On Saturday, 4th August, saw the unveiling of the 2019 Businessday Nigerian Business leadership awards, to business leaders and organizations on their outstanding performance in positioning the country’s business landscape at the forefront of the globe.
The leadership awards which overtime has taken the back seat as the most prestigious cross-industry event for the recognition of innovators, and success stories, graced the presence of top dignitaries across the length and breadth of Africa’s biggest economy.
Frank Aigbogun, publisher and CEO of BusinessDay Media Ltd said the reward was necessary so as to bring to lime light the great and innovative things happening in Nigeria whether they be in the private or in the public sector.
The Nigerian Business leadership awards are a part of a wider remit at BusinessDay to spark impactful conversations with business for private-sector led growth through a richness for private-sector led growth through a rich calendar of conferences and policy roundtables.
Started in 2017, the awards seek to honour leaders who have among other things, made significant contributions to the Nigerian economy; shaped the economy through major strides in home-grown innovation and the opening of new vistas of opportunity and demonstrated their faith in Nigeria’s future through their investments.
This year’s awardees were grouped into two categories: the global awards category which rewarded individuals and organizations whose performance and impact transcend specific industries and the sectoral awards category which announced companies of the year in each sector in recognition of its business agility, market share growth, financial strength, leadership vision and resilience in varying economic conditions.
Nominees in the global awards category were further divided into eight different sub- categories. These categories include the life time achievement awards; business leader of the year; B2C SME CEO of the year; B2B SME CEO of the year; most admired CEO of the year; most entrepreneurial CEO of the year; most innovative CEO of the year and lastly, multi-generational business CEO of the year.
Africa’s foremost business tycoons including Pascal Dozie, founder and chairman Kunoch Ltd; Ibukun Awosika, founder/CEO, The Chair Centre Group, and chairman Board of Director First Bank of Nigeria Ltd; Haresh keswani, Group Managing Director, Artee Group; ‘Layi Francis Fatona, Managing Director, Niger Delta Exploration and Production Plc, and Tunde Afolabi, Chairman/CEO Amni International Petroleum Development Company, in no particular order, all received the award for life time achievements and longevity in Nigeria’s business community.
Similarly, Oke Maduewesi, founder/CEO, Zaron Cosmetics Ltd, won the category for the B2C SME CEO of the year award; Elochukwu Umeh, managing director/CEO, Terragon Group (B2B SME CEO of the year); Benedict Peters, founder, Aiteo Group (Business leader of the year); Aminu Babaginda, chairman, Unity Bank Plc (Corporate board leader of the year); Ayoola Oduntan, chairman, Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Ltd, (Diversified business group CEO of the year); Mauricio Alarcon, managing director/ CEO, Nestle Nigeria Plc (Most admired CEO of the year).
Others were Pat McMichael, managing director/CEO, Eat’N’Go Nigeria Ltd, (Most Entrepreneurial CEO of the year); Bolaji Osunsanya, managing director/CEO, Axxela Ltd, (most innovative CEO of the year); and finally, Foodco Nigeria Ld for multigenerational company of the year.
For the sectoral awards category, Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery was named the Agribusiness of the Year; GAC Motor, Automobile Brand of the Year; MainOne Cable Ltd got Connectivity of the Year Award; NLP Nigeria received the Global Learning Organization of the Year; Vedic Lifecare Hospital, Healthcare; and Hayat Kimya Nigeria Ltd, Household Products and Personal Care Company of the Year.
Essenza Nigeria Limited was Luxury Company; Sujimoto Construction, Luxury Property Development of the Year; Axxela Ltd, Midstream Oil and Gas Company; Amni International Petroleum Development company, Pan-African Energy Company; Eat’N’Go Ltd, Quick Service Restaurant Company; Redbrick Homes, Real Estate Company; Landwey Investment Ltd, Real Estate Investment Company.
Others include Spar which got the Retail Brand; Inlaks Ltd, Technology Solutions Company; HIS Nigeria, Telecoms Infrastructure Company; Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort, Tourism & Hospitality Brand, Aiteo Explorations & Production Company, Upstream Oil and Gas Company.
Some public sector players were also recognized in the special awards for distinction in leadership in the public sector for the critical role the play in creating a conducive environment for the private sector to thrive.
The Transformational Leader in the Public Sector was conferred on Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB); NCDMB got the Government Agency for Enabling Business Award.
Nominees for the awards were selected on a weighted score based on innovation; service delivery; product quality; financial results; market share; corporate governance; Nigerian identity as well as ethnics and integrity.
“for us, it took perseverance and painstakingness in selecting, evaluating and coming to a conclusion as to the deserving winners of the award,” Aigbogun said on a side line during the award ceremony.
According to him, companies and individuals honored at the awards stand to receive significant benefits including endorsements, exposure, new business development as well as identification BusinessDay’s values.
He noted that the 2020 edition of the awards would feature fewer sectors but much grander and bigger than this year’s edition of the award.
MICHAEL ANI & OLUWASEGUN OLAKOYENIKAN
