….Mrs Jonathan, Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Olawande, Danu, Alochu, others
It was billed to be a great day of celebration of excellence. Widely promoted in the media a couple of weeks ahead, the event was expected to attract the elite corps of Nigeria’s public and private sectors to an evening of excellence, glitz, fun, entertainment and celebration. And that was exactly what Sunday, December 7, 2025 came to be. On the night, every available space in the sprawling hall of the Nigeria Army Conference Centre and Suites (NACCAS), Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital, was filled with the crème de la crème of Nigeria’s high society men and women. Welcome to the 2025 edition of the Top10 Magazine’s Annual Man of the Year and Excellence Awards, an end-of-year event designed for the celebration of organizations, men and women of excellence – the best of the best in their chosen endeavours.
The 2025 Awards marked the 10th edition of the event introduced by the Top10 Magazine, Nigeria’s frontline publication known for promotion and celebration of excellence, at its inception. Some of the previous recipients of the Man of the Year Award included Dr. Herbert Wigwe, the late Group Managing Director of Access Bank, as the pioneer winner in 2016. Also on the magazine’s roll of honour are Auwalu Rano, Founder A.A. Rano (2019); Umar Abdullahi, Chairman, Cosgrove Group (2020); Chief Samuel Onyishi, Chairman of Peace Mass Transit, PMT and Maduka University (2022); Muhammad Nami, former Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (2023), and the immediate past winner, Senator George Akume (2024). Chief (Dr.) Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was the winner of the maiden edition of the Woman of the Year Award introduced in 2024.
The top-of-the drawer awards this time went to Alhaji Nasiru Haladu Danu, Chairman, Casiva Limited; and Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Hon. Minister of Women Affairs. They were honoured with the Man of the Year and Woman of the Year awards, respectively.
Highlights of the event included the presentation of Awards to winners of the Man of the Year, Woman of the Year and Excellence Awards; unveiling of the special commemorative Edition of The Top10 Magazine and cutting of the cake to mark the 10th anniversary of both the Awards and the magazine.
The winner of The Top10 Magazine’s 2025 Man of the Year Award, Alhaji Nasiru Haladu Danu OFR, is a man of untainted character and impeccable reputation, renowned for his unwavering commitment to success. The Chairman and CEO of Casiva Limited has, over the years, solidified his status as a true titan of the oil and gas industry and top level philanthropist with insatiable appetite for giving. In his latest demonstration of philanthropy, Danu, the Sardaunan Dutse, in November 2025, extended his good deeds to the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) Islamic Centre as he commissioned a N150 million project at the Centre in Abuja. The multi-million naira project is a furnished 11-room building that will serve as the Imam’s residence at the Islamic Centre in the Guzape area of Abuja. It was built in memory of his late father, Haladu.
Hajia Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, Hon. Minister of Women Affairs, and winner of the Woman of the Year Award, is a reform-minded technocrat and clear-headed policymaker. Her tenure at the Women Affairs Ministry in just over one year has been marked by transparency and accountability in governance, inclusiveness and responsiveness to the needs of women, children, and the vulnerable and zero tolerance for corruption and a strong insistence on equity and rule of law.
Other women on the evening’s award list included Dr. Mrs. Patience Jonathan, wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan (Most Inspirational Woman of the Year), Barr. Mrs. Patience Dappa Group CEO, Masters Energy Group (Female Business Leader of the year); Dr. Amarachi Ashmusy, CEO, Magic Revive (Most Inspiring Female Influencer of the Year); Dr. Ifeyinwa Nwakwesi, Executive Chair, Women Aligned for Growth (Champion of Women Empowerment of the Year); and Amenan Amandine Kouakou, Founder & CEO, MAJ Fintech Group (Female Tech Leader of the year).
From the Diaspora were Sylvester Juwe, Founder, EDATECH Limited (Nigerian Diaspora Professional Icon of the Year); Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, MD, MPH, MBA, (Nigerian Diaspora Professional of the Year); and Barr. Henry Igbinoba, Temple Law Solicitors Canada (Nigerian Diaspora Legal Icon of the Year).
In addition to Hajia Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the awardees from the public sector included Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy (Corporate Image Maker of the Year); Comrade Ayodele Olawande, Minister for Youth Development (Minister of the Year); Sadiq Munir I. Rabiu, SA to the President on Capacity Development (Young Public Official of the Year); Moyosore Adebanjo, Executive Chairman, Onigbongbo LCDA (Emerging Political Star of the Year); Hon. Leke Abejide, Chairman, House Committee on Customs Service ( Reps Legislator of the Year); Salihu AbdulHamid Dembos, DG, NTA (Transformational Media Personality of the Year); Sen. Osita Izunaso, Chairman, Senate Committee on Capital Market (Senate Legislator of the Year);
The 2025 Top10 Magazine’s Roll of Honour also had Ekene Nnabuihe, Group CEO, Boulevard Hotel Group (Hospitality Executive of the Year); Mr. John Ezeobi, Chairman/CEO, John Zobies Group of companies (Industrialist of the Year); Dr. Abubakar Shuaibu Jimeta, Managing Director/CEO, Kano Electricity Distribution Company (Business Role Model of the Year); Mustapha Mona Audu, Chief Executive Officer, Electric Motor Company (Innovative Business Leader of the Year); and Sadiq Saminu Geidam, CEO, Abuja Car (Auto Mobile Dealer of the Year).
Others were Austin Okere, Founder, CWG Plc (Lifetime Achievement Award); Ahmad Muhammad Bande Founder/CEO, Vortex Holdings, (Young Entertainment Game Changer of the Year); Engr. Ibrahim Gidado, CEO, Prime Elevation Ltd (Infrastructure Dev. Icon of the Year); Chief Alochu F. Ikpobu, Founder, Alochu Foundation, (Humanitarian Hero of the Year); AVM Monday Morgan, Coordinator, Benue Rebirth Movement (BRM) (Equal Opportunity Crusader of the Year); Dr. Paul Ngwu, Consultant/Urologist, Eleos Specialist Hospital (Healthcare Professional of the Year); and Dr. Peter Adejoh, Executive Chairman/CEO, Camey & Rock Holdings (Entrepreneur of the Year).
In their acceptance speeches, the awardees expressed their appreciation to the Top10 Magazine for considering them worthy of the honour. They said the awards would act as motivation to aspire towards higher levels of excellence. Chief Alochu, Humanitarian Hero of the Year, said the award would spur him to do more by extending his philanthropy beyond his immediate community to other parts of Benue State and the country.
The Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Ode Ojowu, Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who congratulated the award winners, said the evening’s occasion was not meant to only celebrate outstanding individuals and organizations but also to mark a decade of unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity, and national progress. He said The Top10 Magazine had carved a unique space for itself in Nigeria’s media and events landscape. According to him, “what began as a bold vision has matured into an institution—one that consistently projects excellence, inspires aspiration, and elevates national discourse.”
Prof. Ojowu said that if Nigerians genuinely desire a nation built on shared values, informed citizenship, and national cohesion, they must deliberately patronize and support media platforms that uphold professionalism and national interest. “Magazines such as this—rooted in integrity and committed to showcasing positive role models—must be seen not as private ventures struggling on their own, but as essential partners in nation-building.”
He described the men and women who were honoured on the night as people who embody the excellence Nigerians aspire to as a nation. “Their achievements remind us of what is possible when passion meets discipline, when vision meets hard work, and when opportunity meets character. The inclusion of the Woman of the Year category further reflects the Magazine’s commitment to representing the full breadth of Nigeria’s excellence.”
Earlier in his welcome address, Mr. Tony Iji, the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Top10 Magazine, said he took pride in sharing the inspiring stories of the award recipients—their remarkable journeys, their vision, and their dedication to making a difference. “We promise that every edition of our Man of the Year and Excellence Awards will be unique, reflecting our commitment to spotlighting the finest achievements that set the bar for others.”
Mr. Iji also spoke about the attractions of the Top10 Magazine and its awards, which include originality of concept, strong content of the publication which many acknowledge to be a unique nitch, strong editorial content, production quality and “the integrity of the annual awards which is driven by a credible selection process and our refusal to commercialize the event as always done by many other award organisers”.
In all, Sunday, December 7, 2025 was a day to remember by The Top10 Magazine and its guests. It was the day Abuja stood still for Nigeria’s men and women of excellence and honour.
