Adeleke, Mbah, Akpani, Balogun, Kwara First Lady emerge winners of Zik Prize Awards

Governors of Osun and Enugu States, Senator Ademola Adeleke and Dr. Peter Mbah; Founder and CEO, North-West Petroleum and Gas Company Limited, Winifred Akpani; Founder and CEO, Chapel Hill Denham Group, Bolaji Balogun and the First Lady of Kwara State, Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq have been named winners of the 2024/2025 Zik Prize in Leadership Awards.

According to the organisers of the awards,  the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC), the winners were all selected in recognition of their exceptional achievements in governance, entrepreneurship, professional excellence, and humanitarian service across Nigeria and the African continent.

In a statement by the Advisory Board of (PPRAC), the winners of the prestigious 2024/2025 Zik Prize in Leadership Awards had demonstrated exceptional vision, integrity and service to humanity.

The statement, signed by the organisation’s Head of Selection Committee, Prof. Pat Utomi, said that Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun State won the Zik Prize in Good Governance for his transparent and people-focused governance, while Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, also received the Zik Prize in Good Governance  his visionary “Tomorrow Is Here” agenda, which is transforming Enugu into a hub of innovation and productivity.

The Founder/CEO of North-West Petroleum and Gas Company Limited, won the Zik Prize in Entrepreneurial Leadership for her transformative impact on Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, commitment to integrity, gender inclusion, and indigenous participation in the energy sector.

First Lady of Kwara State, Prof. Abdulrazaq, was honoured for her compassionate leadership and humanitarian impact through the Ajike People Support Centre, while the Founder/CEO of Chapel Hill Denham Group, Bolaji Balogun, bagged the Zik Prize in Professional Leadership for her pioneering role in investment banking and Nigeria’s economic transformation.

According to Utomi, the 2024/2025 honorees embody the ideals of visionary leadership, ethical governance, and societal transformation espoused by Dr Azikiwe.

“These laureates represent the best of African leadership: bold, people-centred, and transformative. They remind us that Africa’s destiny lies in the hands of leaders who serve with courage, compassion, and integrity”, Utomi said.

The announcement of the awards was accompanied by a solemn tribute to the late Chairman of PPRAC, Prof. Jubril Aminu, who passed away in June 2025.

The Centre praised its visionary leadership and lifelong dedication to promoting excellence in public service across Africa.

Established in 1995 to immortalise the legacy of Nigeria’s first President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Zik Prize continues to celebrate transformative leadership across Africa and the Diaspora.

Over the years, it has honoured outstanding figures, such as Dr Nelson Mandela, President Julius Nyerere, Prof. Dora Akunyili, and Dr Akinwumi Adesina.

This year, the awardees were recognised for their trailblazing achievements in governance, entrepreneurship, professional excellence, and humanitarian service.

The formal presentation ceremony of the Zik Prize Awards would take place on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.