The Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation (OOF) has won the ‘Humanitarian Foundation of the Year’ category in the 2020 Igbere TV Leadership Excellence Awards, following a seven-day massive voting by Nigerians via online platforms.
OOF, founded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, beat four other nominees — including the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Foundation, Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Atiku Care Foundation and Abdulsalami Abubakar Foundation — to emerge the winner.
The award will be formally presented to the former president and other prominent Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in the outgoing year at a glamorous Awards presentation dinner to be hosted at the prestigious Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja on December 10. A table reservation ticket to the ‘lockdown edition’ event was on Thursday presented to Chief Obasanjo.
The Leadership Excellence Awards is endorsed by the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC), an advisory body of the African Union (AU) designed to give civil society organizations (CSOs) a voice within the AU institutions and decision-making processes.
According to Nigerians who voted the OOF as the humanitarian foundation of the year, the choice of the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation was due its sustained humanitarian and philanthropic activities across the country, Nigeria.
In line with its core mandate in the education sector, the OOF, in October, distributed textbooks as well as exercise books to primary school pupils in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State, South West, Nigeria.
Just recently, the Foundation in partnership with the China Consulate announced and concluded the donation of over 1,000,000 academic materials to students of public primary and secondary school across the six geo-political zones.
At a brief profiling event where Chief Olusegun Obasanjo played host to the Igbere TV Award crew in his Hilltop mansion residence, Abeokuta on Thursday, the OOF founder expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their support towards his Foundation.
Chief Obasanjo, while describing the Leadership Excellence Awards as “most credible”, commended the Igbere TV management team for their good works, and for recognising excellence in the society.
Also at the profiling event was Dr. Olalekan Makinde, chief executive officer of the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, who oversees the affairs of the OOF including the recent donation of academic materials to public primary and secondary schools nationwide.
This year’s Award event would be one of the most outstanding and credible award ceremonies in Nigeria, as personalities in the Presidency, State Governments, National and State Assemblies, Economic Industries, Humanitarian Affairs and Human Activism are expected to grace the occasion.
Some of the awardees include, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (Car Maker of the Year); Chief (Hon) Alex Ikwechegh, Founder of Alex Ikwechegh Foundation (Personality of the Year); Rt Hon (Engr) Chinedum Orji, Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly (Speaker of the Year); Apostle Chinyere Chibuzor, General Overseer, Omega Power Ministries (Most Outstanding Humanitarian of the Year); and Chief Uche Nwosu, former Imo State governorship candidate and Chief of Staff to the Imo State Government (Hospitality Personality of the Year).
Others are: Senator Uba Sani, Kaduna Central (Senator of the Year); Gbene (Dr) Joi Nunieh, immediate past acting NDDC managing director (Public Servant of the Year); Dr. Betta Edu, Cross River State Commissioner for Health (Medical Expert of the Year); Hon. Sir. Melie Onyejepu, General Manager of Anambra Bureau of Public Procurement (State Public Servant of the Year); Chief Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, Ondo First Lady (Woman of the Year on Empowerment); and former Governor of Kano State, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, Founder of Kwankwasiyya Foundation (N.G.O of the Year).
Also on the list are, Mrs Karima Babangida, Director FDA, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Civil Servant of the Year); Valentine Ozigbo, the immediate past President and CEO of Transcorp PLC, founder of VCO Foundation and frontline governorship aspirant in the Anambra 2021 election (Empowerment Personality of the Year); Justice Nuagbe a.k.a Ushbebe, Comedian of the Year; Dr. George Moghalu, Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA (Maritime Personality of the Year); *Prof. Babagana Zulum, Borno state governor (Governor of the Year); Asiwaju Asiru Idris, Kogi State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning (Financial Expert of the Year); and Hon. Vincent Ofumelu, House of Rep member representing Oyi/Ayamelum Federal Constituency (Best Performing New Legislator of the Year).*
While Dr. Alice Onyema, Vice-Chairman of Air Peace is being awarded as Aviation Personality of the Year; Hon. Princess Chinwe Nnabuife, CEO/Managing Director of Property Finders Limited, developers of Centage Estate, Lagos and Oil Spring Estate, bags Businesswoman of the Year award; with Prof. Georgewill Owunari, the former Deputy Provost, College of Health Sciences (UNIPORT) and Board member of the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine, emerging as ‘Educationist of the Year’; and Olakunle Churchill as ‘ICT Personality of the Year’; *Samuel Chukwueze, Villarreal CF football star as ‘Footballer of the Year’; and Chiedozie Akwiwu (Payenergy), as ‘Best Indigenous App of the Year’,* among others.
The 2019 edition of the Igbere TV Leadership Excellence Awards which held 28th November, 2019 at the Sheraton Hotels, Abuja saw distinguished and prominent captains of industry, public figures and leaders cling on to the various Award categories.
Prominent awardees included President Muhammadu Buhari, United States-based Nigerian billionaire medical doctor, Dr. Godwin Maduka; former President Goodluck Jonathan, former House of Reps Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara; minister Rotimi Amaech, Senator Rochas Okorcha, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, among others.
According to Igbere TV, organizers of the Award event, this year’s edition which holds Dec. 10, has been tagged Africa’s biggest and most glamorous online media award. The programme will be transmitted live on DSTV, GOTV, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Zoom, Instagram and other social media platforms with over 10 million audience globally.
