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Gentlemen of the press, good morning and Happy Easter celebrations.
On behalf of the Chairman and members of the Advisory Board of the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC), I welcome you to today’s event where recipients of the Year 2018 Zik Prize in leadership Awards would be publicly announced.
You may recall that The Zik Prize in Leadership Awards was instituted in 1995 (24 years ago) in honour of the first President of Nigeria and Commander of the Armed Forces, the late Rt. Honourable Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. It was set up as an embodiment of the leadership values that the Great Zik of Africa represented. Thus its purpose has always been to encourage and nurture leadership on the African Continent and in the Diaspora.
After an exhaustive appraisal of nominees in the various Award categories, the Advisory Board now announce the Year 2018 winners and their categories as follows:
Year 2018 Zik Prize in Political Leadership – H.E Dr John Dramani Mahama and Chief Odigie Oyegun.
H.E John Dramani Mahama, a former parliamentarian, minister, Vice-President and President of Ghana is also a farmer and writer. His political activism has seen him serve in various capacities across the broad spectrum of Ghanaian politics. He made political history as the first president of Ghana to be born after Ghana’s declaration of independence in 1957. His statesmanship role in the 2016 elections as the 1st incumbent to hand over power to the opposition elicited great global acclaim and entrenched him in the annals of history as a great political leader.
H.E Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Elder statesman, former Federal civil servant and Executive Governor of Edo state in the third republic, he emerged as the first National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014 and subsequently led them as a united entity to an unprecedented victory in the Presidential elections of 2015. His pro-democracy activism, conduct and actions has marked him out as an outstanding political leader.
Year 2018 Zik Prize in Good Governance – Mr Udom Emmanuel and Alh Abubakar Sani-Bello.
Mr Udom Emmanuel, a banker turned public servant is the Executive Governor of Akwa-Ibom state. He is renowned for his industrialization scheme, educational reforms and massive grassroots and infrastructural development projects across the state. His governance ethic has ensured a consistent delivery of the dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
Dr Abubakar Sani-Bello, a former commissioner is the Executive Governor of Niger State. He is a man on a mission with his “Restoration Agenda” that has seen massive investments in Agriculture, infrastructure and social services across the entire state. He has shown an uncommon commitment to the socio-economic upliftment of the people of the state and the results are evident.
Year 2018 Zik Prize in Public Service – Pastor Shyngle Wigwe and Hon Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu.
Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, an elder statesman is an Engineer, Broadcaster and Soldier. He is one of a select class of Director-General’s of the Nigerian Television Authority(NTA) whose insightful leadership set a precedence that has remained indelible in the annals of the history of the institution and in the realm of public service.
Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu is the Honourable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources and Chairman of the Board of NNPC. A man of many firsts, who has consistently served with distinction, he is a two-time President of African Petroleum Producers Association(APPA) and the first person in history to hold concurrently the position of GMD NNPC, President of OPEC, President of Council of Ministers for Gas Exporting Country Forum(GECF) and President of Council of Ministers of APPA. Dr. Kachikwu is a visiting professor of law to several Universities including The Nigeria Law School and Harvard Law School, USA.
Year 2018 Zik Prize in Business Leadership – Mr. Femi Otedola and Prince Arthur Eze
Mr Femi Otedola CON is the chairman of Forte Oil Plc. He has a number of businesses spanning Real Estate, Oil & Gas, Trading, Shipping, Finance and Energy. He started out 25 years ago with Centreforce Limited and has today successfully nurtured his businesses to global acclaim. He is reputed to have built the largest PMS storage facility in Africa as far back as 2007.
Prince Arthur Eze is a mechanical and Chemical Engineer who has excelled in business. He is the founder of Atlas Oranto Petroleum, an indigenous Oil and Gas exploration company that in the space of less than 3 decades has emerged as a leading player in the African continent. He has successfully taken on the IOC’s to become the largest holder of oil exploration blocks in Africa. He has consistently operated innovative business models that has made him a leader in the industry.
Year 2018 Zik Prize in Professional Leadership – Professor Oye Ibidapo Obe and Mr. Philips Oduoza.
Professor Oye Ibidapo Obe OFR is an educational administrator and a distinguished professor of systems engineering. He is a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos and Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State and the pioneer Pro-Chancellor Technical University, Ibadan. He was the pioneer Managing Director of Unilag Consult and Chairman of the national committee on Brain-Drain. A visiting professor at several international universities with over 150 research articles and paper publications to his name, Professor Ibidapo-Obe is a Fellow of the African Academy of Science (AAS) as well as that of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
Mr. Philips Oduoza (FCIB) is the chairman and founder of NOVA Merchant Bank Limited who was able to break even in the first year of operations. An internationally recognized and accomplished banker, who has led several industry transformational initiatives, he recently retired as GMD/CEO of UBA Group having successfully established it as a leading Pan African Financial Institution with global presence. He serves on the board of several institutions amongst who are Development Bank of Nigeria and Veritas University Abuja.
Year 2018 Zik Prize in Entrepreneurial Leadership – Barrister Allen Ifechukwu Onyema
Barrister Allen Ifechukwu Onyema is Chairman of Air Peace Airline. A lawyer, astute entrepreneur, a conflict resolution expert and member of the Executive Board of The Global Nonviolence Conference, USA alongside notable world leaders as Hon. Dr. Andrew Young and Suarez Ramos, Onyema is respected for his effective actions conflict resolution in Obubra, Cross River State and successfully conducted a programme of transforming the lives of 30 thousand former military personnel who received amnesty.
Year 2018 Zik Prize in Humanitarian Leadership – H.E Chief (Mrs.) Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi
Her Excellency, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a feminist activist, Gender Specialist, Social Entrepreneur, Policy Advocate, Writer and wife of the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, H.E Kayode Fayemi. She co-founded the African Women Development Fund – the first Africa wide grant making foundation for women and chairs the program committee of the Global fund for Women, USA. She has remained at the fore front of the economic empowerment of women as a platform for sustainable socio-economic development of the African continent.
Thank you.
Professor Pat Utomi Prince Emeka Obasi
Member, Advisory Board Executive Secretary
