…Celebrating excellence
Introduction
How time flies. It was just like yesterday that we staged the 2022 edition of the Top10 Annual Excellence Awards, the second edition in the series which debuted in 2021. It was a remarkable and exciting celebration of excellence. Here we are again to mark the third edition which promises to be even more memorable and exciting.
How did we get here? The Top10 magazine was born eight years ago with a mission to profile organizations, businesses and personalities that distinguish themselves as leaders in their various areas of endeavour. The Management and Publisher of The Top10 magazine introduced the Annual Awards called, The Top10 Magazine Excellence Awards in 2021. It was premised on the need to leverage on the magazine’s culture and leadership in its profiling prowess by moving from the level of identifying and celebrating excellence to that of recognizing, acknowledging and honouring the best of the best with awards; presenting them with something tangible; something to cherish and display, a plaque for the rest of the world and posterity to behold as a physical testimony to excellence and distinction.
The Excellence Awards itself was an upgrade from the annual Man of the Year award which was introduced since the inception of the magazine. While The Top10 Man of the Year is an award that honours one outstanding individual who has distinguished himself or herself by impacting greatly on society in the year under review, The Excellence Awards, on the other hand, was conceived to be an annual event to celebrate and honour outstanding personalities and organizations that have made the difference in various endeavours in Nigeria and beyond. The objective is to celebrate and reward excellence in line with the core value of the magazine which is to celebrate individuals and organizations that represent excellence in the various sectors of the Nigerian society. Of course, the Man of the Year Award remains the high point of the Excellence Awards.
The maiden edition of the Excellence Awards (2021), took place in Lagos in February 2022, two months into the New Year, due largely to the residual side effects of COVID-19 pandemic which had dislocated virtually every activity in the previous two years. Yet, it was a huge success. Thank God, with the ghost of COVID-19 put behind us, the second edition (2022) took place within the year of assessment. It was a clear evidence of our own progression towards excellence. That trend is sustained in this third edition.
In line with the tradition of thoroughness associated with The Top10 magazine, the winners of the Awards this year were selected based on their outstanding accomplishments in their various endeavours. They emerged after a rigorous process of selection from among many other equally prominent and outstanding nominees across the various categories, in an exercise that involved various stages of screening.
One of the general features of the Awards is that, apart from the Man of Year, the award categories are not static: every year throws up new and different categories depending on where we spot excellence worthy of celebration. This year’s Awards extend the trend of diminishing number of winners from the public sector.
While public institutions and office holders constituted a sizable number of winners in the maiden edition, the second edition last year produced only a sprinkling of them. This year has only few Awardees from the public sector who, incidentally, the Man of the Year 2023 – Mr. Mohammad Nami is among the few. Although at the time of this celebration, he is no longer in public service, he is being honoured for his unprecedented accomplishments as the Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). When Mr. Nami was unexpectedly directed to proceed on his terminal leave, he instructed his media aide to write to us. The aide wrote: “Given the current termination of the tenure of the EC-FIRS, this would have to be suspended.” We retorted: “On our own, we will still go ahead to celebrate him as our magazine’s Man of the Year; whether in office or out of office, it doesn’t matter.” We decided to stick with his nomination because outstanding performance cannot be hidden – after all, change of guards when there are changes in government is routine in Nigeria.
Nami’s selection as The Top10 Magazine’s Man of the Year 2023 is in recognition of the numerous records he set and other accomplishments recorded by FIRS under his leadership as the Executive Chairman of the agency.
Chief Johnbosco Onunkwo, National President/Convener (COSGAS)
Political Mobiliser of the Year
Engr. Johnbosco Onunkwo is the founder of the Coalition of Support Groups for Asiwaju/Shettima (COSGAS ). He is a man of many parts: an engineer by training, entrepreneur by career, politician by vocation and a philanthropist by passion.
The indigene of Anambra state who is an oil and gas expert, graduated from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, with B.Eng, in Electrical/Electronics & Computer Engineering. He later joined politics and was Gubernatorial Aspirant, Anambra State, in 2017; House of Representatives Aspirant for Aguata Federal Constituency, 2019; and Governorship Aspirant again in 2021. He was the APC House of Representatives candidate for Aguata Federal Constituency for the 2023 election.
He trained in Organizational Politics, Team Development amongst others, at Paradigm Services, Manchester, England and brought that knowledge and experience to bear on building COSGAS. He initiated the group in 2018 as a movement with a name called Estate Nigeria.q Using the structures of the movement, Engr. Onunkwo, in 2022, built the coalition from 200 other existing APC groups from across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. They consisted of support groups whose members were, at the time, aggrieved and on the verge of decamping from the party. He nurtured them, paid their bills and made sure that they all worked assiduously for the APC Presidential ticket of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima.
Before forming COSGAS, High Chief Onunkwo was already reputed for his humanitarian, philanthropic, youth empowerment and community development activities. He deployed his experience in these fields to make COSGAS one of the most formidable political support groups in the country. In October 2022, he collated the composite data of the various support groups across the 36 states and the FCT, including members with Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) for verification and accreditation. After the exercise, Chief Onunkwo constituted several committees of the support groups and inaugurated them at the Women Development Centre in Abuja. The 800,000-member group which enjoyed maximum support among youths and women went down to the grassroots across the federation and generated visible and massive support for the APC Presidential candidate.
On election day, High Chief Onunkwo provided logistics which enabled at least 600,000 members of the group to go out and vote for Tinubu/Shettima.
After the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu winner, Chief JohnBosco Onunkwo still brought them together and organised a victory party in Abuja where he gave out souvenirs and appreciated COSGAS and all those who made Asiwaju’s victory possible.
Apart from being National President and National Convener of COSGAS, Chief Onunkwo has played many leadership roles in different spheres of life at different times. Some of them included being a founding Member of ACN; Grand Patron, Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Worldwide; Grand Commander of Anambra Youths by Forum of Anambra Youth Organisations; two-time Chairman of the Installation Planning Committee of Rotary Club of Port-Harcourt Central; and Chairman of the Rotary Club Foundation.
A man with a generous heart, High Chief Onunkwo has been involved in numerous humanitarian and philanthropic activities. He founded a humanitarian NGO, Johnbosco Onunkwo Foundation, which operates under the four critical areas of health, education, youth empowerment and community development services. He launched ‘back to school’ project during which learning materials and school fees were given to indigent pupils in rural Anambra communities. In addition to carrying out free medical outreach in Aguata, Orumba North/South and Anaocha LGAs, Engr. Onunkwo donated Covid-19 protective kits and relief funds to 5000 poorest families in Anambra during Covid-19 lockdown.
He also empowered Anambra youths from 21 local government areas during the launch of the New Conversation 1&2; built and donated a skill acquisition centre to People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder in Agulu, Anambra State; and sponsored a public dialogue on Albinism during International Albinism Day.
Other humanitarian and philanthropic activities of High Chief Onunkwo include the building of a hospital for the rural populace in Umuchu, Aguata LGA; building of a fully-equipped music edifice at the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha; building of a bus station at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
To these could also be added the development of an agric farm project at Orumba North and South LGAs; building of a lawn tennis court at Amawbia, Awka South LGA; and donation of fire extinguishers to major markets in Anambra State.
In appreciation and acknowledgement of his services and accomplishments in different endeavours, High Chief Onunkwo has been bestowed with numerous awards, honours and recognitions. They include: Most Outstanding Oil & Gas Personality of the Year 2022 by Champion Newspapers; Outstanding Humanitarian of the Year 2018 by New Telegraph; and over 80 Other Awards.
The selection of Chief Johnbosco Onunkwo as the Political Mobiliser of the Year by the Top10 Magazine is in recognition of his effective drive of COSGAS as the leading support group behind the electoral victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
ALH (DR.) ALIYU O. WAMAKKO, Chairman/CEO, Jedo Investment Company Limited
Integrity Business Person of the Year
Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Chiroma Wamakko) is, perhaps, one of the most decorated estate industry players in Nigeria today. At the last count, he had at least 30 awards, honours and recognitions to his name on account of his outstanding contributions to the development, management and growth of the estate industry.
Wamakko who has over 20 years of para-military service (Nigeria Customs) under his belt, holds a Higher National Diploma in Accounting and Cooperative Studies from Sokoto State Polytechnic, Sokoto; a Diploma in Data Processing obtained from the prestigious University of Lagos; and a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Management from Nigerian College of Administration, Lagos. He has an Honorary Doctor of Business Philosophy from the University of Denver, Colorado in USA; is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Administration, Fellow of Institute of Credit Administration (FICA), Senior Follow of the Society of Project Management and Development Professionals International and was recently conferred with a Doctoral Follow of the Project Management Profession by the International Academy for Project Management and Development, United Kingdom. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Administration.
Wamakko is a specialist in deal origination, structuring and execution and is vastly experienced in corporate restructuring/repositioning, having been involved in a number of significant transactions in the real estate sector. He has over 19 years of industry experience in Real Estate Construction Development and Consultancy Management. He is a board member of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and is currently the Chairman/CEO of Jedo Investment Company Limited as well as the current National President of Real Estate Development Association of Nigeria (REDAN).
Dr. Wamakko has executed and carried out a number of projects in his capacity as the Chairman/CEO of Jedo Investment Company Ltd. These include: the construction of 700 housing units of various specifications at Lugbe District Abuja; 100 housing units of various specifications at Suleja, Niger state; and 100 housing units of social housing Kuje, Abuja, in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development under the PPP scheme; and the construction of 100 housing units in Kano state for the low and Medium income earners.
Other projects in the pipeline are the proposed development 250 housing units of various specifications at Kasarawa, along Airport Road, Sokoto State; and the proposed construction and development of 4000 housing units at Ushafa (Usuma Town) Bwari, Abuja.
Wamakko’s role in the political movement in the country attracted an Award of Appreciation for his selfless and active participation in the victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2023 presidential election. He also has numerous awards for his excellent performance in the real estate sector. He was recently honoured with the award of honorary fellow, Nigeria Institute of Building in the month of August 2023.
Wamakko was selected by The Top10 Magazine for the award of Integrity Business Person of the Year in recognition of his continuous upholding of integrity as the foundation of his company which has reflected in its rating as one of the most reliable real estate companies in Nigeria.
Cyprian Emeka Uzoh, Diaspora Nigerian professional of the Year
Cyprian Emeka Uzoh is one of the prominent scientists and engineers in the field of semiconductor technology. He has invented, developed and implemented innovations that have affected lives in so many ways. One of his singular inventions in the methods and structures for forming copper films without defects in very small cavities (submicron holes) in integrated chips is considered among one of the “Top Ten Inventions” in the Semiconductor industry. With his breakthrough inventions, semiconductor devices like microprocessors, memory chips, controllers, and image sensors can be made more powerful, more reliable, less expensive, smaller and more energy efficient. This break through invention is profusely used cell phones, laptops, desktops, supercomputers, data centers and beyond.
Uzoh who is based in the United States, hails from Ojoto, the headquarters of Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State. He attended Ebenezer Primary School in Ibadan; graduated from Christ the King College, Onitsha, in 1971; and from University of Wisconsin – Madison, in 1978 where he studied metallurgical engineering. He pursued his graduate education in Materials Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York. His entire graduate education was funded by NASA and the Airforce Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
At Rensselaer, he was recruited by IBM T. J. Watson Laboratory to conduct research initially on X-ray Lithography and later on high performance chip interconnection technologies.
In 2006, he and his colleagues at IBM Research were awarded the “Inventor of the Year 2006” for their patent USPTO 6709562 “Method of Making Electroplated Interconnection Structures on Integrated Circuit Chips” by New York Intellectual Property Association. Uzoh as of November 13, 2023 has a very impressive portfolio of 360 Utility patents in the United States and more than 700 worldwide. Emeka Uzoh’s significant contributions to science and technology continue to shape the future of the tech industry and human lives. After leaving IBM, he relocated to the Silicon Valley in California, where he continued his work and roles in advancing the frontier of science and technology. He was the Vice-President of Research at NuTool Inc. before NuTool was acquired by ASMI Inc.where he became a Research Fellow. After ASMl, he joined Tessera, now Adeia, where he is working on foundational technologies to solve some of today’s and tomorrows troublesome complex problems. Uzoh, the author of more than 40 publications in technology journals, has been described as a genius by many of his colleagues.His keen intellect and his methods of clearly perceiving non obvious events from the atomic to the macroscopic level. With his keen insight, Uzoh invented many of the processes, structures and equipment used in the manufacture of the most complex devices in the world.
Uzoh is also the CTO of EmekaTech, Inc. a biotech start-up based in Santa Clara, California. It is an early stage, innovative biotechnology company, keenly focusing on developing environmentally responsible and sustainable products and also, to continue to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Prime Business Africa reports that in 2021, Mr. Uzoh is ‘gazetted’ in the US records of “Prolific Inventors” with 328 patents to his credit. The average inventor typically has three issued patents, and Uzoh’s 328 issued patents by 2021is clearly exceptional by most measures. The abstract of Mr Uzoh’s patent, US 11,056,390, issued in June 2021, according to the USPTO Patent Full Text and Image Database says it’s “A device and method of forming the device that includes cavities formed in a substrate of a substrate device, the substrate device also including conductive vias formed in the substrate. Chip devices, wafers, and other substrate devices can be mounted to the substrate device. Encapsulation layers and materials may be formed over the substrate device in order to fill the cavities.”
In a more recent development, on September 19, 2023 he was issued his 360 patent in the United States. The issued patent US 11,764,189 describes methods of stacking dies or wafers without intervening adhesive film and molding the stacked structure to improve their reliability and thermal management (heat extraction from the stacked devices).
In investigating the actual number and status of Uzoh’s patents, Prime Business Africa also found another US-based Nigerian from Akwa Ibom state, Patrick Usoro, who is also making a list of prominent Nigerians with a significant number of US patents. Usoro has 203 issued patents.
Cyprian Emeka Uzoh and his wife Mary live in San Jose, California. Their union has been blessed with three children – Nneka, Nwamaka, and Nwakaego. Their first daughter Nneka, a graduate of Hampton University (BA) and Tulane University (MA) and Kellogg MBA, is a Principal at Aligned Climate Capital. She is married to Joeffrey Kibuule, a senior engineer at Apple Corporation. The young couple lived in Oakland, California. Amaka, their second daughter, studied Biomedical engineering at Harvard College, medicine at Emory Medical School – Atlanta and Health Finance at Wharton (MBA). Amaka is Investment Manager at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center, Manhattan New York. Their last child Nwakaego graduated in chemical engineering (BSc) and Supply Chain Logistics (MSc) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Nwakaego was a manager at Accenture Corporation and now a MBA and MCP Candidate at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Cyprian Emeka Uzoh’s selection by The Top 10 Magazine as the Diaspora Professional of the Year award is in recognition of his prolific inventions, development and implementation of innovations that have affected lives in so many ways by providing solutions to current and future troublesome and complex problems worldwide.
AMB. ELUJOBA ADEGOKE DANIEL, Managing Director, Assured Way Investment Ltd
Real Estate Rising Star of the Year
Amb. Elujoba Adegoke Daniel is the Managing Director of Assured Way Investment Ltd., a fast-rising real estate firm in Lagos, Nigeria. With his professional and experienced team, the company has made over 500 landlords through its project called LaVida Estate (phases 1,2,3 & 4) in Epe town.
Amb. Elujoba Adegoke Daniel, an indigene of Osun state, Nigeria, had his first degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the prestigious Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Lagos. To further his quest for knowledge, he is currently studying for his Masters degree in Project Management at Rome Business School.
He is a Graduate Town Planner with the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners Association and an Associate Member of the Institute of Information Management and Association of Nigeria.
He has many years of experience as a Surveying Consultant and Geospatial Information System Analyst. He was the National Coordinator at Synergy Insight Ltd where he managed over 500 field staff in background checks services for Nigerian banks. He served as the Operations Manager at Evermark Homes and Properties Ltd, a Lagos-based real estate company with amazing projects in Lagos and Abuja.
He co-owns Sweet Soul Foundation with his wife and MLorado Network Foundation – Global NGOs that are geared towards improving the quality of education in Nigeria and Africa at large.
Amb. Elujoba Adegoke Daniel, was selected by the Top 10 Magazines as the Real Estate Rising Star of the Year in recognition of his ability to pilot the affairs of his company as an emerging game changer in the Nigerian real estate industry with many accomplishments in the year under review.
Bowmenn Technology, Most Innovative Logistics Company of the Year
Mr. Ugochukwu, an entrepreneur, is the Founder and CEO of Bowmenn, a tech-enabled logistics platform that connects shippers with carriers to move freight and is poised to transform Nigeria’s supply-chain industry.
Ugochukwu had his higher education at the Federal University of Technology Owerri. His technology journey began when he delved into computer programming at the National Universities Commission at the age of 12. The urge for entrepreneurship took over and he started a farm after working for his mum and getting a loan from her, The proceeds from this farm endeavour enabled him, at 21, to purchase his first car which he drove from Enugu to Abuja to launch a taxi service. Throughout life, his passion has gravitated toward transportation.
Growing up, his father, a lawyer and teacher, engaged in trucking as a side hustle. Witnessing his challenges, particularly issues of trust regarding the number of trips drivers undertook daily, ignited his interest and he started working on ways to use technology to solve the challenges truck owners faced with drivers. As the director of CUCTOU Trucking, he gained first-hand insight into how disorganized and inefficient the trucking and supply/chain was. He became convinced that only technology and a shift in driver orientation through training drivers on how to use the company’s App could solve the problem.
Before Bowmenn’s inception, Ugochukwu had served as the Director of CUCTOU Trucking, gaining invaluable insights into the woes of the Nigerian trucking industry. The industry’s fragmented nature, along with its time-consuming and costly processes, posed substantial obstacles for shippers seeking to move their cargo efficiently.
Recognizing the need for disruption, Ugochuckwu founded Bowmenn, a tech-enabled logistics platform that connects shippers with carriers to move cargo. Bowmenn seamlessly bridges shippers with carriers, delivering substantial time and cost savings. Its innovative approach deploys technology as a driving force for positive transformation, eradicating the bottlenecks that once hindered logistics.
The company’s vision extends to utilizing technology to streamline and organize the supply chain industry across all market sectors. It aspires to witness the platform become the global standard, enhancing the experiences of both shippers and truckers while contributing to the overall advancement of the supply chain industry.
It has combined its expertise in logistics with cargo owners and carriers to service an entire supply chain while keeping shippers in the driver’s seat.
The company’s experience in Logistics and its technology match every load with the right truck. Bowmenn is currently accessible across Nigeria and is growing fast. The company’s proprietary technology includes mobile and web apps used for seamless delivery and moving experiences.
It is committed to making a lasting impact on the trucking industry by leveraging technology to solve real-world problems.
Bowmenn was selected by the Top10 Magazine for the award of Most Innovative Logistics Company of the Year in recognition of the rising profile of the company as a leading game changer in logistics solutions and maritime services in Nigeria.
MASTERS ENERGY GROUP, Most Innovative Company of the Year
Masters Energy Group of companies started in 2005 as a retailer of petroleum products in Apapa. Since then, it has grown to become not just a bulk trader, but a leader and major player in the oil and gas sector of the nation’s economy.
Masters Energy Group remains an active trader and has strategically invested in upstream, midstream, and downstream assets to create a platform for international expansion.
Masters Energy Group has further diversified to assume leading positions not only in the oil and gas sector but also in power, petrochemicals, aviation, agriculture, infrastructure, financial services, shipping, and marine business. Today, Masters Energy Group’s subsidiaries play an important role in helping to smoothen Africa’s energy and commodity markets.
Being a highly innovative company and desirous of creating superior values for stakeholders and partners, the company continues to break new ground and attain greater heights. Major milestones and record-setting achievements have been attained by the company. This has given the company awards, certificates, and recognitions both in Nigeria and globally.
In Nigeria, Masters Energy Group remains a leading local content player, giving priority to the employment of Nigerians from various backgrounds. Community issues are well articulated and executed as part of its corporate social responsibility policy. It believes that is the way to go if Nigeria must achieve her vision.
The company’s investments and wholly-owned assets provide greater control over commodity sourcing and distribution, create a foundation for diversified income streams, and give us a significant competitive advantage in the global marketplace.
This award, the Most Innovative Company of the Year by the Top 10 magazine, is in recognition of the rising profile of Masters Energy Group as a leading provider of a variety of innovative products and services across key sectors of the economy.
DR. ADEYEMI ADENIYI , MD/CEO of Dealclinchers Realtors Limited
CEO of the Year
Dr. Adeyemi Adeniyi is the MD/CEO of Dealclinchers Realtors Limited, Nigeria’s number one provider of luxury homes and lands.
It is a fast-growing Real Estate company with expertise in Real Estate Construction and development, Real Estate Consultancy, Real Estate Brokerage, Real Estate Marketing, and Real Estate Investment with the tradition of satisfying its clients by providing top-notch professional services tailored to meet varying needs of individuals.
The company has a strong team of technical staff (Chartered Architects, Registered Engineers, Project Managers and Lawyers) with exceptional skills, coming together to provide excellent services.
Dealclinchers has been built into a formidable force to reckon with in the real estate sector, given the quality, speed and professionalism it successfully displays in all its projects development.
Dealclinchers Realtors Limited focuses on services such as building smart homes, site and services development, construction, joint venture partnerships, rental collection, brokerage, and more. Dr. Adeniyi has delivered more than 12 Estates in Nigeria for both employers and partners, including Tromville Properties Limited.
Some of the properties in his company’s portfolio are Amazing Grace Court, Omole Estate Phase 1, Ikeja, Lagos; Glorious Ville Court, Ikeja GRA, Lagos; Amazing Grace Terraces, Allen Avenue, Ikeja; AOA Garden, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos (Phase 1 & 2); AOA Garden, Agbowa-Ikorodu, Lagos; AOA Garden, Melegun Town, Off Lagos-Ibadan Expressway – (Phase 1,2 & 3); and Favour Estate, Osengere, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Dr. Adeniyi has always displayed and maintained a high-flying spirit as exemplified in his educational and career pursuits. His super-loaded bag of achievements began with the acquisition of knowledge. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ogun State University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso; a Diploma in Accounting, a Master’s in Housing Development from the University of Lagos (In View), Lagos Business School (Pan-African University), an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from Escae-Benin University, Benin Republic, etc.
While building a career in the real estate sector at PropertyMart Investment Limited, he was the first Head of Marketing, first Accountant, first Acquisition Manager, first Personal Assistant to the Managing Director, first Head at PropertyMart Fellowship Incorporated International, and first Branch Manager of PropertyMart Investment Limited in Abuja.
In his over 15 years of cognate experience in practical construction and sales, Adeniyi has received many awards, honours and recognitions. Some of them include the International Ambassador of Peace Award in 2011; Best Alumni – 2007/2008; Living Faith Church, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun state; Olabisi Onabanjo University – Commander of the Students Union Government 2008/2009; Entrepreneur of the Year 2006; and Appreciation Award – Gtext Homes Limited – December 2015.
In addition, between 2017 and 2023 Dr. Adeniyi has received a harvest of other awards – 10 of them in 2023 alone – from different groups and organizations in recognition and appreciation of his contributions to his profession and society at large.
Adeniyi who is from Ogun state, was born into the family of Adeyemi Olowoparieso, he is married and blessed with adorable children.
Dr Adeniyi’s selection as CEO of the Year is in recognition of his pragmatic leadership in piloting the affairs of Dealclinchers Realtors as a leading game changer with many accomplishments in the Nigerian real estate sector.
ALIYU GARBA, CEO and Co-Founder of Velvot Nigeria Limited
Young Business Leader of the Year
Aliyu Garba is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Velvot Nigeria Limited, a Modern Digital Transformation and Services firm that specializes in providing critical business technology solutions with an expert advisory that ensures clients’ success in the digital era.
Garba leads a team of passionate and talented IT professionals who provide innovative and managed solutions for various sectors and markets in Africa. Velvot Nigeria Limited is a Microsoft Gold Partner and Tier 1 CSP, as well as a partner of AWS and Google Cloud, offering cutting-edge technologies and services to its clients.
With over 15 years of experience in the IT industry, Garba has co-founded and is associated with multiple brands that aim to deliver value, innovation, and social impact in different domains and industries, such as retail, education, media, health, and agriculture. Some of these brands are SimpleITPro.com, Vnews.ng, Enrol.ng, Lummoo.com, Addamata.org, and Velvotstore.com.
According to Garba, Velvot Nigeria Limited is at the forefront of digital transformation in Nigeria. He sees a future in which everything will be digitally connected and people will expect to have access to real-time information. In that future, also, the scope of organizations will shift to the core competencies and key focus areas with firms developing new services in co-creation with partners who will contribute their unique expertise and resources. These believes these new types of collaboration will span supply chains and introduce many key challenges.
Garba is a certified expert in Microsoft, AWS, and Google Cloud technologies, as well as Big Data, AI, and IoT. His aspiration is to be a change agent and a leader in digital transformation, both in mature businesses and startups. He is also passionate about cyber security, education, and empowerment. He speaks French, Fulah, and Hausa.
Garba was selected by the Top10 Magazine as the Young Business Leader of the Year in recognition of his dynamic leadership in piloting the affairs of VELVOT Nig. Ltd as an emerging game changer in digital transformation in Nigeria.
CHIEF MMADUABUROCHUKWU CHRISTOPHER ATTAH, Founder of ABU Mmaduaburochukwu Foundation
Humanitarian Service Icon of the Year
Chief Mmaduaburochukwu Christopher Attah’s passion for carpentry work and humanitarian service started early in his life. Born in 1985 in Umuzocha village, young Attah attended Udoka Primary School located inside St. Patrick Cathedral, Awka, Anambra State.
Later, he moved to Capital City Secondary School and then Amaenyi Secondary School. While in school, Attah developed a passion for carpentry and honed his skills at Jenkons Company while continuing his education. He later started producing high-quality furniture and gained a reputation for honesty and integrity, attracting many patrons and expanding his business. Eventually, he decided to leave school and concentrate on his growing business.
Despite his success, Attah remained committed to his community and continued to help those in his neighborhood. In 2007, after a dream in which he received a revelation, he founded the ABU Mmaduaburochukwu Foundation, registered it, and has since touched thousands of lives, including widows, students, youth, and families, helping to lift many out of poverty.
He expanded his business into real estate and established ABU Mmaduaboruchukwu Real Estate, ABU Transport and Logistics, ABU-MEDIA Network, and most recently, ABU Football Academy. Today, his conglomerate is one of the fastest-growing in Nigeria.
The ABU Mmaduaburochukwu Foundation is a non-government organization (NGO), founded in 2016 with the primary aim of improving the lives of disadvantaged people in society.
The foundation focuses on several key areas, including community service, education, health, women/youth empowerment, providing shelter for indigent families, talent hunts, etc.
The ABU Foundation addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing communities today, such as poverty, homelessness, and lack of access to education and basic resources. It has successfully removed plenty of kids off the street. Through the foundation, over 1,000 kids have had their dreams reawakened by the foundation providing them with scholarships to go to school.
Every year the Foundation carries out the ‘Back to School Programme’ where educational materials are distributed in selected schools. The foundation’s outreach covers Nigeria and some parts of Africa.
Attah’s selection by the Top10 Magazine as the Humanitarian Service Icon of the Year is in recognition of the outstanding humanitarian gestures and commitment of ABU Mmaduaburochukwu Foundation in touching lives in different ways over the years.
Omoha Nduka John, Founder/Chairman, Prince Luxury Group (PLG)
Young Inspirational Business Leader of the Year
Prince Omoha Nduka is one of Nigeria’s Young Business Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and philanthropists. He began his business career in 2010, trading in solid and raw materials before he ventured into real estate and other full-fledged subsidiaries. He is the Founder and Chairman of Prince Luxury Group (PLG), one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing conglomerates, committed to changing lives and developing the country. The Group currently has a presence in two countries and is one of the leading real estate companies in Nigeria.
The Group has diversified into various key sectors of the Nigerian economy including logistics, construction, beverages, and stock investments. Omoha is responsible for all aspects of the management and operations of the Group with proven executive expertise and experience in the last six years.
In 2018 he launched PLG Construction Limited, one of the subsidiaries of the Group. The company was conceived to minimize and conserve the expenses of the conglomerate by owning equipment, and machinery to save costs for construction.
In May 2022, Omoha announced the Birth of Bonaqua Bottled Water Limited, a fully-owned subsidiary of PLG, a mineralized premium bottled water that contains balanced quality nutrients for body and mind.
A philanthropist to the core, Omoha, in 2018, founded the Prince Omoha Foundation (POF), a self-funded pan-African philanthropic organization, which currently empowers 72 young male and female entrepreneurs annually across the 36 states in Nigeria with a non-refundable seed capital of N250,000 per participant. He plans to extend the scheme to 100 Entrepreneurs in 2024, conforming with the PLG Corporate Social Responsibility aspirations.
Omoha had his primary education at Practising School Ezzamgbo (PS) before proceeding to Victory Comprehensive Secondary School, also in Abakaliki.
Omoha is one of the youngest and most influential Nigerian entrepreneurs and philanthropists. He has won several awards on local, international, and continental stages, including, but not limited to, Nigeria’s Youngest CEO of the Year (2019), and the Distinguished Fellows Hall of Fame by CIPRMPC Ghana (2021). In recognition of his business leadership and philanthropic activities, Omoha has bagged the African Young Entrepreneur and Humanitarian Personality of The Year Awards by Africa Value Award (AVA 2021) and, in 2022, The Guardian Newspaper (Special Focus) Named him among The 50 Most Impactful and Award-winning CEOs that Contributed to Nigeria’s GDP in 2021.
Omoha’s selection by the Top 10 Magazine as the Young Inspirational Business Leader of the Year is in recognition of his success story and accomplishments in the business world which is a great inspiration to the younger generation in pursuit of their aspirations.
EMMANUEL ASUQUO, Senior Financial Adviser, Belvedere Wealth Management
Diaspora Nigerian Business Icon of the Year
Emmanuel Asuquo is a Senior Partner at Belvedere Wealth Management, an independent UK & international wealth manager that offers a wide range of services to individuals, families, and businesses.
A qualified Financial Adviser, Asuquo has worked in financial services for over 15 years. He has given financial education talks all over the UK and has spoken to over 50,000 people in the last three years.
He has been featured in The Times, Telegraph, The Sun and Daily Mail newspapers and invited to speak as an expert guest on BBC Radio on multiple occasions. He was one of four experts on the popular Channel 4 finance show “Save Well, Spend Better.” He was also an expert for the BBC 1 show “Your Money And Your Life,” helping a family save just under £10,000 on their annual household bills. Asuquo has featured as a financial expert on BBC 1’s Morning Live, Watchdog, Rip Off Britain, Jeremy Vine and ITV’s “This Morning,” putting him in the home of millions of viewers all over the UK. Asuquo’s latest project on Channel 4 is called On The Money and is available on YouTube.
He recently became an author with the release of his new book “Get Your Money Right” which aims to prove that learning about money doesn’t have to be boring – and it is vital, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. He explains the basics of finance from the UK credit system to the generation of wealth and setting up a side hustle, as well as guidance on developing a money mindset and building good financial habits.
He has a passion for helping people, and his vision is to become a financial adviser to the nation.
Asuquo was selected by the Top10 Magazine as the Diaspora Nigerian Business Icon of the Year in recognition of his rising profile as a worthy Nigeria-born business ambassador making waves in the global business scene.
BUKOLA OLATUJOYE, CEO of Zylus Group
Female Real Estate Leader of the Year
Bukola Olatujoye is a highly accomplished business administrator, entrepreneur, and leadership coach with over a decade of practical experience in the field. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Zylus Group International. Her strong educational foundation began with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Lagos State University (LASU). Continuously committed to personal and professional growth, she has earned many certifications in different spheres of business management.
In 2021, Olatujoye completed her certification in Entrepreneurial Management from Pan-Atlantic University, underscoring her commitment to staying at the forefront of entrepreneurial practices. She also earned a Proficiency Certificate in Human Resources Management from the International Strategic Management Institute. Her pursuit of excellence continued with a certification in Entrepreneurship Skills Development from the Metropolitan School of Business and Management UK in 2020.
Mrs. Olatujoye also achieved certification in strategic management from the International Strategic Management Institute in 2021. Her impressive journey in business education manifests her commitment to personal and professional growth.
Her proficiency extends to diverse facets of business, including sales and marketing, capacity building, training and development, human capacity development, and market research.
Her leadership style is marked by a deep understanding of market dynamics, team management, and precise negotiation skills, all underpinned by an unwavering dedication to excellence. As the CEO of Zylus Group International, she has successfully guided the organization towards remarkable revenue growth over the past two years. Mrs. Olatujoye is not just a business leader; she is a beacon of inspiration and transformation in the corporate world.
With over a decade of practical experience, Mrs. Olatujoye stands as a seasoned and accomplished business administrator and entrepreneur. Her journey in the world of business has been marked by notable achievements, a strong commitment to growth, and a dedication to fostering a positive working environment.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the real estate industry, Mrs. Olatujoye was honored with the Distinguished Real Estate Practitioner of the Year award at the Nigeria Achievers Awards in 2021. This accolade serves as a testament to her exceptional leadership and accomplishments in the field.
As the Chief Executive Officer of Zylus Group International in Lekki, Lagos, Olatujoye oversees the company’s strategic direction and growth initiatives. Under her leadership, Zylus Group International has witnessed remarkable growth and achievements, reflected in the company’s impressive revenue performance over the last two years.
In her previous role as the Executive Director of Operations at Zylus Group International, Olatujoye managed and controlled the company’s operations, overseeing daily activities in its subsidiaries. Her strategic insights and leadership skills played a pivotal role in the growth and success of the organization.
As the Chief Executive Officer of Zylus Group International, she continues to lead the organization toward new heights of success, making her a true trailblazer in the industry. She is the Co-founder of the Tosin Olatujoye Foundation.
Mrs. Olatujoye’s selection by the Top10 Magazine as the Female Real Estate Leader of the Year is in recognition of her milestone achievements as a game changer in the Nigerian real estate market.
SKYEWISE GROUP, Company of the Year
Skyewise Group, a diversified integrated conglomerate providing world-class investment opportunities and services for individuals and corporate citizens, was founded in 2015 by its CEO, Dr. Elvis Abuyere. The company, based in Abuja, now owns and manages over five subsidiaries and affiliates, operating in three major states in Nigeria and one African country with an agency office in the UK and Canada.
The Group offers diversified services across a wide range of sectors including investment, credit management, real estate, automobiles, travel and tours packaging, contracts financing, and partnerships to a large and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals.
The company started in 2013 as Skyewise Travels and Tours and became fully operational two years later. However, with the advent of smartphones and loss of revenue from ticket sales when customers started buying tickets with their phones, tour packaging, involving taking tourists to different parts of the world, was added.
Not satisfied with the relative success of Skyewise Travels and Tours, Abuyere looked beyond tourism to spot a gap in the finance sector that needed to be filled. That gave birth to Skyewise Cooperative Finance, which has over 1,000 members. The company has been able to build people and businesses, and enhance human capacity development in Nigeria, as well, especially in Abuja and Lagos where it has offices, and is being positioned to operate in the global space.
The third company that came on stream is Skyewise Automobile which provides luxury cars for high-net-worth individual and corporate clients that desire the ultimate in comfort. The company has one of the biggest showrooms in Abuja and is expanding into Lagos. It has one showroom in the nation’s commercial capital at the moment. Plans are afoot to open one of the biggest and most modern showrooms in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos, any time from now.
There is also Skyewise Global Investment Services, a company that has been certified by the Securities and Exchange Commission to provide investment services. The company offers opportunities to both local and foreign investors to invest in the Skyewise Group.
With the diversification of interests, there arose the need to bring all the companies under one umbrella for easy and properly coordinated management. This thinking saw the coming into existence of the Skyewise Group in 2020.
Abuyere set up the Skyewise Empowerment and Advancement Foundation to satisfy a lifelong desire to leave behind a legacy of building people. The foundation raises people every month; it conducts training every quarter and also provides participants with some little seed capital to start up a business of their own. For the four years that the foundation was officially unveiled, it has been able to empower over 100 people who are doing well in the city of Abuja, Lagos, and across the country.
In monetary terms, the value of the Skyewise Group is estimated at over $4million. For the Founder/CEO, however, the real value of the group is not financial but the company’s ability to build sustainable investments – a value of integrity that would enable people to do business with the company and go to sleep, rest assured that their investments are safe and secure.
Apart from the many awards received by the Founder/CEO for building the Skywise Group, including the SME CEO of the Year 2021 given by Business Day Newspaper, the company won the Best Automobiles and Investment Brand award in 2022, given by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and others.
The Group has become a household name in Abuja, Lagos, and some parts of the country, with a vision to be known all over Africa, and have branches in other parts of the world.
The selection of Skyewise Group by the Top10 Magazine as the Company of the Year is in recognition of its rising profile as one of the fastest-growing business concerns with tentacles in many sectors of the Nigerian economy.
BOGO BEVERAGES LTD., Beverage Company of the Year
BOGO Beverages Ltd is a young, dynamic and ambitious drinks company that specialises in the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of high-quality products. The company is driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and growth mindset that is resolute in its determination to dominate the beverage sector with its quality brands, unmatchable marketing acumen, and management expertise.
With tentacles already established strategically across major African countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, BOGO strives to achieve its goal of supporting 24/7 consumer drinking occasions with beverages that have a very high quality/value-for-money ratio.
With a rich basket of spirits such as whisky, brandy, gin, vodka and cream liqueur, sweet and dry wine, energy drinks, and a fine selection of juices and water, BOGO supports customers’ nourishment with quality brands thereby enabling quality living and creating a positive impact on society.
BOGO Beverages can be counted upon to exemplify its core values of speed, people-focus, innovation, credibility and excellence in all its spheres of activity.
BOGO Beverages is led by the marketing and sales luminary, Godwin Oche, Founder, Managing Director/Chief Executive who has over 20 years of experience under his belt in beverage sales, marketing and manufacturing. Godwin honed his skills working for multinational companies, building products from the ground up to becoming household brands with instant top-of-the-mind awareness. This is the expertise he and his equally qualified team of directors bring to BOGO Beverages.
The selection of BOGO Beverages Limited as the Beverage Company of the Year award by Top10 Magazine is in recognition of the rising profile of the BOGO brand as one of the fastest growing beverages companies with market penetration across many states of the federation and other African countries within a short period of time.
Hon. Terseer Ugbor, (House of Reps. member, Kwande/Ushongo, Benue State)
Legislator of the Year
Terseer Ugbor, 42, an entrepreneur, a sustainability consultant and a public policy expert, is the House of Representatives member representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency of Benue State. He holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree with interests in Sustainable Development and Circular Economy.
Hon. Ugbor was a Board Member and Executive Secretary of the Alliance for Responsible Battery Recycling (ARBR). He is the founder of REDIN Recycling Industries and also founder of Easyfone Communications and the Gwarinpa Metro Newspaper, which won him the first MTN Budding Entrepreneur Award in 2012 and the World Bank/PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Grant for entrepreneurship in 2013. He publishes the Living Environment Magazine, a niche publication promoting all things environmental sustainability, ecosystems and pollution issues in Africa.
Hon. Ugbor started his political journey as part of the successful Planning and Strategy Team of the 2011 Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Council. He was appointed Head of ICT and Social Communications of Neighbour-2-Neighbour. He later became Special Aide to the Minister of Aviation on Communications before resigning in 2013 to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) during its formative process.
Hon. Ugbor contested for the Kwande/Ushongo House of Representatives seat on the platform of APC during the 2014/15 political season but lost narrowly. Later, in the 2018 election season, he contested the Benue State House Assembly election for Kwande East Constituency but stepped down at the request of the party leader, Senator George Akume and was subsequently appointed Deputy Director of Strategy to the Jime/Ode Governorship Campaign Organisation. In 2022, he, again, contested and, this time, won the APC House of Representatives Primaries for Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency and went ahead to win the general elections.
Upon assumption of duties at the National Assembly, Hon. Ugbor became the Chairman, Ad-Hoc Committee on Students Loans and later appointed Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment. He organized a Legislative Summit on Students Loans, engaged in public debates leading to far-reaching recommendations for an amendment to the Students Loans Act signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Before and since his election to the House of Representatives, Hon. Ugbor has been a political player in his Kwande Local Government Area, supporting party activities, sponsoring people to party positions at Ward and Local Government levels, networking and empowering his constituents.
He paid the school fees of several students in secondary and university levels, paid medical bills, initiated empowerment programmes for small entrepreneurs, facilitated placements in the Immigration Service, Nigerian Airforce and other Federal Government institutions, among others.
To ensure improved security of lives and property in his constituency, the House of Reps member identified the security challenges and held several engagements with security agencies and traditional rulers to resolve them.
In the area of education and agriculture, Hon. Terseer Ugbor is negotiating for establishment of an Institute of Welding and Fabrication Technology as well as an Institute of Forestry in Kwande that would be certified to produce Higher National Diploma (HND) and National Diploma (ND) to students from his constituency and beyond who can be employed in the oil and Gas sector and large industrial projects around the world.
He has commenced the groundwork for the establishment of a Technology Incubation Hub in partnership with the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) to serve the people of his constituency.
Within his first 100 days in office, Hon. Ugbor distributed over 300 bags of fertilizer to farmers in the constituency as his intervention to supplement the federal government and state government supply of subsidized fertilizer in the state for the 2023 farming season.
In the area of infrastructure, the lawmaker has executed a bill of quantities for several major and minor bridges around the constituency with an estimated implementation cost of N1 billion. He has also executed a needs assessment for electricity, water, and health projects across all 26 council wards of the constituency, including the establishment of solar-powered water and public toilets at all the major markets in partnership with development partners and international donor agencies.
Hon. Ugbor’s selection by the Top10 Magazine as the Legislator of the Year is in recognition of his articulate representation of his people as one of the rising stars in the lower legislative chambers of the National Assembly coupled with his other accomplishments and unprecedented records in area of giving dividends of democracy to his people which has greatly endeared him to the people of his constituency.
Dr. Kabir Adamu, Managing Director, Beacon Consulting Limited
Security Icon of the Year
Dr. Kabir Adamu, is a distinguished expert in enterprise security risk management and intelligence as well as national security solutions. He is the Managing Director of Beacon Consulting Limited, a renowned Abuja-based firm that specializes in providing comprehensive security risk management and intelligence solutions in Nigeria and the Sahel region. With a sound academic background, considerable experience and an impressive track record, Dr. Kabir Adamu is recognized for his exceptional skills and leadership in the field of security and intelligence.
A dynamic and highly professional security and intelligence executive, Dr. Kabir Adamu has excelled in both the public and private sectors, including the humanitarian and development sector. His expertise extends to security consultancy and project management at the multinational level, supporting clients operating in volatile, uncertain, hostile, challenging, and complex environments.
At Beacon Consulting, Dr. Kabir leads a team of seasoned security professionals who share a commitment to professionalism and excel in delivering a wide range of security risk management and intelligence solutions. These solutions include National Security Sector Governance and Reform capabilities, Risk and Crisis Management, Security Investigation, Background Checks, Atmospherics, Security Intelligence, Security Escort Services, Journey Management, Real-time Incident Reporting, Intelligence Consulting, Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) and so much more.
Dr. Kabir holds a Doctorate degree in Strategic Security Risk Management, making him an authority in his field. He is widely regarded as the go-to expert for simplifying security challenges and offering practical, sustainable safety, security, and intelligence solutions. His approach is built on a foundation of professional integrity and a commitment to maintaining the highest standards. His dedication has earned him numerous accolades, licenses, permits, and accreditations from reputable organizations worldwide.
Currently, Dr. Kabir holds several esteemed positions and memberships, including:
Fellow of the Risk Managers Society of Nigeria (RIMSON)
Fellow of the Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Risk Management Institute (ECRMI)
Fellow of the International Institute of Professional Security, Nigeria (ISCA)
Member of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS International), the leading global organization for security professionals
Member of the Security Institute, United Kingdom
Dr. Kabir Adamu led the Security and Intelligence team at the Office of the President of the Senate in the 9th Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was part of the technical team that supported the Transition Committee in 2023 and is currently supporting the ministerial review process, mandated by Executive Order 13. His impressive career and profound impact in the field of security risk management and intelligence continue to shape and secure the future of Nigeria and the broader Sahel region.
The selection of Dr. Kabir Adamu as The Top10 Magazine’s Security Icon of the Year award is in recognition of his professional excellence and contribution to security and safety standards in corporate Nigeria.
HON. URIEL A. EZEH (ILM), Founder/CEO, UR9 GROUP.
Entrepreneur of the Year
Hon. Uriel A. Ezeh (ILM) is the Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of UR9 Group. A multi-talented business tycoon, he has overseen the growth and expansion of the UR9 brand into one of the foremost premium luxury brands in the country. A graduate of Business and Management from the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom, and a dual Master’s holder of Management and Leadership, Global Management, from the prestigious Regent’s Business School, London, Hon. Uriel has shown himself to be a serial entrepreneur with the gift of discerning times and seasons; a gift from God he acknowledges as one of the foundations of success of the UR9 Group.
UR9 Group is a diversified and fully integrated conglomerate with vibrant operations in Nigeria across a wide range of sectors including beverages (liquor), real estate, agriculture, technologies, transportation and asset management. Their main business focus is to provide value-added products and services that are centered on luxury, elegance, quality and excellence – attributes for which they are well known in their spheres of operation.
Hon. Uriel believes in practical experiences and practical knowledge rather than just theoretical work. He has, in one way or the other, gained substantial practical experience in all aspects of operation of the UR9 Group. These experiences were acquired from Evolve Hospitality, London, where he developed interest in the hospitality industry as well as the beverage industry, and Aulic Nigeria Ltd, where he developed a passion for human development and management. He also worked with esteemed organizations such as The British Red Cross in London, REAL Fundraising in London and Harrods in London, to name a few. His wide array of experience, desire for innovation and passion for excellence are driving factors in his style of leadership.
‘UR9’ was the name Hon. Uriel was fondly called by his close friends while in London. The ‘UR’ is the first two letters of his name and the ‘9’ was his jersey number while playing semi-pro football. An avid football fan, his passion for sports has led him to nurse the dream to one day contribute directly to the growth and development of the sports industry in Nigeria by owning a football club in Nigeria.
Hon. Uriel is an exemplary leader and a highly sociable figure within the Nigerian business space who has been conferred with many titles and awards in recognition of his strides and achievements thus far. Despite all these, he firmly believes that he is just at the starting block of success and has many more years of achievements and success to look forward to.
The Top10 Magazine’s selection of Hon. Uriel Ezeh as the Entrepreneur of the Year award recepient is in recognition of his pragmatic leadership in piloting the affairs of UR9 Group as one of the emerging successful diversified conglomerates with tentacles in key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, Governor of Anambra State
State Governor of the Year
Anambra State has witnessed an unprecedented surge in development projects, covering a wide range of sectors, including infrastructure, education, healthcare, and agriculture under the leadership of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, former presidential Economic Adviser and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria.
One of the development projects is the Ekwulobia Flyover, a four-level flyover that is currently under construction. It is expected to be completed in 2024 and will help to ease traffic congestion in the busy Ekwulobia junction. The state government is also rehabilitating and constructing several roads in the commercial city of Onitsha, to improve its condition and make it safer for motorists.
The state government is also rehabilitating and reconstructing several roads in Awka, the state capital. More than 400 kilometres of roads are under construction by the state government within the first 18 months in office of Governor Soludo, with most nearing completion.
A befitting new Government House and Lodge is under construction, to be delivered by next year. For 32 years, Anambra State has operated without a real Government House. Governor Soludo is changing that narrative.
In education, the state government has offered free education and abolished all manner of levies and charges in all public schools from primary 1 to JSS 3. The state government also offered a grant of N1.524 billion to all Mission primary and secondary Schools in the state to improve infrastructure and quality of education. It employed 5,000 teachers during Governor Soludo’s first nine months in office and is currently recruiting another 3,000 teachers exclusively for public schools in the state to end the era of PTA teachers and schools without teachers.
To enhance health care delivery, the state government renovated all public hospitals in the state to improve their infrastructure and medical equipment. It is also providing free antenatal and delivery services for pregnant women in all public hospitals to give birth to their babies free of charge.
To end the era of lack of doctors and nurses in public hospitals, the state government employed 300 healthcare workers last year and is currently recruiting more.
Anambra State Government under Governor Soludo has become the first in Nigeria to provide telemedicine to its citizens to improve healthcare in the state.
In the agricultural sector, the state government launched a new project to boost production and create jobs. This includes the supply of over 1.1 million coconut and palm oil seedlings to over 100,000 households in the state. The state government is also providing training to farmers on modern agricultural practices.
Governor Soludo has voted N2 billion as startup grants for 5,000 participants who completed the pilot phase of the One Youth, Two Skills scheme, designed to help young people develop the skills they need to be successful as entrepreneurs. It is designed to reduce unemployment and poverty among young people.
The Governor has embarked on massive electrification of the entire state with 25,000 solar-powered street lights already in place. This has saved the state government a whopping N600 million in diesel expenditure monthly.
Prior to Governor Soludo’s assumption of office, about eight local government areas were under siege, controlled by hoodlums also referred to as “unknown gunmen.” However, they have since been decimated by the security architecture of the Soludo administration.
The State Government launched the Anambra State Security Trust Fund which is used to support the security agencies in their efforts to maintain peace and security in the state.
The state government also launched the Anambra State Security Hotline which allows members of the public to report crimes and security incidents to security agencies.
The Soludo administration also launched several initiatives to combat crime and make the state safer for its citizens.
Anambra State clinched a coveted position among the top five states in Nigeria with exceptional fiscal performance according to the latest BudgIT report on the overall evaluation of states’ fiscal policies. The state government is not owing workers’ salaries, gratuities, or pensions. It has increased workers’ salaries and pays them promptly on the 24th of every month.
The state government under Governor Soludo has also done a lot in the area of administration of justice. It established Small Claims Court, designed to transform the resolution of liquidated money demands in the state. It has also introduced the publication of electronic law reports in the ministry of justice, a move set to change how legal information is accessed and utilized in the corridors of justice.
The state government established the Anambra Bureau of Missing Persons, first of it’s kind in Nigeria, to systematically receive, document and act upon reports regarding individuals who are missing, disappeared or unaccounted for within the borders of the state.
These are just a few of the many ongoing development projects in Anambra State.
In addition to the projects listed above, the state government is also working on the:
📌Development of a new industrial park in Nnewi,
📌Construction of a railway line that will connect major business hubs in the state, including Onitsha, Nnewi, IgboUkwu, Ekwulobia, Oko and Umunze,
📌 Development of Anambra Pharmaceutical hub at Ogboji,
📌 Development of Onitsha river port, and
📌 Development of green village electrification.
Anambra State is a state on the rise. The ongoing development projects in the state are a testament to Governor Soludo’s commitment to improving the lives of the people of the state.
The selection of Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo as The Top10 Magazine’s State Governor of the Year award is in recognition of his outstanding performance cutting across in all sectors of Anambra state within less than two years as the Governor of the state.
Dr. Gideon Chidiebere Osi, President/Group Managing Director of Gosima Group
Business Person of the Year
Dr. Gideon Chidiebere Osi is a medical doctor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist; he is a visionary leader, a motivational speaker, and a social crusader, relentlessly driving positive change in the lives of individuals and communities. His dynamic initiatives are centered around building a new Nigeria anchored in private sector participation, high-level capacity development for youth, and the creation of opportunities for excellence.
He hails from the quiet town of Ishiagu in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. His life’s journey began in this agrarian and industrious community, instilling in him the values of resilience and hard work that would later define his path.
His educational journey reflects the resilience of an African Child with the divine stroke of getting water out of the rock. He started his primary education at Ihietutu Community Primary School and proceeded to complete same at the Niger State Polytechnic Staff Primary school, Zungeru, Niger State, where he obtained his first school leaving Certificate with distinctions.
Thereafter, he proceeded to Federal Government College Minna, Niger State, where he finished in flying colours as the best graduating student of the 98/99 set with eight Distinctions. He earned his MBBS degree from the prestigious University of Benin, equipping him with a solid foundation in Medicine and Surgery. Following his quest for knowledge and leadership, he pursued post-graduate training in Leadership Strategies for Evolving Health Care Executives at the Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, U.S.A. This educational attainment forms the bedrock of his multifaceted career.
Dr. Osi began his professional journey as a House Officer at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). From there, he proceeded to serve as a Medical Officer/Research Associate at the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC), Benin City, and subsequently moved to the Federal Staff Hospital, Abuja, as a Medical Officer.
His commitment and contributions were further recognized during his tenure as the Head of Medical Services at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he received commendation for outstanding service.
He assumed a pivotal role in the provision of national healthcare services when he joined the then National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as a Senior Manager, Quality Assurance. He was later appointed into the Subsidy Reinvestment Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Maternal and Child Health Project (MCH) as the Health Workforce and Welfare Officer. Here, his commitment and dedication to duty contributed to the reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality across the country.
Following the conclusion of the Programme in 2015 and, driven by a fervent desire to make a broader impact, he transitioned into entrepreneurship by founding four major companies in different areas of the Economy.
Dr. Osi is currently the President/Group Managing Director of Gosima Group, an indigenous conglomerate, comprising multiple companies that have achieved notable success across critical sectors such as construction, energy solutions, health care, consultancies, real estate, oil and gas, and general services.
The conglomerate has its administrative headquarters situated in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, and operational offices across the country, with staff strength of over 300 personnel. His strategic alliances and entrepreneurship development skill have been instrumental in shaping the success and impactful contributions of Gosima Group to the national economy.
Dr. Osi’s professional journey reflects not only a trajectory of growth but also underscores his commitment to both public service, mentorship and entrepreneurial leadership.
Dr. Osi’s philanthropic spirit shines through the Gideon and Joy Life and Leadership Foundation, a privately funded organization. The Foundation is dedicated to promoting excellence in healthcare services via medical outreaches, youth development through scholarships, bursaries and educational support programmes, skill acquisition, business leadership and entrepreneurship training for start-ups and rural women as well as advocacy for good governance.
His commitment to social and human capital development has left an indelible mark on his community. Of note is his educational support programme which has empowered over 1,000 students from institutions across Nigeria in the form of scholarships, bursaries and grants. In the 2023 edition of the scholarship category alone, the Foundation provided the sum of N100 million in scholarship awards to 105 indigent students across the country.
His dedication extends to peace-building and youth reorientation through his role as the convener of Save the Peace Initiative of Nigeria (SPIN). This national organization has been instrumental in negotiating peaceful resolutions for inter ethnic, inter-tribal, and inter-religious crises in Nigeria. Dr. Osi’s work in this field underscores his commitment to equity, justice, and the betterment of society as a whole.
His life’s story is an inspiring testament to what one individual can achieve when driven by a passion for change, a commitment to growth, and an unyielding belief in the potential of youth to transform their nation.
At the core of Dr. Osi’s life is his unwavering commitment to and love for his young and beautiful family that has continued to provide a stable and supportive role in all his endeavours. He is happily married to Joy Nneoma and the union is blessed with four wonderful children.
Dr. Osi’s selection for the Business Person of the Year award by the Top10 Magazine is in recognition of his rising profile as an emerging game changer in the Nigerian economy with many accomplishments and investments in key sectors of the economy.
Adm. Hon. Amb. Chief Willie T.C. Okolieogwo FCIA, JP. ,Chairman, Oru West Local Government Area, Imo State
Local Government Administrator of the Year.
Hon. Amb. Chief Willie T.C. Okolieogwo who holds the Chieftaincy title of “Ome Ka Odi Nma N’Oru” is the current United Nations’ Special Envoy to Imo State, Nigeria; the Sole Administrator of Oru West Local Government Area; and the incumbent Imo State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).
He hails from Umuduru Nempi, where he is currently the Chairman of Umuduru Progressive Association (UPA). He had earlier been the President-General of Nempi Development Union (NDU), Lagos State branch, for consecutive ten years.
Hon. Okolieogwo was also the former President-General of Nempi Development Union (NDU), made up of three Autonomous Communities of the whole Nempi Clan for a four-year tenure. He was also the former Assistant Secretary-General of Imo State Towns’ Development Association (ISTDAL) Lagos State, for four years.
He became the substantive Secretary-General of the same ISTDAL for another four years and received the “Golden Service Award” from the Association for his meritorious eight years of service.
Hon. Okolieogwo had earlier served as the Student Union President of the Association of Financial Administration Students (AFAS) of the Nigerian College of Administration (NCA) – the Training College of the Chartered Institute of Administration (CIA), Lagos, from where he became a qualified Chartered Administrator (MCIA) in Nigeria.
Hon. Okolieogwo was named an Ambassador of the Chartered Institute of Administration by the joint Committee of NCA and CIA Lagos, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Administration – FCIA.
He holds the State Honours’ Award Certificate of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), as the Best Corps Member during his service year in Ondo State in 1995/1996.
He carried his reputation for outstanding performances into public service where he was recently awarded the Best Local Government Council Chairman in the entire South East States of Nigeria by the Newsguide Newspapers Limited.
Hon. Okolieogwo also recently bagged a Fellowship Award in Strategic Management, Process & Systems of the Prestigious Institute of Oil & Gas Research & Hydrocarbon Studies. He is also a graduate of Business Administration with Second Class (Honours) Upper Division, from Adonai University, Port Novo, Benin Republic.
He is the current Vice-Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Administration (CIA), Owerri District Society.
Ambassador Okolieogwo has for over two decades now, remained politically active in Imo State. He was a former Supervisory Councillor for Works, Housing and Transport, Oru West Local Government Council, and had also been an elected Councillor that represented Nempi/Eleh Ward, at the Legislative Council Chambers of the LGA.
He has also served as the Orlu Zonal Youth Leader under his former political Party – the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and as the Chairman of the party, for Oru West Local Government Area, where he doubled as the Chairman of all the twelve Local Government Area Chairmen of Orlu zone.
He later became the Chairman of his current Political Party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Oru West Local Government Area, as well as the Chairman of all the Chairmen of the twelve Local Government Areas of Orlu zone.
Hon. Okolieogwo was furthermore, the Imo State Coordinator of all the 27 LGA Coordinators for the incumbent Governor of Imo State – Senator Hope Uzodinma, during his 2019 Gubernatorial Election that earned him today’s occupancy of the Pentagon Building (Government House) Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
He was the immediate Past Interim Management Committee Chairman of Oru West LGA and is the sitting Sole Administrator of the LGA.
Also added to his current responsibility is the Chairmanship of the 27 Local Government Councils’ Sole Administrators of Imo State.
His hobbies include sports, philanthropy, human capital development, politics and love of humanity.
He is happily married to his lovely wife, Mrs. Chizoba C. Okolieogwo, and the union is blessed with children.
Hon. Ambassador Willie Okolieogwo’s selection as Top10 Magazine’s Local Government Administrator of the Year is in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments within the short time of his assumption of office as the sole administrator of his local government, coupled with his sterling leadership attributes that earn him the respect to be bestowed with many other leadership responsibilities both within and outside the State.
MAURICE SOKARI, Founder/CEO, 90s Models Management
Talent Manager of the Year
Maurice Sokari N. Fubara is the Founder and CEO of 90s Models Management, an agency that is making waves in the world of fashion and talent curation. An indigene of Rivers State, Maurice, just 25 years old, has woven his expertise as a fashion and image consultant into a thriving business in Lagos, Nigeria, and far beyond.
Maurice’s journey commenced in Lagos, where he established the foundation of what has become an unrivaled platform for talent management. His prowess extends beyond borders, having collaborated with an illustrious array of both local and international luminaries. Notable names such as Alicia Keys and Lupita Nyong’o grace his portfolio, alongside a constellation of local A-list figures such as: ThankGod Omori (better known as “boy director”), Sharon Ooja, Omowunmi Dada, Sophia Alakija, Kunle Remi, to name but a few.
Maurice’s rise to success has been fortified by partnerships with stalwarts of the industry, including the iconic TY Bello, the ingenious Kelechi Amadi-Obi, and the trailblazing Studio by Youmie. These collaborations have enlivened his journey, propelling him to the forefront of the fashion domain at an early age.
Through strategic navigation, Maurice steered his enterprise to global dimensions. Operating seamlessly, 90s Models Management has carved a niche for itself in managing models who grace fashion shows, shoots and campaigns of Europe’s most esteemed luxury houses. The roster of accomplishments reads like a roll call of fashion’s elite: from Louis Vuitton to Prada, Givenchy to Celine, Bottega Veneta to Saint Laurent, and an array of others that form a constellation of luxury.
His legacy, penned in the chapters of his youth, resonates as a paragon of achievement. Beyond the confines of his youth, he remains steadfast in his dedication, expanding his reach and weaving connections that bridge the gap between Nigerians, Africans, and their diasporic counterparts. His narrative unfolds as a testament to a new generation of trailblazers, illuminating pathways to prominence through dedication, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Maurice Fubara’s selection by The Top10 Magazine as the 2023 Talent Manager of the Year Award is in recognition of his rising profile as a leading talent manager behind the growth and success of many award- winning Nigerian models.
