The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Awards

  • The Nation presents Agric, Food Summit, Awards

    Vintage Press, publishers of The Nation, is putting agriculture on the front burner with a summit and awards evening dedicated to the labour and harvest on the Nigerian farm.

    The Nation’s Agriculture and Food Summit and Awards will attract dignitaries from the government and the private sector, including heads of federal government agencies. It will be presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, as special guest of honour.

    It will take place May 10 at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel at 3 pm. The main lecture will be delivered by Professor Adebiyi Daramola, former vice chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure and consultant to the World Bank.

    A select number of governors, government agency heads and private sector players has been identified for recognition for their services towards agriculture in the past three years. The governors billed for recognition include Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Sani Bello (Niger), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Willie Obiano (Anambra), Ibrahim Gaidam (Kebbi) and Aminu Tambuwal  (Sokoto). The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Nsima Ekere, Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbeh and Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture Dr. Kabiru Adamu.

    Two private sector players include Aliko Dangote, the president of the Dangote group and Venkataramani Srivathsan of Olam Group.

    All states and private concerns so honoured will also showcase their work in a video exhibition at the venue.

  • General Hospital boss wins awards

    Medical Director/CEO of Isolo General Hospital, Dr. Godwin Akhabhoa, has won a total of three out of five service charter awards of the Lagos State Ministry of Health.  Akhabhoa received the awards midweek at Alausa, Ikeja, during the launch of service charter for three more health facilities in the state. The Honourable Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Dr. Jide Idris, while presenting the awards, poured encomiums on the medical director, saying that he was not surprised Akhabhoa won the awards.

    Idris said the rare feat achieved by the Akhabhoa was a confirmation of avalanche of commendations and recommendations which he has been receiving from patients and other stakeholders concerning Isolo General Hospital. The three awards are: Best Performing Chartered Facility Medical Director for year 2017; Best Performing Health Facility for year 2017 and the Best Improved Chartered Health Facility for year 2017. Isolo General Hospital had earlier emerged the best General Hospital in Lagos State.

     

  • TRUCKIT shines at World Submit Awards

    It was all pomp and excitement at Global Congress, Vienna, Austria on Thursday, March 22, when TRUCKIT, an indigenous company in Nigeria that provides a technology platform facilitating cost effective and secured transportation of goods and cargos with real time monitoring for individuals and companies, grabbed a prestigious international innovative award for its application – UTRUCKIT.

    After a rigorous selection by honourable WSA Grand Jury, UTruckit’ was selected as one of the 40 WSA Winners in the Smart Settlements & Urbanization category of the World Summit Awards, bringing Nigeria back on the International award map since 2016.

    The award ceremony which started with workshop for winners and local entrepreneurs at Festival Hall, Vienna City, was a three days event. It also saw each 40 winners from different countries make a 5 minutes presentation of their innovations  to emerge the grand winner of the WS Awards.

    Initiated in 2003 in the framework of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS), the World Summit Awards is a highly diverse and democratic award system that selects and promotes the world’s best in digital content and innovative applications with impact on the society.

    It should be recalled that TRUCKIT launched its Application in July 2017 and stands out on the strength of its innovation within the digital space.

  • Keystone Bank, Vitafoam Nigeria others for awards

    Top organisations and brands have been named to have won the fifth annual edition of Nigeria Pension Awards and Africa Finance Awards scheduled to hold in Lagos on March 29th 2018.

    The companies include Keystone Bank, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Propertymart, PTAD, Modion Communications and STL Trustees.

    According to the organisers, the programme is designed to honor outstanding professionals and corporate organisations in the pension, finance, insurance and other sectors.

    The event will be witnessed by leaders and decision makers across different sectors in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.

    Some of the winners for the 2017 awards include Keystone Bank Plc, Orange Insurance Brokers, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, First Registrar & Investor Services, Zenith Pension Custodian Limited, ARM Pensions, and Capricorn Marine & Technologies Plc among several other leading organisations.

    Other winners include Powergas, PAC Capital Limited, Modion Communications, Adron Homes, Integrated Corporate Services Limited to mention but few.

     

     

    Adesanya Abidemi, the project director also mention some past winners of the coveted award to include Stanbic IBTC Pension, Oak Pension, Fidelity Pension Managers, First Pension Custodian, AIICO Pension Managers, Crusader Sterling Pensions, FUG Pension and UBA Pension Custodian.

  • Of awards by media umpires

    Of awards by media umpires

    Temporary power holders in Nigeria wishing to humour themselves have in recent years found an unusual ally in the media, often, like everywhere else, captive of those who have taken more than their own disproportionate share of national resources. The media, although constitutionally empowered as an integral part of the political process to hold government accountable and interpret its policies for the benefit of the governed, has in recent years traded this role for a more rewarding business of giving awards to highest bidders. Many have therefore argued that it is fraudulent to claim the media, owned and controlled directly by those in power or by their allies and proxies who daily assault our sensibilities with their warped view of society, is a free market place of ideas

    We have since 1985 been under assault of a section of the media that want Nigerians to see only their own reality. While Babangida for instance, destroyed all the values we once held sacred, according to Chief Obasanjo, derailed our political socialization process, destroyed  the economy by turning our nation to importers of labour of other societies, he was celebrated and crowned ‘the Prince of the Lower Niger’. He and his wife acquired awards after awards from various institutions topping it up with that of Fellowship of the Nigerian Economic Society, ostensibly for his economic wizardry even as he planted the root of today’s economic woes.

    The strings of awards of his successor, General Sani Abacha, the maximum ruler who history has shown was a common thief for stacking away billions of Nigeria’s foreign earnings in foreign banks, encouraged his supporters to humour him by claiming without him there would be no Nigeria. They assailed and assaulted us with their song of “Abacha today, Abacha tomorrow and Abacha forever”.

    At the birth of the fourth republic in 1999, Obasanjo topped his own numerous awards with that of ‘the father of the nation and founder of modern Nigeria’ courtesy of his PDP. It was however during the Obasanjo administration that managers of the media decided to extend the high rewarding business of media awards to government fronts and other generous givers in the business community. Two of the leading bankers that got awards after awards from the media and other clowning institutions at that period can be identified as Cecilia Ibru, former CEO of Oceanic Bank, who after plead bargaining over 25 counts of fraud and mismanagement, was sentenced to six months in prison for fraud and ordered to hand over $1.2bn (£786m) in cash and assets and, Erastus Akingbola, of Intercontinental Bank, indicted by the British judicial system while he is still trying to defend his integrity in Nigeria courts.

    In recent weeks, there has been a gale of awards targeted at politicians. New Telegraph, The Sun and Silverbird Television, featured Ayo Fayose, Nyesom Wike and Bukola Saraki, as their role models during their recent different outings.

    Dr. Bukola Saraki, who back in 2015 traded off the victory of his party to become Senate President went home with the “Outstanding Politician of the Year Award” for “brazing all odds and against a strong and formidable opposition from within his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to emerge President of the 8th Senate in June 2015”. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, a man who according the EFCC received N3b from Jonathan administration to influence his election as governor, who mobilized thugs to chase out of town 19 elected members of his state House of Assembly, a man who supervised the beating up of a judge presiding over his case in his court premises and a governor who is owing several months in workers’ salary arrears was nominated for the ‘Silverbird ‘man of the people award’. Wike, his friend and co- owner of PDP who had with his firm control of militants made Rivers State ungovernable for Rotimi Amaechi his godfather  before riding to power by unleashing terror on his fellow compatriots was nominated for the Silverbird Television star award –‘The governor of the year’ – ‘for embarking on a massive infrastructure development in Rivers State’.

    Before his latest record breaking 2016 Sun Newspaper Award as the governor of the year for the second year running, Wike was also the Daily Independent newspaper 2016 ‘Governor of the year’, “for defying the recession and breaking new grounds in infrastructure and human resources development in Rivers State”. Then more honours followed with Wike carting home the New Telegraph Man of the Year, 2017, Leadership Newspaper Governor of the Year 2017 and Independent Newspaper Political Icon of the Year 2017 awards respectively”.

    Not even the Nigeria Guild of Editors could ignore Wike’s magic. In a communiqué issued after its meeting in Port Harcourt, it commended Wike “not only for economic development but also for the steps he has taken to improve the state of security in Rivers.’

    However, our umpires-turned cheerful award donors conveniently failed to point out that Rivers as an oil producing state earns in one month what some non-oil producing states cannot earn in a year. It is also curious how these bodies concluded that by bringing peace and stability to Rivers, Wike who as leader and mobiliser of militants and local touts made Rivers State ungovernable for Rotimi Amaechi, his godfather, is deserving of awards for reining in his boys.

    And finally, as it is often said in this business, ‘the medium is the message’. A critical look at the forces behind the award spinning media houses might provide an insight as to what weight to attach to the new wave of awards for Wike, Fayose and Saraki.

    Daily Independent is owned by South-south Chief James Ibori, the former Delta State governor who was let off the hook by an Asaba High court for allegation of monumental corruption and impoverisation of his people but indicted and jailed for the same offence by the British judicial system. He recently returned home to a massive reception by his people after serving his term.

    The New Telegraph and the Daily Sun are owned by Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State who has been facing EFCC charges of corrupt enrichment since he left office on 2007. He was again in 2016 dragged to court by EFCC over alleged N3.2b fraud.

    South-south Senator Ben Murray Bruce, the owner of Silverbird Television was a successful business man before his brief service in government which probably encouraged him to contest for a Senate seat in 2014.  However, The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) was in June 2016 reported to have taken over the assets of his Silverbird Galleria Limited, Silverbird Promotions Limited and Silverbird Showtime Limited appointing Muiz Banire as receiver/manager following an interim court order over N11b debt. Kunle Adegoke, an attorney working for Muiz Banire, the debt recovery manager appointed by AMCON was reported to have said: “It must be borne in mind that innocent depositors money is what the common sense propagator and his brothers have been living large and feeding fat upon without the recourse to the interest of the real labourers who own the money”.

    While chieftains of award churning media outfits by their ongoing travails have not committed any crime, the baggage they carry however raises questions not only about the value of their awards, but also questions the propriety of their decision to set standard of behaviour for Nigerians.

  • FirstBank celebrates awards

    First Bank of Nigeria Limited in the 20017 financial year received an avalanche of awards in recognition of its activities and interventions in various sectors in the financial services industry. The awards epitomised the bank’s sustained relevance to its customers and the nation at large for 124 years.

    FirstBank was named the ‘Most Valuable Bank Brand in Nigeria’ six times in a row – 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 by the globally recognised The Banker Magazine of the Financial Times Group, having achieved this feat in recognition of its steady transformation, increased brand value and excellent service delivery through several years. The bank was also named the ‘Best Bank in Nigeria’ by Global Finance Magazine for the 13th time in recognition of the bank’s consistent leadership in enterprise and innovative banking in Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

    FirstBank was reaffirmed ‘Best Retail Bank in Nigeria’, an award it has previously won five times in a row by the Asian Banker. This award was earned based on the bank’s robust portfolio and exceptional performance in Nigeria’s retail market. To reinforce the bank’s position as the number one SME bank in Nigeria, it was acknowledged as the ‘Best Bank in SME Banking in Nigeria 2017’ by BusinessDay Media Limited based on the bank’s unflinching support for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. FirstBank also won ‘Excellence in Retail Banking’ by New Age Banking Awards, following its consistent demonstration of excellence in the retail banking industry. The bank through 124 years of existence has continued to nurture the SME sector to build sustainable businesses and facilitate economic development.

    For the second time, FirstBank was named the winner of the ‘Digital Bank of Distinction in Nigeria’ for the year 2017 by the globally recognised Global Finance Magazine for its prudent utilization of slim budget to achieve sustainable profit optimisation and consistent leadership in Nigeria’s digital banking space. The bank was also recognised and celebrated as the first financial institution in Nigeria and the second bank in Africa to issue 10million payment cards to customers across the country. In addition, the Bank won three Interswitch awards in Electronic Payment as the fastest Mobile Penetration Bank across Africa, the Highest Card Transacting Bank and the Highest Issuer of Verve Cards

    FirstBank clinched the ‘Best Private Bank in Nigeria’ award by World Finance Magazine in recognition of its attention to client services and its Best-in-Class Private Banking Hubs located in Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, as well as the accelerated speed in growing its market share and registering optimised revenues within a short span of operation.

     

     

  • Small Doctor eyes awards, corporate shows

    Small Doctor eyes awards, corporate shows

    Decorated artiste and one of the surprises of 2017, Michael Owusu Addo, aka Small Doctor, has expressed optimism that he would surpass last year’s exploits in 2018, while admitting that 2017 was undoubtedly a good year.

    In a chat with The Nation, Small Doctor says that one of his biggest surprises was when his hit single, ‘Penalty’, placed him on the global map, earning him an incredibly huge fan-base and sell out shows.

    He further stated that he chose his local dialect to perform scoring him a major audience with his delivery and the impact he makes on people who can’t but dance to the energy coined in his music.

    “The major highlight for me was when my song, ‘Penalty’, was played during a basketball match of the Dallas Mavericks Vs Toronto Raptors,” he said.

    “And this was also given a major play by Dallas Mavericks’ official DJ, Poison Ivy. This without hesitation is a great way to end 2017.”

    The artiste recalls how he couldn’t hold down himself as he made an outburst of this on his social media platforms.

    Speaking further, Small Doctor said that he is looking forward to winning awards and hosting corporate shows.

    “I’m also looking forward to my fan base spreading like wild fire, more hits, sold out concerts, collaborations and more,” he said.

  • Youths get awards at anniversary

    Youths get awards at anniversary

    The Breath of Life Youth Church has given awards to some of its members in recognition of their contributions to the growth and development of the Church in particular and the society in general. They were awarded at the Church’s 2nd anniversary held at Obanikoro, Lagos State writes OLATUNDE ODEBIYI.

    They were all smiles, looking gorgeous in their beautiful outfits, as they mounted the dais to receive their awards amid applause from guests. They were the cynosure of all eyes. Everyone felt like being an award recipient.

    They were recipients of awards from their church for their two years of hard work, commitment, sacrifice and service. All of these were part of the rewards for the youth of Breath of Life Youth Church in Obanikoro, Lagos penultimate week during the church’s 2nd year anniversary.

    Beautiful ushers in corporate outfits took guests to comfortable seats. The one-day ceremony began with prayers and praises to God.

    During the testimony time, about five youths shared theirs on how the Youth Church has transformed their lives to make meaningful impact in the society and influence others’ lives positively, as well as start up their own businesses and ministries.

    There were lots of side attractions in which talents were displayed both in rap, singing, poetry, drama, chant, spoken words, dance drums and other instruments, among others.

    Out of 28 nominees, eight youths emerged winners. The award session was supervised by  the Coordinator of the Church’s 2nd Year Anniversary Planning Committee, Pastor Onome Atife and Chief Executive Officer, Rmtproductions, Mrs Olukemi Odutola.

    A first-class student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Precious Bassey won the Academic Award; a musician,  Saladeen Zaquex  won the Best Artistic Performance Award;  Edidiong Benedict Jnr. won the Youth of the Year award for his outstanding commitment and contributions to the church.

    Velma Samuel won the Evangelist Award; a lady keyboardist,  Chinazor Anozie won the Musician of the Year Award.

    Most Innovative Trailblazer of the Year  Award was won by  Anuoluwapo Pelemo, for the outstanding ideas she presented to the Church. the Assistant Pastor of The Breath of Life Youth Church,  Isaac Runsewe received the Kingdom Choice Award for being an outstanding pacesetter in the youth ministry.

    Leadership Award was won by the Pastor of the youth Temitope Odebiyi who is also a drummer.  She was rewarded for her outstanding leadership performance in the Church.

    Odebiyi said, the award recipients are those who have shown commitment to service of the Church over the two years.

    “They have been committed with their time, ideas, money and innovation. Among the youth, these people stood out to be outstanding and this is why we decided to reward them. The award is to encourage and charge them to forge forward to the next level. Those who do not receive award should double their efforts and ensure that they do more in the coming year so that they can be different among their peers. She urged youths to be extraordinary in all they do,

    “Every young person in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large must have the mind of a transformer and transform everything around them. Youths should go into government, finance, oil and gas, banking and cause a transformation. All young persons should arise from their sleeping bed, and become a transformer.

    “Youths have a role to play in national development because they are called leaders of tomorrow. Youths have new ideas, they are young, energetic, vibrant and they think. We need the world to give them a chance.”

    She said the Church was established to harness the strength of young people, to lead them in the right direction.

    She said: “The devil has taken over the world, especially the heart of young people and we are trying to snatch them back from him.

    What we are doing with their strength is to ensure that they harness it and use it positively to influence the society both spiritually and socially,” she said.

    According to Atife the nation is going through challenges because the youth are not bracing up.

    “My message to the youth is that the opportunities are out there, the world does not give you what you deserve, you have to go out there and grab it for yourself.

    In the midst of kiosk there is always opportunities and solutions to be provided. The challenges we are currently facing in the country is an opportunity for youths to look into and provide solutions and they will be recognised for the solutions provided.”

    To the award recipients, he said: “To whom much is given, much is expected. The moment you have received an award, you are already recognised, a lot of people will be looking out for you, to confirm or check if you really deserve it. It is not just getting the award, it is your ability to sustain whatever you were doing that made you to get the award. All the award recipients should go back and think of the things that they did that brought them out and ensure that they do more.”

    One of the recipients, Zaquex who has just spent less than a year in the church, described the award as unexpected.

    “This is my first time in a church having an award. This award has given me strength, it has motivated me to serve God more, which means more are coming and I will go round the world. The Church is God-send; it changed my life, it gave me a reason to rap for God. I was rapping for the world, but within my short time here, I am able to rap for God and even get an award for it. I thank God for the youth church,

    My rapping ministry is for life and I will serve God with it and I want to bring people to Christ and let them know that God can accept them.”

    He urged youths to stay on what God has called them to do.

    “Do your thing; look inside of you and figure out what God has put inside of you. God gave everybody something to serve him with, just figure out yours and use it to serve Him. If you cannot figure out yours, come to the church, there are several workforce that you can join. Just work for God. Do something for Christ,” he said.

  • Hotel wins two awards

    Fraser Suites Abuja has bagged two International awards in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

    Fraser was awarded the Luxury business hotel award for Nigerian and the Global winner for Luxury business serviced apartments.

    Brandon Lourens Chairman and Chief Executive Officer  said Fraser Suites  received the award in recognition of sustained committment to excellence in hotel business and outstanding achievement in international luxury hospitality industry.

    In a statement by Fraser Suite’sMarketing Communications  Adviser, Haroun Audu, the world luxury hotel awards certified the participation of Fraser Suites in the awards and congratulated it on the achievement.

    Audu said: “ Fraser Suites, Abuja marks Fraser Property Limited’s foray into Africa,which makes Nigeria’s made-to-measure capital, Abuja, the latest addition in the luxury hotel group‘s global collection. Fraser Hotel Abuja was soft-launched on 15th June, 2017 and it is set for a grand commissioning in the first quarter of 2018.

    “Fraser Property Limited is a global hospitality operator, which has grown since its inception in 1998, from an initial 412 residences in Singapore to more than 23,600 keys worldwide.

    “Since its soft opening, the hotel has been making waves, hosting high profile events, corporate clients and personalities.

  • Chi wins marketing world awards

    Two of the most innovative brands from the stable of Chi Limited have been recognised at the Marketing World Awards for delivering superior values to the market and exhibiting excellence in upholding effective marketing strategies.

    Chivita active vegetable fruit nectar won in the Best Use of Packaging category, Hollandia ChocoMalt Drink was recognised as the Emerging Brand of the Year in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) category.

    The offer of vegetable and fruit juice in a packaging that does not require refrigeration and is free from contamination, along with a cutting edge design, rich vegetable, fruit and juice visuals combined perfectly with an appealing colour pallet, is one that resonates with consumers who lead an active lifestyle and are primed to achieve more.

    Chi Limited’s Managing Director, Deepanjan Roy, indicated that the recognition of two of the company’s most recent innovative brands at the Marketing World Awards was a reflection of the resourcefulness and value-driven processes that have ensured product quality, from conception to packaging.

    “The awards received by both of our brands at the Marketing World Awards show our continued desire to meet up with changing consumer needs. As always, the consumer is king; and thus, it is important to provide consumer satisfaction at all times. Innovation is key to achieving this. We are proud of these brands and their amazing stories of consumer satisfaction and achieved recognition,” he stated.

    According to Akin Naphtal, Chief Executive Officer of Instinctwave, this year’s edition of the Marketing World Awards showcased the latest industry innovations and initiatives, while recognizing the exceptional work of marketing champions over the past 12 months. He reiterated that like the proverbial golden fish, innovative brands like Chivita Active Vegetable Fruit Nectar and Hollandia ChocoMalt Drink deserve the recognition.

    “Chivita Active Vegetable Fruit Nectar and Hollandia ChocoMalt Drink have not only pioneered new segments in the juice and choco-based beverage markets but have also within the last 12 months, achieved consumer preference status in their respective categories through innovative offerings and packaging,” he said.