The Nigerian National Legacy Awards (NNLA) have cleared the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and Brigadier General Buba Marwa of the NDLEA for the 13th edition of the Nigerian National Legacy Awards. This was made known at the Unveiling of the 2022 class of Honorees held in Lagos on Friday.
The Honours & Awards committee headed by Dr Ovie Odubu the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian National Legacy Awards on Friday unveiled the names of the 2022 class of Honorees who were unanimously voted by the 10 man council of Jury made up of vast media experts, high-level personalities and members of the academia.
Odubu in an official statement at the unveiling and review of profiles of the 2022 recipients held in Lagos, noted that the NNLA received a total of 911 entries during nomination which was carefully and professionally reviewed by a 10 member council jury.
The 2022 class of honor displays an array of quintessential individuals whose passion for excellence and hard work have distinctively earned them the 2022 Nigerian National Legacy Awards.
Before he joined the CBN, Godwin Emefiele spent over 26 years in commercial banking culminating in his tenure as Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank PLC, one of Nigeria’s largest banks with over 7,000 staff, about US$3.2 billion in shareholders’ funds, and subsidiaries in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, South Africa, China, and the United Kingdom.
The traditional institution was not left out as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi made it to the 2022 class of awardees. He was born into the Giesi Ruling House, Ojaja Royal Compound of Agbedegbede in Ile-Ife the Cradle of the Yoruba nation worldwide.
Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi was born on 17th October 1974 to Prince Ropo and Late Mrs Margaret Wuraola Ogunwusi in Ile Opa family compound, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. His Imperial Majesty has always been known to be an advocate for education. He is so passionate about the youths because he sees so many potentials in them and wants them to succeed. This is why he continually thinks about how to make them better individuals for themselves, their families and society at large.
Engr Magnus Agara also made it to the list in the category corporate social responsibility, for his strong commitment to CSR. He calls the shots at Nymagx Energy Services Limited and also doubles as the founder of Magnus Agara Foundation. A foundation focused on providing basic health care and free qualitative education to underprivileged and vulnerable children in Nigeria. Magnus Agara’s passion for helping the needy gave birth to the building of a healthy and educated Nigerian.
Mr Augustine Ahwinahwi Kurusu of Kurusu & Associated Industries Limited beat four other nominees in his category to emerge. He is the managing director/CEO of Kurusu and Associated Industries Ltd. He holds a B.sc (International Relations) degree and has a wealth of experience ranging from procurement of engineering contracts to marine and land logistics. He is a seasoned and prolific administrator and an arbitrator for excellence.
The high reforms ongoing in the NDLEA are quite visible to the blind and audible to the deaf, the very reason the man at the helm of affairs of the organisation was giving high consideration for the awards. Brig. Gen Buba Marwa. Rtd is a Nigerian retired army officer. He was a military governor of Borno and Lagos State. Marwa was appointed the chairman of the Nigerian Drug and Law Enforcement Agency by President Buhari.
Amongst those also penciled for the 2022 awards according to Dr Ovie Odubu is Engr Christopher Okonkwo Onuigbo the
CEO of ChristoHouston Energy with over 25 years of experience in the oil & gas industry with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Business Administration. He has held various positions in oil and gas before starting ChristoHouston Energy in 2006.
Mr Cyril Ubiebor – Co-Founder, Nowerox Nigeria Limited also is one individual Nigerians should look up to for the prestigious award. He Co-founded Nowerox Nigeria Limited and he is a seasoned professional and stupendous Visionaire. His company Nowerox Nigeria Limited provides scalable, cost-effective and integrated maintenance services during a facility’s lifecycle in virtually any location within Nigeria, including established oil & gas fields and newly developed areas.
King of the Water popularly referred to as the Boat Man, Dr Ganiyu Shekoni Balogun of Tarzan Marine Enterprises is one name whose nomination for the award didn’t come as a surprise.
His professional ethics and commitment had him elected as President of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria ATBOWATON. His success story is riddled with serendipity so he now owns one of the oldest boat companies in Lagos. Mr Ikenna Okonkwo of Manest Energy Services on the other hand is a business strategist with vast expertise in project management, financial analysis, upstream activities, contract negotiation, offshore drilling and so many other areas of expertise too numerous to mention. He is a graduate of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State. His firm is committed to providing the energy, engineering and Marines industry especially the upstream, midstream and downstream industry in the offshore and onshore as well as the swamp locations unequaled services.
Engr Morris Idiowa the CEO, Bicens Resources Limited is one notable Nigerian accorded very high consideration by the council of Jury. He bagged an OND in Mechanical Engineering from the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, A HND in Mechanical Engineering from Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Ondo State, before proceeding for a course in 2017 at the Global Maritime University and in 2018 went through the Institute of Management Consultant. He bagged a Professional Certificate in Managing & Negotiating EPC Contracts for Energy Industry, a Professional Certificate in Project Management, a Professional Certificate in Strategic Management and a professional certificate in Developing Corporate Governance Structure, which he bagged from the International Business Management Institute (IBMI) and the Metropolitan School of Business & Management United Kingdom. His undying love for Education also had him undergo a course at the Western Delta University where he bagged a degree in Political Science and Public Administration.
Engr Dr. Wilson – Air Erayanmen – CEO, Airyolk Nigeria Limited is no newcomer in the Oil & Gas industry with over 23 years running experience with very robust knowledge and experience in oil and gas facilities project management, operations, design, maintenance, construction and applications of international standard specifications.
Over his distinguished career across Europe and Africa, Dr. Wilson-Air has led various multi-disciplinary teams across diverse cultures.
The last profile reviewed at the Unveiling was that of Engr Chuka David Eze the MD of Frazimex Engineering Ltd. He bagged a B.Eng in Electrical Engineering in 1995 where he emerged as the overall best student in Electrical Engineering. With very vast and prolific experience in the Oil and Gas Industry. Frazimex under his watch has witnessed tremendous growth in the oil and gas industry.
Dr. Odubu on a final note thanked Nigerians for participating in the award nomination process and assured Nigerians that the award selection process was played by the rules and all selections were done devoid of bias and sentiments.