Chapel Hill Denham Group CEO, Bolaji Balogun, wins 2024/2025 Zik Prize in Professional Leadership

Bolaji Balogun

The Founder/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Chapel Hill Denham Group, Mr. Bolaji Balogun, has beaten other nominees to bag the 2024/2025 Zik Prize in Professional Leadership.

According to the Advisory Board of the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC), organisers of the awards, Bolaji Balogun was honoured for driving Nigeria’s economic transformation through  investments in banking and telecommunications.

In a statement signed by PPRAC’s Head of Selection Committee, Prof. Pat Utomi and made available to Business Hallmark, the Centre said Balogun’s visionary leadership had helped to catalyse Pan-African resilience.

“Mr. Bolaji Balogun, the visionary CEO of Chapel Hill Denham, has driven Nigeria’s economic transformation through expertise in investment banking and telecommunications.

“Co-founding Econet Wireless Nigeria (now Airtel) in 2001, he secured a $285 million GSM license and orchestrated its $1.67 billion sale to Celtel in 2005, a landmark African deal.

“Founding Chapel Hill Denham in 2005, he led it to win Euromoney’s “Best Investment Bank in Nigeria” in 2023 and 2024, and facilitated the N26.81 billion Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund listing in 2023.

As Chairman of Unilever Nigeria, Endeavor Nigeria, and Co-Chair of the UN’s Private Sector Advisory Group for SDGs, Balogun champions gender equality, renewable energy, and youth empowerment, fostering inclusive growth. His visionary leadership continues to catalyse Pan-African resilience.

Apart from Balogun, other distinguished Nigerians were also honoured with the Zik Prize in Leadership awards.

They are Governors Peter Mbah and Ademola Adeleke of Enugu and Osun States; Founder/CEO, North-West Petroleum, Dame Winifred and Kwara State First Lady, Prof Olufolake Abdulrazaq.

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.