President Bola Tinubu has conferred one of Nigeria’s highest national honours on Gilbert Chagoury, a Lebanese-Nigerian businessman whose influence has spanned decades of the country’s political and economic life.
Chagoury was awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON)—Nigeria’s second-highest honour, below the GCFR reserved for presidents—through an official instrument dated January 8, 2026.
In the citation, Tinubu said the award was made under the powers granted to him by the National Honours Act, citing Chagoury’s “outstanding virtues” and his contributions to the country. The honour also carries with it the title and full privileges associated with the rank.
Born in Nigeria to Lebanese parents, Chagoury co-founded the Chagoury Group in Lagos in 1971. What began as a local enterprise has grown into a sprawling conglomerate with interests in construction, real estate, hospitality, glass manufacturing and flour milling.
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In recent years, the group has played a central role in some of Nigeria’s most ambitious urban and infrastructure projects. Chagoury is a major backer of Eko Atlantic City, funding the development through South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a company within the group. Another subsidiary, Hitech Construction Company Limited, is currently handling the contentious Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.
Chagoury’s career, however, has long attracted scrutiny. He was closely associated with General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s military ruler in the 1990s, a period during which his businesses expanded rapidly.
In 2000, a Swiss court reportedly convicted Chagoury of laundering a portion of the funds looted from Nigeria under the Abacha regime. He agreed to pay a fine of about one million Swiss francs and returned $66 million to the Nigerian government. Chagoury has maintained that he was unaware the funds were stolen.
