Benedict Okey Oramah, President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Ebenezer Onyeagwu, the Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank, BUA Foods Plc., and several others won big at the Leadership newspaper award in recognition of their excellent performance for the year 2022.
Oramah, Onyeagwu, and BUA Food Plc were awarded the LEADERSHIP person of the year 2022, CEO of the year 2022, and company of the year 2022, respectively. Others who bagged awards for their outstanding work throughout the year were Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Chantelle Abdul, Engineer Simbi Wabote, Lotus Bank, MTN Nigeria, Piggyvest, and many others.
Oramah bagged the award for the “LEADERSHIP person of the year 2022“ for his extraordinary leadership qualities and his commitment to the development of the African continent. His stellar management style was recognized for helping to stimulate trade, economic diversification, and cooperation among African countries. The result of which helped the Afreximbank Group grow its total assets by 13.4 percent from $19.3 billion as of December 31, 2020, to about $22 billion as of December 31, 2021.
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Oramah, who holds a PhD in agricultural economics from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, and has spent over 28 years of his professional career at Afreximbank. His outstanding performance in the company was rewarded with an endorsement from the shareholders to continue as the president of the bank for another term.
His achievement at the bank wasn’t without national recognition, as President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria decorated him with the national honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2022.
The next on the list to be celebrated is Ebenezer Onyeagwu. The current MD/CEO of Zenith Bank who was awarded the “LEADERSHIP CEO of the Year 2022”. Onyeagwu led the bank to become the number one bank in Nigeria for the year 2022.
He was appointed managing director and chief executive officer of Zenith Bank in June 2019, after nearly 30 years of experience in the banking industry in Nigeria. He joined Zenith Bank Plc in 2002 as a senior manager in the Internal Control and Audit group of the bank.
Although he took the reins of the bank’s leadership at the beginning of a downturn in the global economy, Onyeagwu was able to navigate the stormy weather occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that the bank continued to uphold its stellar performance.
Under his leadership, Zenith Bank has maintained its growth trajectory, growing enormously to become Nigeria’s and one of Africa’s largest financial institutions by tier-1 capital, with shareholders’ funds of NGN1.28 trillion ($3.03 billion) as of December 31, 2021.
The bank has remained a clear market leader, growing its total assets and net income by an annual average of 15.7 percent and 15.5 percent, respectively, in the last five years.
BUA Foods Plc was awarded the “LEADERSHIP Company of the Year 2022”. The award came after the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company played a significant role in helping the government achieve its food sufficiency objective. A feat that has seen it grow to become one of the leading food and fast-moving consumer goods companies in Nigeria.
Another achievement of the company is its commencement to the processing, manufacturing, and distribution of rice in 2022. As a result, the company has begun planning for the establishment of an edible oil operation by 2024. The sugar segment of BUA Foods currently operates the second-largest sugar refinery in West Africa, with a total refining capacity of 1.5 million metric tonnes (MT) per year.
The overall performance of the sugar segment in 2021 grew by 84.5 percent to N209.43 billion from the N113.53 billion reported in their audited 2020 financial report. The sugar segment contributed 62.8 percent of the total turnover reported in 2021 as against 58.8 percent in 2020.
As earlier pointed out, other winners include Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, who bagged the award for “LEADERSHIP Banker of the Year 2022.” Her award was given in recognition of her ingenuity in propelling Fidelity Bank’s balance sheet to 34.7 percent growth, which she attained in her first year as CEO of the bank.
Chantelle Abdul is another achiever who bagged the 2022 “LEADERSHIP Business Person of the Year” award for building up the largest indigenous manufacturer, distributor, and installer of smart metering and energy solutions services in sub-Saharan Africa. She was honoured for being at the forefront of the government’s mass metering initiative.
Abdul is the managing director and chief executive of Mojec International Holdings, a conglomerate with subsidiaries in the power, energy, real estate, and retail sectors.
Simbi Wabote was awarded the “LEADERSHIP Oil & Gas Local Content Champion of the Year 2022” for championing the development of local content across Nigeria and the African continent and building capacity to raise the indigenous content retention levels in the oil and gas industry, among others.
Wabote is the incumbent executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Lotus Bank, MTN Nigeria, Piggyvest, and Coleman Wires & Cables were other notable winners, as they were awarded the titles of “LEADERSHIP Bank of the Year 2022,” “LEADERSHIP ICT/Telecom Company of the Year 2022,” “LEADERSHIP e-Commerce Company of the Year 2022,” and “LEADERSHIP Brand of the Year 2022,” respectively.
Other recipients of the 2022 LEADERSHIP awards are; LEADERSHIP Persons of the Year 2022: Mohammed Buba Marwa, Oluwatobiloba Ayomide Amusan; LEADERSHIP Politician of the Year 2022: Nyesom Ezenwo Wike; LEADERSHIP Governor of the Year 2022: Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Hon Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Prince Adedapo Abiodun; LEADERSHIP Public Service Person of the Year 2022: Sir Joseph Ari, Muhammad Mamman Nami, Isah Jere Idris; LEADERSHIP Environmental Impact Person of the Year 2022: Mustapha Abubakar Gajibo; LEADERSHIP SOCIAL IMPACT PERSON OF THE YEAR: Tunde Onakoya, Solomon Folorunsho; LEADERSHIP Government Agency of the Year: NSCDC; LEADERSHIP ICT/Telecom Company of the Year 2022: MTN Nigeria; LEADERSHIP Sportsperson of the Year 2022: The Flamingoes; LEADERSHIP Product of the Year: Mama’s Pride; LEADERSHIP Outstanding Young Person of the Year 2022: Musa Sani; LEADERSHIP Artiste of the Year 2022: Kizz Daniel.
