Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele; Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Borno State counterpart, Professor Babagana Zulum; and business tycoon and philanthropist, Mr. Femi Otedola, among others, received accolades for their understanding accomplishments at the Vanguard Personality of the Year Award held at Eko Hotels, Lagos State on Saturday night.
Emefiele who is serving his second term as governor of Nigeria’s apex bank, took the 2020 Public Sector Icon of the Year, in recognition of his giant strides at the bank.
The CBN governor who was named the 2017 Forbes magazine Best of Africa Innovative Banking Award, was recognized on the night for the innovations he has brought to bear at the apex bank.
CBN under Mr. Emefiele had shown transparency, which had helped to stabilise the economy through interventions in the real sector of the economy.
The bank’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP), has, for instance, been a major boost to the development of the agricultural sector in Nigeria.
Business mogul and philanthropist, Otedola on the other hand, emerged Vanguard’s Personality of the Year 2019, while Sanwo-Olu and Zulum are joint Personalities of the Year 2020.
The 2019 Vanguard Governor of the Year Award went to Dr Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Malam Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna) and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).
For their outstanding work in private sector or public service are Founder/ Executive Chairman of BUA Cement Plc, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu (2020 Businessman of the Year), while Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon. Rotimi Amaechi (2019 Public Sector Icon of the Year).
Other recipients include Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Lee Engineering and Construction Company Limited, Dr Leemon Ikpea (2019 Businessman of the year); President/CEO, Belemaoil Production Limited, Mr. Jack-Rich Tein, Jnr (Entrepreneur of the Year); Princess Rosemary Osula-Atu (Woman Entrepreneur of the Year); and Managing/CEO, Sujimoto Construction, Mr. Sijibomi Ogundele (Young Entrepreneur of the Year).
The 18 Lifetime Achievement Awardees are elder statesman and First Republic Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amechi; Afenifere Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo; advertising guru, Mr Biodun Shobanjo; international jurist, Justice Bola Ajibola; Juju music maestro, Chief Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi; boardroom guru and technocrat, Alhaji Shehu Malami; and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar.
On this pedestal are legal icon, Chief Folake Solanke; former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah; erudite broadcaster, academic, and diplomat, Dr Christopher Kolade; chartered biologist, academic and thinker, Professor Anya O. Anya; accountancy czar and diplomat, Chief Arthur Mbanefo; renowned journalist and former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba; philanthropist and elder statesman, Dr. Bode Olajumoke; elder statesman and politician, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai; administrator and philanthropist, Alhaji Mamman Daura; academic, Professor Adenike Grange; and educationist, Chief Winifred Awosika.
Yesterday’s event is the first of its kind in the annals of the yearly ceremony. It is the first time two years’ awards were combined.
