Top Nigerian Businessmen and Women Given National Awards by Buhari

Top Nigerian Businessmen and Women Given National Awards by Buhari

  • President Muhammadu Buhari recently gave National Awards to Outstanding Nigerians in various fields
  • About 477 Nigerians and friends of Nigeria received the awards, among whom are business leaders in the country
  • The awards were to honour the individuals for their contributions to the development of Nigeria

While Nigerians on social media were fixated on Nigerian musician Teniola Akpata AKA Teni, not greeting Buhari after she was granted a national award, there are several Nigerian business leaders for who President Muhammadu Buhari gave awards.

Buhari presented national awards to 477 Nigerians and friends of the country.

Jim Ovia, Okonjo-Iweala, Tony Elumelu
Top Nigerian businessmen and women given national awards Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor
Source: Getty Images

The National Honours Awards was instituted by the National Honours Act of No 6 in 1964 and was backdated to October 1, 1963.

The Act gives the president the power to honour outstanding and deserving citizens who have made immense contributions to the development and progress of Nigeria in various fields.

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There are eight categories of national honours::

  • Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR)
  • Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON)
  • Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR)
  • Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON)
  • Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR)
  • Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON)
  • Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR)
  • Member of the Order of the Niger (MON)

The 2022 National Honours Award Investiture took place at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

Buhari noted that the screening and selection of the nominees for the 2022 award followed established conditions following the National Honours Act.

They were awarded for consistent and meaningful participation in community and national development, giving unsolicited, selfless and philanthropic services to humanity, and outstanding sacrifice in defence of a cause adjudged positive, relevant and beneficial to the country and the community.

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The awardees came from banking, industrial, fintech, agriculture, technology, oil and gas.

There are top businessmen and women in Nigeria given the award by Buhari.

  • Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala - Director-General, World Trade Organisation
  • Dr Ola Brown - Medicine
  • Sadiq Falalu - business
  • Ezra Olubi & Shola Akinlade - Paystack
  • Tony Elumelu - Banking, Oil and Gas, others
  • Kola Adeshina, Nigerian entrepreneur, managing director of Sahara Group - Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR)
  • Jim Ovia, founder of Zenith Bank - Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR
  • Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of BUA Group - Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR)
  • Olugbenga Agboola, founder and CEO of Flutterwave - Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON)
  • Kofo Akinkugbe - Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON)
  • Samuel Aboyeji - Officer of the Order of the Niger
  • Funke Opeke - Member of the Order of the Niger (MON)
  • Dr Herbert Wigwe, Group Managing Director of Access Bank Hold Co. - Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON

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Meet Nigeria's top female Bank CEOs, blazing the trail in the industry

Legit.ng reported that 2021 was called the year of corporate women in Nigeria. In that year alone, more women mounted the saddles of top banks in Nigeria than in any other year in history.

About four women emerged and assumed the enviable positions of Managing Directors/Chief Executive Officers of different banks in Nigeria.

That same year, Nigeria's ex-World Bank Managing Director, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, emerged as the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Source: Legit.ng

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