The Organising Council of the Daily Times Nigeria Centenary (DTN@100) Heroes Awards has announced winners in 29 categories, with prominent Nigerians, business leaders, public officers, governors, institutions and corporate organisations emerging among the recipients.
The awards followed the conclusion of a nationwide public voting process, which, according to the organisers, attracted thousands of verified votes from Nigerians across the country and the diaspora.
The awards are part of activities marking the centenary celebration of Daily Times Nigeria and are aimed at recognising individuals, institutions and organisations whose leadership, innovation and contributions have influenced the country’s political, economic, social and corporate development.
Chairman of the DTN@100 Organising Council, Bolaji Okusaga, said the level of public participation demonstrated Nigerians’ desire to recognise excellence, integrity and transformational leadership.
Okusaga said the awards were conceived not only to honour achievement but also to celebrate individuals and institutions whose leadership had created lasting value for Nigeria.
He added that the exercise would serve as a critical pipeline for selecting states, organisations, and individuals to be featured in the Nigeria Grand Book, a national souvenir being produced as part of the centenary celebration.
According to him, the quality of nominations, the level of participation, and the credibility of the voting process showed that Nigerians were willing to honour excellence wherever it was found.
He said the awards were also a continuation of Daily Times Nigeria’s historic role in documenting the country’s development.
“For one hundred years, Daily Times has chronicled Nigeria’s history and celebrated the people shaping its future. The DTN@100 Heroes Awards continue that legacy by spotlighting individuals and institutions whose vision, courage and impact have advanced national development and inspired generations,” he said.
Among the major recipients is Jim Ovia, founder and chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, who received the Change Maker of the Century Award for his contributions to Nigeria’s financial services sector and national development.
Businesswoman and philanthropist Folorunsho Alakija received the Life and Legacy Award for her impact on entrepreneurship, philanthropy and nation-building.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, was honoured with the Public Impact Person of the Decade Award for his record of public service and national leadership.
Former President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, received the Global Impact Award, while businessman Aliko Dangote, was recognised as Business Icon of the Century.
Dame (Dr) Adaora Umeoji, was named Person of the Year.
In the political category, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, emerged Governor of the Decade, while Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, was named Governor of the Year.
Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda was named Politician of the Year.
The National Assembly also produced two recipients, with Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, receiving the Lawmaker of the Year Award for the House of Representatives.
Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada received the Lawmaker of the Year Award for the Senate.
At the federal executive level, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), was honoured as Minister of the Decade for his contributions to public service and national development.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, emerged as Impactful Minister of the Year for his leadership and delivery of infrastructure and governance initiatives.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, received the Transformative Minister of the Year award for what the organisers described as bold reforms, innovative leadership and efforts towards institutional renewal, improved service delivery and public sector transformation.
The awards also recognised governors across the six geopolitical zones under the Outstanding Governor Awards.
The recipients were Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, for the North West; Bauchi State Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, for the North East; Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Audu Sule, for the North Central; Enugu State Governor, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for the South East; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, for the South South; and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for the South West.
Traditional leadership was also recognised, with the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, receiving the Community Impact Award.
The award recognised his contributions to community development, cultural preservation and national cohesion.
In the corporate sector, Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) was named Energy Company of the Decade.
The company was recognised for its contributions to Nigeria’s energy sector, particularly for delivering the Otakikpo Onshore Crude Oil Export Terminal in record time and for other strategic projects aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity and expanding the country’s energy infrastructure.
Emadeb Energy Group received the Energy Company of the Year award for its sustained investments, operational performance and contributions across the upstream, midstream, downstream and power sectors.
The organisers said the company’s activities had contributed to energy security, industrial growth and Nigeria’s economic development.
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc was recognised as Digital Company of the Decade.
The Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) emerged as Transformative Project of the Year for its role in modernising Nigeria’s trade ecosystem through the indigenous B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System.
The organisers described the system as an innovation that is transforming customs administration, facilitating trade, and positioning Nigeria’s digital trade model for possible replication across Africa.
The Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS) was named Government Agency of the Year.
Other winners include Jane Egerton-Idehen of NigComSat, who received the Enterprise Award; Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, MFR, who was honoured as Public Officer of the Year; and the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), which received the Climate Responsibility Award.
Meanwhile, voting is still ongoing in three additional categories: Financial Innovation Award, National Development Award and Sustainability Award.
The Organising Council said voting in the three categories commenced at 4pm on Thursday, July 30, 2026, and would close at 9am on Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
The Financial Innovation Award category has OPay, Moniepoint, Paystack, PiggyVest, Flutterwave and VBank as nominees.
For the National Development Award, the nominees are Dr. Olasupo Olusi of the Bank of Industry; Dr. Tony Okpanachi of the Development Bank of Nigeria; Charles Odii of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN); and Jennifer Adighije of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company.
The Sustainability Award category has ACReSAL, Bank of Industry, Seplat Energy, Sahara Group, Unilever Nigeria and Sahara Holdings as nominees.
The Council also announced the closure of nominations for the DTN@100 Trailblazer Award.
It said all successfully nominated individuals and organisations would proceed to a public voting phase, with the 10 nominees who receive the most verified public votes to be inducted as DTN@100 Trailblazers.
Okusaga said the remaining voting categories offered Nigerians another opportunity to participate in determining those to be recognised for excellence and national service.
“These awards belong to Nigerians. Public participation is central to the credibility and integrity of the process, and we encourage Nigerians everywhere to continue participating by voting for individuals and organisations whose leadership, innovation and service are creating meaningful impact and helping to build a stronger nation,” he said.
The DTN@100 Heroes Awards and Centenary Celebration will culminate in a grand presentation ceremony scheduled for Thursday, 3 September 2026, at the THISDAY Dome, Abuja.
The award recipients are expected to be formally honoured at the ceremony and inducted into the Nigerian Book of Life, described by the organisers as a commemorative publication recognising outstanding individuals and institutions whose leadership, innovation and enduring contributions have significantly shaped Nigeria’s development over the past century.
The Organising Council reaffirmed its commitment to what it described as a transparent, credible and merit-driven selection process.
It noted that although public voting remained a critical component of the awards, final outcomes in the remaining categories would be determined through a combination of verified public votes and the Council’s established evaluation framework.
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