km internal roads in the state-owned university, Obio Akpa, as well as the construction of gully erosion facilities along the Oron/Isangedihi road are a few of the roads he built.
Banker Of The Year 2021: Dr Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan
At the time he came on board as managing director, First Bank was on the verge of collapse with a non performing loan level of more than 18 per cent, way higher than the regulatory 5 per cent, and the bank, at the end of the 2016 financial year, had made a provision for bad loans of up to N226.03 billion, leaving it with a profit of just N12.2 billion.
However, by the end of the 2020 financial year, the bank’s provisioning for bad loans had dropped to N50.5 billion with profits rising to over N75 billion; nonperforming loans (NPLs) declined to less than 8 per cent.
Social Impact Person Of The Year 2021: Chinedu Munir Nwoko
Nwoko, the chairman of Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation (PNNF), has his eyes fixed on eradicating malaria in Nigeria and Africa. Like cannons overcharged with double cracks, he has to a greater extent demonstrated uncommon commitment to tackling the health scourge.
The lawyer, politician, philanthropist and business mogul believes that the nation and the continent must rather focus on total eradication as opposed to mere treatment and control. Like other well-meaning Nigerians, Ned had been disturbed by the alarming statistics which showed that the African region accounted for 94 per cent of all malaria cases and deaths worldwide, as well as a recent WHO statistics showing that six African countries accounted for approximately half of all malaria deaths globally.
CEO Of The Year 2021: Mele Kyari
Kyari has run the NNPC with a high degree of transparency and accountability, breaking a bad record of the agency: failure to publish its audited financial statements. This year alone, Kyari has published two years’ audited statements, beating the record he set in his first year in office when he published for one year.
On his watch, the NNPC became an incorporated entity in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021; he played a major role in the coming of PIA.
Under Kyari, NNPC has focused heavily on the gas sector, in keeping with the aspiration of the administration to diversify the economy by transforming the nation into a gas-driven economy.
In June 2021, the ground-breaking ceremony of the NLNG Train 7 Project was conducted, signaling the commencement of construction work on the project.
Person Of The Year 2021: Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
A woman of many parts, Dr Okonjo-Iweala is a global finance expert, an economist and international development professional with over four decades of experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America. She had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the position of managing director where she had oversight responsibility for the World Bank’s operational portfolio in Africa, South Asia and Europe and Central Asia, spearheading several World Bank initiatives to assist low-income countries during both the food and later financial crises.
The Nigerian also chaired the replenishment of over $40 billion for the International Development Association (IDA), the grant and soft credit arm of the World Bank. In her two sojourns at the World Bank, she held the post of vice president and corporate secretary (1997-2000), working in the East Asia region during the East Asian financial crisis; two duty tours in the Middle East Region, the last (2000-2003) as Director, operations (deputy vice-president), of the region. She also served as director of institutional change and strategy (1995-1997). From 1989 to 1991, she was special assistant to the senior vice president, operations.
Politician Of The Year 2021: Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
Many had feared the worst might happen to the main opposition party in the country, especially when it seemed as if it was tottering back to a familiar but inglorious past of long-drawn legal and political battles that almost killed it in 2016. The sack of the Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC) before the end of its tenure attracted a lot of backlash.
Not a few political watchers anticipated a major crisis, with the governors who are the most influential bloc within the party slightly divided on the matter. At this stage, how the governors managed their internal affairs was significantly important to the resolution of the crisis. What’s more, it was essential that they win the confidence of other critical party stakeholders in order to ensure that the party retains its uniting value. This required a distinct mix of empathy and painstaking negotiations, the type that should ensure that if the party didn’t become more united, it however shouldn’t be more broken. Clearly, the PDP was as much in need of advancing its fortune as it was in damage control mode.
Oil and Gas Local Content Champion Of The Year 2021: Dr. A.B.C Orjiako
ABC Orjiako is the Chairman and co-founder of Seplat Petroleum Development Company PLC, SEPLAT, a leading Nigerian independent energy company listed on both the London and Nigerian stock exchanges with a strategic focus in the Niger Delta of Nigeria.
Dr. Orjiako has steered the company, since its inception in 2009, to steadily emerge a global brand while attaining its remarkable growth aspirations. Under his watch, the company pioneered dual listing of its shares on the Nigerian and London stock exchanges in 2014. In recognition of the company’s achievements, SEPLAT won the Best Africa listing 2014 award by Africa Investors (Ai), “Mid-Cap Company of The Year 2014” award by the Oil and Gas Council and was named a “Global Growth Company 2014” by the World Economic Forum in 2014.
Governor Of The Year 2021: Bala Mohammed
The primary role of government is protection of life and property. In Nigeria, however, this primary responsibility has seemed herculean: most governments seem unable to fulfil this mandate especially in the North where insecurity has become endemic. It is common to hear of banditry and terror attacks in almost all states in the North, but not in Bala Mohammed’s Bauchi. The governor, rather than throw up his hands in the air and wait for the federal government, developed a home-grown solution that has served the state well and warded off marauders from wreaking havoc on his compatriots. The secret? He assembled and registered 10,000 hunters from across the state’s 20 local government areas to help other security agencies in fighting banditry, kidnapping and other crimes in the state.
This programme achieves two things: apart from tackling criminals, it is also providing youths with employment to reduce restiveness. For, as the saying goes, the idle brain is the devil’s workshop.
Governor Of The Year 2021: Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya
For repositioning Gombe State on the path of sustainable economic growth, rebuilding the state’s decrepit infrastructure, constructing roads with spread across the state, providing job opportunities for youths and women as well as empowering his people with his agricultural transformation agenda, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya is LEADERSHIP Governor of the Year 2021
When he assumed office on May 29, 2019, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (Dan Majen Gombe) was not new to the challenges facing the now 25-year-old state, having meritoriously served as the state’s commissioner for finance. He left no one in doubt that he already had his job well cut out for him: to propel Gombe State towards the path of rapid development. The accountant and pragmatic leader was burning in an unquenchable desire to deliver on his campaign promises.
And true to the people’s hopes, the governor has not disappointed them. Governor Yahaya has brought his vision, passion, humanity, pedigree, and above all his dexterity and Midas touch to bear on governance in the state’s socio-economic landscape. Across the 11 local government areas of the state, there is a congruence of opinion that he is indeed the right man for the job. He has so far met the expectations of the people through his visionary leadership. Within two and half years of his being in office, even his staunch critics would not hesitate to disavow their rather ill-informed criticisms of the Gombe State government on his watch.
Politician Of The Year – Bola Ahmed Tinubu
In 2021 Tinubu has left no one in doubt that he is versed in Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power and skilled in politics. His political genius is unmistakable.
Tinubu spent the better part of this year in the United Kingdom to have knee surgery. Surprisingly, President Buhari who was also in the United Kingdom at the same time visited Tinubu at his London home. The visit sparked a flurry of visits from governors, lawmakers, entertainers, and top government officials. His London home became a Mecca as politicians fell over each other to visit Tinubu and have photo ops with him.
Even governors and former governors who were in rival political camps with him hurried to London to boost their ratings. Amid his rumoured presidential ambition, there is a school of thought that his medical vacation in London would knock him off the perch; rather, it has strengthened his political grasp.
Sportsperson of The Year 2021: Blessing Oborududu
For lifting the mood of the nation around Team Nigeria’s performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with a silver medal, adding to her 10-year dominance on the African continent, Blessing Oborodudu is LEADERSHIP Sportsperson of the Year 2021
Outstanding Young Person Of The Year 2021: Rejoice Oghenero
After years of considering the possibility of flying unmanned mini planes, Rejoice Oghenero, an SS3 student from Kaima, Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area of Bayelsa State, finally found light at the end of the tunnel five months ago. And like other tech-hobbyists, he was able to couple an auto pilot system technology, a mini aircraft, using locally sourced materials.
Oghenero who has so far built well over 50 aircraft started out with drone-making using bamboo before perfecting his skill. Remarkably, 80 per cent of the materials used for his work is gotten from condemned refrigerators and from plywood. The 20-year-old dogged innovator wowed the world when he showcased the drones/mini aircraft he built in his village five months ago.
Despite coming from a poor family, Oghenero who has always had the innovative spirit came up with his first drone in 2013 after much research. The second child of a family of six turned celebrity relied on the internet, his physics textbook and his teacher to improve on his creative art.
e-Commerce Company Of The Year: Flutterwave
or striking partnerships that provide businesses all around the world with a wide range of payment solutions to enable them to expand their operations in Africa and other emerging markets, Flutterwave is LEADERSHIP e-Commerce Company of the Year
Year 2020 could be regarded as the best so far for Flutterwave. Its successes in fundraising, partnerships with global processing and payment companies, banks, mobile money and mobile network operators have raised its profile and value as a $1billion unicorn.
Founded in 2016 by a team of ex-bankers, entrepreneurs and engineers to provide businesses all around the world with a powerful, reliable and intelligent payment gateway to expand their operations in Africa and other emerging markets, Flutterwave enables cross-border transactions via one API (application programme interface).
BANK OF THE YEAR 2021: FIDELITY BANK
Fidelity Bank Plc is popular in the Nigerian economy for its interest in export promotion and drive for a savings culture. The bank, which has an international banking licence, has an asset base of N3.11 trillion as of June 30, 2021, a figure that has more than doubled compared to an asset base of N1.29 trillion it had in 2016.
The bank’s passion for increasing non-oil exports in the country is reflected on its Export Management Programme (EMP), a capacity development programme it runs in collaboration with the Lagos Business School and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). Targeted at growing the capacity of small businesses in the country, the programme has trained hundreds of individuals and businesses since its inception.
The EMP, which is open to both aspiring and experienced exporters, is an intense and hands-on export management education designed to equip Nigerian exporters, regulators, financiers and policymakers with the practical knowledge and business management skills required to compete effectively in the global export market.
Environmental Impact Company Of The Year 2021: BIC Energy
There is no gainsaying the fact that BIC Energy has a longstanding track record of more than 20 years in the renewable energy sector. It is a pioneer company in the area of renewable energy solutions. BIC Energy plans, develops and installs energy projects on a global scale in addition to manufacturing German-engineered solar and energy storage solutions. In the past, it developed over 7.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar PV capacity and actively installed approximately 1GW. Its professional team is a sample of the longest-running EPC and development providers in the industry. The company creates best in class innovative technology that supports energy self-consumption and storage. Its cubes are fully mobile and therefore offer maximum flexibility. As attestation to its competence, BIC Energy has executed many projects for the Nigerian government as well as some clients outside the country, including: installing over 1MW of off-grid products in Edo and Ondo states through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company; installing 5MW to Sebore International Farms in Adamawa State with another 20MW on order for delivery; delivering 5MW of off-grid solar and storage for Forward Operation Bases and medevac facilities (15-50kwh units) executed for the Ministry of Defence; in Mali, it delivered 3MW of hybrid power systems to the government between 2019- 2020; and in South Africa, it partnered in the delivery of a 600kwh solar Austen to the University of Cape Town.
Company Of The Year: Ibom Air
Ibom Air, which launched its maiden flight in June 2019, is rated as one of the most successful airlines in Nigeria. When the Akwa Ibom State-owned airline commenced operations on June 7, 2019, with a Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft marked “Ibom Air”, it was a dream come true: it became the first state-owned airline to commence commercial operations in Nigeria.
Ibom Air’s first flight took off from Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, the state capital, with government officials on board and en route to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. It now flies to Uyo, Abuja, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Lagos.
Its mission is to set the standard as the airline of choice for passengers in Nigeria, West Africa and beyond by focusing on service excellence, hospitality and innovation — with an infusion of style and grace.
Product Of The Year 2021: Fearless Energy Drink
There has been an increase in the number of energy drinks in the Nigerian market. Of the lot, Fearless Energy drink, produced by Rite Foods Limited in Ogun State, seems the best. It presently employs thousands of Nigerians, starting from its factory located in Ososa, Ogun State. The energy drink is produced under the best hygienic standards.
Fearless Energy drink is non-alcoholic and loaded with Vitamin B to support consumers’ active lifestyle. It also contains high-quality ingredients: Vitamin B6, a water-soluble nutrient that is part of the B vitamin family which helps support adrenal function, helps calm and maintain a healthy nervous system, and is necessary for key metabolic processes. It also contains Vitamin B12 which is essential for building blood cells and maintaining healthy nerve cells in the body.
Government Agency Of The Year 2021: NDLEA
Before the appointment of Brig. Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa as the chairman and chief executive officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the agency was waiting for its final rites. With increasing rise in the use of drugs and psychoactive substances among youths, most especially females, not a few Nigerians were of the view that the agency should be scrapped.
Established by Decree 48 of 1989, the federal government agency is charged with eliminating the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, exporting and trafficking of hard drugs. But at a point, it seemed as if the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria was far from being eradicated, as the establishment of the agency did not help matters. Over the years, NDLEA had been involved in various scandals that affected its operations, among them corruption, collecting of gratification from drug traffickers, pilfering of seized drugs, military interference in the agency and poor funding. Indeed, the agency was plagued by funding difficulties. Even after the establishment of the agency, drug trafficking continued unabated, leading to the decertification of Nigeria by the United States of America. The country was decertified for failing in its drug control efforts and severe sanctions were imposed.
