A former Minster of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, will on Thursday December 10, in Abuja, receive the Igbere TV Leadership Excellence ‘Woman of the Year’ award for her outstanding impacts on society, humanity and contribution to nation building across the international space.
Okonjo-Iweala had, in a seven-day online voting session, defeated four other prominent and distinguished Nigerian women — who were nominated alongside the ex-minister in the same category — to emerge the ‘Woman of the Year’.
They are: Dr. Aisha Buhari, Nigeria’s First Lady; Folorunsho Alakija, Nigerian billionaire businesswoman and former African richest woman; Catherine Uju Ifejika, Nigerian lawyer and CEO of Brittania-U Nigeria Limited (BUNL) and Bola Shagaya, Nigerian businesswoman and one of Africa’s richest women.
The prestigious Igbere TV Leadership Excellence Awards, recognises and honours the outstanding impacts of leaders across several sectors and industries in Nigeria. The most anticipated 2020 ‘lockdown edition’ is slated for Thursday December 10 at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, in Abuja.
The Award 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.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, a former managing director of the World Bank, was nominated for her brilliancy, consistency, contributions to the society, humanity and nation building, strong commitment and impact which is felt all over the world, influencing both the youth and the girl-child positively.
According to Nigerians who massively voted the Nigerian-born economist and international development expert, the choice of the World Trade Organization Director-General hopeful was for raising the bar and becoming one of Africa’s most celebrated women in the world.
Okonjo-Iweala was named by Fortune Magazine as one of the 50 greatest world leaders in 2015, and by Forbes for five consecutive years as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world. In 2014, Dr Okonjo-Iweala was recognised by Time Magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people.
She sits on the Boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and the African Risk Capacity (ARC). Okonjo-Iweala had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the No. 2 position of Managing Director.
As Managing Director, she had oversight responsibility for the World Bank’s $81 billion operational portfolio in Africa, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia. Okonjo-Iweala spearheaded several World Bank initiatives to assist low-income countries during the 2008 – 2009, food crises, and later during the financial crisis. In 2010, she was Chair of the IDA replenishment, the World Bank’s successful drive to raise $49.3 billion in grants and low interest credit for the poorest countries in the world.
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, former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (Foundation of the Year); Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (Car Maker of the Year); Babagana Zulum, Borno state governor (Governor 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.
