ABUJA – The Nigerian Air Force Banquet Hall erupted in applause as Dr. Armstrong Umeh Takang, the mastermind behind Nigeria’s trillion-naira asset revolution, was crowned Public Finance CEO of the Year 2025 during the spectacular 7th Leadership Excellence Awards (LEEX), endorsed by the African Union (AU) and the African Film Institute (AFI).
The atmosphere was electric as former Transportation Minister His Excellency Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi delivered a powerful keynote address on “Leadership Excellence in a Changing Nigeria,” joined by Ure Okezie, MD/CEO of Olive Microfinance Bank, who co-keynoted the prestigious event. Their messages on transformative leadership perfectly framed an evening that saw business titan Tony Elumelu receive Man of the Year, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan honoured as Woman of the Year, and former Governor Peter Obi celebrated as Philanthropist of the Year.
When Dr. Takang took the helm at the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, he didn’t just see a government agency – he saw sleeping giants. Under his visionary leadership, MOFI has awakened as Nigeria’s answer to the world’s leading sovereign wealth funds, transforming into a private equity and venture capital behemoth that is strategically deploying government assets to build sustainable wealth for future generations. His approach has been nothing short of revolutionary: treating public assets like a sophisticated investment portfolio rather than bureaucratic inventory.
But what truly sets Dr. Armstrong apart is his genius for turning data into dollars. His brainchild, Project Lighthouse, isn’t just another government IT project – it’s a financial detective that has uncovered billions in previously lost government revenue. Think of it as the EFCC for government finances, except it prevents revenue leakage before it happens. This digital marvel has become the talk of financial circles from Lagos to London, proving that Nigeria can lead in financial technology innovation.
Dr. Armstrong’s journey reads like a script from a blockbuster movie: a computer science prodigy from the University of Hull who climbed the ranks at KPMG, mastered finance at Imperial College and Harvard, and now architects Nigeria’s economic future. But what makes his story extraordinary is how he’s fused technological expertise with financial acumen to create solutions like the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) that have saved Nigeria billions.
The scale of Dr. Armstrong’s influence is staggering. From revolutionizing electricity distribution across six discos to making home ownership achievable through his landmark N1 trillion affordable housing initiative, his fingerprints are on virtually every sector of the economy. His board positions read like a “Who’s Who” of Nigeria’s economic infrastructure – from CREDICORP to NMRC – making him the ultimate architect of Nigeria’s economic transformation.
The Public Finance CEO of the Year award, emerging from a record-breaking 26 million cumulative votes in a transparent selection process monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria, doesn’t just honor Dr. Armstrong’s technical achievements. It celebrates a leader who has proven that with innovation, integrity, and bold vision, Nigeria’s public institutions can compete with the world’s best. As one guest remarked, “While others talk about economic diversification, Dr. Armstrong is actually building it.”
In a night filled with stars including Governor Alex Otti, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and other distinguished honorees, Dr. Armstrong’s recognition shone particularly bright – a testament to the growing understanding that Nigeria’s brightest future lies in the capable hands of technically brilliant, ethically grounded leaders who know that true wealth isn’t just about managing money, but about building legacies.
The event reputed as Africa’s Premier Online Media Awards is packaged by Igbere TV.
