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Tag: PEARL Awards

  • Udoma chairs 2025 PEARL Awards

    Udoma chairs 2025 PEARL Awards

    The Board of Governors of the PEARL Awards Nigeria has announced a distinguished lineup of guests for the 2025 PEARL Awards Nite, scheduled to hold at the prestigious Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Sunday, November 30, 2025.

    In a statement signed by the Project Manager of PEARL Awards 2025, Mr. Olisemeka Obi, the Awards’ President, Mr. Tayo Orekoya, revealed that the prestigious event will be chaired by Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and current Chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, whose leadership and contributions to Nigeria’s economic development remain exemplary.

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    Mr. Orekoya further disclosed that the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, will serve as Distinguished Guest of Honour, while the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, will attend as Special Guest of Honour.

  • PEARL Awards to honour impressive performances

    PEARL Awards to honour impressive performances

    Organisers of Pearl Awards, devoted to players within the capital and money market ecosystem have set machinery in motion to make this year’s edition a memorable one indeed.

    Addressing journalists in Lagos, at the weekend, the Board of Governors of PEARL Awards Nigeria, led by the Chairman, Dr. Faruk Umar, the President, Mr. Tayo Orekoya, and other members of the board including Chief (Mrs) Eniola Fadayomi, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Alhaji Tijani Borodo, formally announced the nominees for the 2025 PEARL Awards Nite, with the theme, “Celebrating a Legacy of Corporate Excellence,” will take place on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, with a hybrid presentation format — both physical and virtual.

    In his opening remarks, Umar said this is going to be the 30th anniversary edition and as such was going to be a showstopper of sorts, even as he commented on the members of the board for its resilience over the years.

    Also speaking at the pre-press conference event, Orekoya reaffirmed the Awards’ continued commitment to fairness, transparency, and objectivity, describing it as “the only capital market performance-based award in Nigeria founded on empirical data.”

    According to him, the 2025 awards will recognise corporate excellence under three major categories including: the Main Competitive Awards Category, which encompasses the Sectoral Leadership Awards, Market Excellence Awards, and the Overall Highest Award – The PEARL of the Nigerian Stock Market.

    The other categories are Honorary Awards, PEARL CEO of the Year, and the Special Recognition Awards Category for Corporate Governance Award. Additionally, to commemorate the 30th anniversary, the Board of Governors has introduced two new distinctions — the PEARL Excellence in Public Governance Award and the PEARL Excellence in Public Service Award.

    Amongst the nominees that would be competing for the honours include but not limited to Livestock Feeds Plc, Okomu Oil Palm Plc, Presco Plc, Custodian Investment Plc, Transnational Corporation Plc, John Holt Plc, Champion Breweries Plc, International Breweries Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, NASCON Allied Industries Plc, BUA Foods Plc, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc, P.Z. Cussons Nigeria Plc.

    Others include Guaranty Trust Holding Co. Plc, Wema Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, NEM Insurance Plc, Nigerian Exchange Group, FBN Holdings Plc, United Capital Plc, Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc, Aso Savings & Loans Plc, Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank Plc, Academy Press Plc, Learn Africa Plc, University Press Plc, May & Baker Plc, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, NCR Plc, Omatek Ventures Plc, CWG Plc.

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    Besides, other contenders for the foremost prestigious awards includes: Seplat Energy Plc, TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc, Conoil Plc, CAP Plc, Dangote Cement Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc, SFS Real Estate Investment Trust, UPDC Real Estate Investment Trust, UH Real Estate Investment Trust.

    Orekoya also hinted that the Board of Governors has also approved the presentation of the second PEARL Lifetime Achievement Award, following the first-ever conferral on Alhaji Aliko Dangote during the 25th Anniversary edition in 2020.

    He described the forthcoming Awards Nite as “a grand celebration of resilience and distinction,” which will bring together captains of industry, top government functionaries, capital market operators, and media partners to honour companies that have demonstrated exceptional operational performance despite market headwinds.

    He expressed deep appreciation to the media for their consistent partnership over the past 30 years, urging for continued support in projecting the Awards’ role in strengthening corporate governance, investor confidence, and national economic growth.

  • PEARL Awards begins preparations for 30th anniversary

    PEARL Awards begins preparations for 30th anniversary

    The PEARL Awards Nigeria has inaugurated a central working committee (CWC) to drive strategic initiatives and programmes for its 30th anniversary celebration next year.

    President, PEARL Awards Nigeria, Mr. Tayo Orekoya, in a release yesterday said the early preparation is necessary because the group wants to make the anniversary a memorable one.

    He explained that the Board of Governors of the Awards decided to step down 2024 edition to streamline the hosting of the Awards going forward to either biennially or triennially effective from year 2025.

    “We want to make our 30th anniversary edition a memorable one, and hosting the Awards next year will allow us to plan an epoch and grand event that showcases our commitment to excellence,” Orekoya said.

    He added that the CWC has a special mandate, including the concept design, structure, packaging and delivery of the strategic initiatives and timelines to achieve them.

    He charged the newly inaugurated committee to bring new ideas and innovative initiatives on board in all spheres, particularly putting into consideration the peculiar challenges faced in the economy at this time.

    The committee, chaired by Mr. Sam Emehelu, included Mrs. Yemisi Lanre-Idowu, Vice Chairman, Strategy; Mr. Elijah John, Vice Chairman, Sales & Innovations; Mr. Lekan Adekoya, Board Secretary; Mr. Philip Braide, Special Adviser and Mr. Tosin Olagoroye, Secretary, CWC.

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    Others included Vincent Chukwuka, Boason Omofaye, Nurudeen Olayode, Festus Odume, Niyi Makinde, Kayode Iposu, Olise Ebo, Yakubu Olaleye, Kayode Alabi, Ibukun Adesoye, Olisemeka Obi, Olabode John Wesley, Lilian Imoni-Oladipo, and Johnson Oguntuyi.

    As part of the strategic initiatives, the PEARL Awards Board of Governors also endorsed the publication of the book “PEARL Awards @ 30: Winning Strategies of Nigeria’s Corporate Giants” Volume 2. The first edition of the book was published in 2010 in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the Awards.

    The PEARL Awards was established in 1995 as a private sector-led, not-for-profit, non-partisan, and non-governmental initiative. Its primary objective is to recognise and reward companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) for exceptional operational and stock performance.

    Orekoya outlined that the Awards aims at promoting transparency, accountability, and excellence in the capital market, thereby contributing immensely to its growth and development.

    “The PEARL Awards which basically has been based on empirical performance of quoted companies driven by verifiable indices, facts and figures with unparalleled objectivity has received endorsement from the Nigerian capital market regulatory bodies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),” Orekoya noted.

  • Stock Exchange lauds PEARL Awards

    Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr  Oscar Onyema has commended the PEARL Awards Nigeria for upholding the standard of the project for 22 years to become a reference point in the capital market.

    Onyema expressed this view when the Board of Governors of PEARL Awards Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the management of the Exchange in Lagos. The Board of Governors of the Awards was led by Dr Farouk Umar.

    The Board was at the Exchange to brief the Self Regulatory Organisation of arrangements towards the hosting of this year’s PEARL Awards as well as plans by the Awards to go continental in due course.

    “We are proud of the composition of your team and the consistency with which the Awards has been organised in over two decades; and we are particularly happy that it plays the role of an independent arbiter for this sensitive part of the Nigerian financial institution,” Onyema said.

    According to him, the Exchange’s endorsement of the Award is the least level of recognition it can give and the Exchange looks forward to becoming a strategic partner of the PEARL Awards in the nearest future.

    “We are hoping we would be able to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Board of the Awards soonest as a way of seeking deeper strategic working relationship that would ensure a stronger Exchange, and also for us to contribute to the vision of PEARL Awards as a respected reward for excellent performance on the Nigerian Stock Exchange,” Onyema said.

    Umar said that the Board appreciated the support of the Exchange expressing readiness to work with the Exchange to strengthen the capital market through the Awards and other innovative initiatives including expanding the frontiers of the Awards to the African continent.

    This year’s PEARL Awards is scheduled to hold at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos on Sunday November 25, 2018. According to the President of the Awards, Mr Tayo Orekoya not less than ninety percent of the companies listed on the secondary market were x-rayed by the Awards technical team before the list of the nominees were released.

    “Our process is a very meticulous process and we have professionals whose duty is to examine these figures from the Nigeria stock Exchange year-in, year-out. The criteria for these processes are open source and that is why the award is well respected,” Orekoya said.

  • Stock Exchange lauds PEARL Awards

    Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr  Oscar Onyema has commended the PEARL Awards Nigeria for upholding the standard of the project for 22 years to become a reference point in the capital market.

    Onyema expressed this view when the Board of Governors of PEARL Awards Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the management of the Exchange in Lagos. The Board of Governors of the Awards was led by Dr Farouk Umar.

    The Board was at the Exchange to brief the Self Regulatory Organisation of arrangements towards the hosting of this year’s PEARL Awards as well as plans by the Awards to go continental in due course.

    “We are proud of the composition of your team and the consistency with which the Awards has been organised in over two decades; and we are particularly happy that it plays the role of an independent arbiter for this sensitive part of the Nigerian financial institution,” Onyema said.

    According to him, the Exchange’s endorsement of the Award is the least level of recognition it can give and the Exchange looks forward to becoming a strategic partner of the PEARL Awards in the nearest future.

    “We are hoping we would be able to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Board of the Awards soonest as a way of seeking deeper strategic working relationship that would ensure a stronger Exchange, and also for us to contribute to the vision of PEARL Awards as a respected reward for excellent performance on the Nigerian Stock Exchange,” Onyema said.

    Umar said that the Board appreciated the support of the Exchange expressing readiness to work with the Exchange to strengthen the capital market through the Awards and other innovative initiatives including expanding the frontiers of the Awards to the African continent.

    This year’s PEARL Awards is scheduled to hold at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos on Sunday November 25, 2018. According to the President of the Awards, Mr Tayo Orekoya not less than ninety percent of the companies listed on the secondary market were x-rayed by the Awards technical team before the list of the nominees were released.

    “Our process is a very meticulous process and we have professionals whose duty is to examine these figures from the Nigeria stock Exchange year-in, year-out. The criteria for these processes are open source and that is why the award is well respected,” Orekoya said.

     

  • SEC, NSE, others for PEARL Awards

    The 2018 PEARL Awards will provide opportunities for capital market regulators and other key players in the economy to further interact on many developmental issues facing the capital market and the economy.

    Organisers of the Awards have confirmed that the event would be graced by the Acting Director-General, Securities & Exchange Commission, Ms. Mary Uduk, President, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Abimbola Ogunbanjo and elderstatesman, Ambassador Shehu Malami.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Solomon Olamilekan, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria as well as President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers of Nigeria, Mr. Ademola Adekoje, and President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Dr. Uche Olowu, will also be among guests of honour.

    The event will also host chairmen, chief executives and top officials of major players in the capital market, captains of commerce and industry, regulators, diplomats and top government functionaries.

    Chairman, PEARL Awards’ Board of Governors, Dr Faruk Umar, said the award in the past 20 editions has grown in relevance and has become a major barometer for measuring the pulse of the Nigerian capital market.

    He stressed that the board and secretariat of PEARL Awards are pleased with the confidence reposed in the PEARL Awards by major stakeholders of the capital market  over the past more than two decades of rewarding corporate excellence with fairness, objectivity and integrity.

    President, PEARL Awards Nigeria, Mr Tayo Orekoya, said the 2018 edition is a major morale booster for firms whose effort in the post-recession Nigeria has kept key market index inching upwards, in spite of market and economic challenges.

    “There is no better time and platform for the performing organisations to be rewarded for wading through the low moments of the Nigerian economy than now and at PEARL Awards,” Orekoya said.

     

  • PEARL Awards seeks stable market

    PEARL Awards Nigeria has called for concerted efforts by stakeholders to engender a stable, sustainable and growing capital market.

    President, PEARL Awards Nigeria, Mr Tayo Orekoya, at a news briefing in Lagos, said market stakeholders including operators, regulators and government must continue to strive towards market stability, sustainability and growth.

    He noted that the Nigerian capital market has recently been undergoing a most harrowing experience,  with sustained losses in share values, resulting in huge depletion of wealth to equity stakeholders.

    He pointed out that while recent losses were caused by variety of factors, all stakeholders must work together to address underlying weaknesses and promote the competitive advantages of the market.

    “Regulators in particular must intensify efforts towards engendering restoration of investors’ confidence in the market and deepening the market for enhanced development. As partner in progress to capital market regulators, our focus is to continue to promote healthy competitiveness, reward outstanding performance, thereby enhancing vibrancy of the market,” Orekoya said.

    He said an all-inclusive stakeholders’ approach would go a long way to compliment the efforts of the regulatory authorities towards returning the market to the desired path of sustainable growth and market development.

    He said the PEARL Awards Nigeria has shortlisted some 90 companies for consideration for the 2018 awards for outstanding companies and individuals in the Nigerian capital market.

    According to him, the 23-year-old award programme is part of the group’s contribution to the growth of the Nigerian capital market and it has since inception been guided by the principles of fairness, transparency and objectivity in its selection process while its scientific approach in determining nominee companies remains unassailable.

    “We are not unaware of the huge responsibility placed on our shoulders as a result of the reliability on our sense of judgment by investors and shareholders alike, but are determined to continue to play our part with every sense of fairness, objectivity and equity,” Orekoya said.

    He noted that the theme for the 2018 edition:”Sustaining the Winning Edge”, is in realisation of the need to recognise and reward companies, which in spite of the challenges in the operating environment, local and international, have continued on the winning edge, outperforming others and emerging leaders deserving of honour in the capital market.

    For the 2018 PEARL Awards, recognitions, honours and awards shall be in three main categories, including main competitive awards category, which consists sectoral leadership awards, market excellence awards and overall highest award; honorary awards category, which consists PEARL chief executive officer of the year award, outstanding honorary award for capital market development, capital market journalist of the year award and media award for capital market reporting; and the special recognition awards category, which include issuing house of the year award, stockbroking firm of the year award and good corporate governance award.

     

     

    The awards in the main competitive awards category were determined utilizing nine performance indices namely turnover growth; return on equity; earnings yield; share price appreciation; dividend cover; dividend yield; net asset ratio; dividend growth and profit margin ratio.

    In order to ensure fairness, objectivity and authenticity in its assessment, the research and collation sub-committee, sourced the required data from the annual reports of quoted companies duly filed with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Stock Exchange Daily Official lists for the year under consideration. The report of the research & collation sub-committee was reviewed, verified and thereafter endorsed by the board’s technical committee, which subsequently presented it to the full board for consideration and approval.

    The winning company for each of the awards for which the nominees are listed would be announced at the 2018 Awards Nite, which is scheduled to hold next month in Lagos. Also, the nominees as well as winner of the overall highest award (The PEARL) for this year would be announced at the Awards Nite.

     

  • PEARL appoints Malami Patron, Umar Chairman

    Ambassador Shehu Malami has been appointed Patron of PEARL Awards Nigeria, as Dr. Farouk Umar, President, Association for Advancement of Right of Nigerian Shareholders, has emerged the new Chairman of the Awards Board of Governors.

    The investiture ceremony of Ambassador Malami, former Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, first Chairman of Union Bank, one of the founders of EcoBank , former Chairman, Costain  and PZ Cussons, and Alhaji Umar, former Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, and immediate Past Chairman of the Awards Board, as patrons held in Lagos recently.

    PEARL Awards Nigeria, reputed for rewarding companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange for operational excellence and outstanding performance, at the same event inaugurated its new Board of Governors with Alhaji Umar as the new Chairman of the Awards Board of Governors.

    The newly inaugurated board comprises top flight professionals, corporate and capital market experts, including Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa, past D-G and past Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission; Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, past Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group; Chief (Mrs) Nike Akande, immediate past President, LCCI; Mr. Olufemi Awoyemi, Founder/CEO, Proshare Nigeria Limited;  Prince Abimbola Olashore, Founder/CEO, Lead Advisory Group and Mrs. Oluwatoyin Sanni, CEO, Emerging Africa Capital Group.

    Other members of the board are Mr. Wole Adetunji, past D-G, Securities and Exchange Commission; Dr. Biodun Adedipe, Chief Consultant, Biodun Adedipe and Associates; Chief (Mrs.) Eniola Fadayomi, past President, Institute of Directors; Mrs Lola Oyebadejo, past President, Institute of Capital Market Registrars; Mr. Tayo Orekoya, President/CEO, PEARL Awards Nigeria  and Mr. Lekan Adekoya, Board Secretary.

    According to the President/CEO, PEARL Awards Nigeria, Mr. Tayo Orekoya, the reconstitution of the board was necessary to inject freshness and newness of ideas into the awards project in line with global best practices.

    The PEARL Awards instituted in 1995 is billed to hold this year’s Awards Nite at Eko Hotel and Suites on Sunday, November 25.

     

  • 64 companies compete for PEARL Awards

    The Board of Governors of PEARL Awards Nigeria has approved the preliminary qualification and nomination of about 64 companies to compete in the various categories of the highly regarded awards.

    The research & collation committee of the Awards Central Working Committee had conducted wide-ranging analysis of performance of quoted companies based on audited report and accounts presented to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The Technical Committee of the Board thereafter reviewed the report of the research and collation committee and forwarded its review for consideration and approval of the Board of Governors.

    President, PEARL Awards Nigeria, Mr. Tayo Orekoya, said the PEARL Awards occupies a unique position in the capital market as the Awards that identifies and rewards quoted companies based on empirical data, a uniqueness that earned the Awards the endorsement of the apex capital market regulatory authority, the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2003.

    He outlined that the Awards was re-classified into three main categories to broaden its scope and recognise the contributions of other stakeholders to the capital market.

    The categories of the Awards include the main competitive awards category, which recognises sectoral leadership, market excellence and overall highest performing company. The honorary awards category recognises PEARL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Year, special recognition award for capital market development, capital market journalist of the year and media award for capital market reporting. The third category-the special recognition awards category, recognises NASD Traded Security of the Year, NASD participating institution of the year, issuing house of the year, stockbroking firm of the year and good corporate governance award.

    Companies that have been nominated for the awards include Livestock Feeds Plc, Okomu Oil Palm Plc, Presco Plc, UAC of Nigeria Plc, Chellarams Plc, John Holt Plc, Chams Plc, Computer Warehouse Group Plc, E-Transact International Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc, International Breweries Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Nascon Allied Industries,  PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Nigeria Enamelware Co. Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa, NEM Insurance Plc, AIICO Insurance Plc, Unity Kapital Assurance Plc, Africa Prudential, FCMB Group Plc, United Capital Plc, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria, Neimeth International Pharmaceutical  Plc, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc, Dangote Cement Plc and CAP Plc among others.

    “Since inception and to date, we have been guided by the principles of fairness, transparency and objectivity in our selection process while our scientific approach in determining nominee companies remains impeccable. We are not unaware of the huge responsibility placed on our shoulders as a result of the reliability on our sense of judgment by investors and shareholders alike, but are determined to continue to play our part with every sense of fairness, objectivity and equity,” Orekoya said.

    He noted that as Nigerian capital market continues to strive towards market stability and growth and regulators continue to work towards restoration of investors’ confidence in the market, PEARL Awards would continue to focus on engendering healthy rivalry, rewarding outstanding performance, thereby enhancing vibrancy of the market.

  • Africa Prudential Registrars wins PEARL Awards

    Africa Prudential Registrars (APR) Plc received double honour as it won Best Profit Margin Ratio and Best Corporate Governance awards at 20th Pearl Awards Dinner in Lagos.

    In the market excellence category, APR Plc won the award for Best Profit Margin Ratio, beating every other listed company in Nigeria. In 2014, it led the entire group of listed companies by profit margin with a distance at 54 per cent, the closest rival being 40.7 per cent.

    APR also won the Best Corporate Governance in the Special Recognition category, making her awards two on the night. Other nominees in this category were Total Nigeria Plc and Custodian and Allied Plc.

    Managing director, Africa Prudential Registrars (APR), Mr. Peter Ashade, said the company would continue to strive to improve on its performance year-on-year, particularly when it comes to ability to convert revenue into profit.

    Chairman, Africa Prudential Registrars (APR) Plc, Chief Eniola Fadayomi noted that the “Best Corporate Governance Award” highlighted that the board and management of the company have been working in harmony.

    She assured stakeholders that the company will continue to protect their interests, while ensuring international best practices in corporate governance.

    Organisers of the Pearl Awards noted that it was established to reward corporate excellence and  thereby challenge and spur quoted companies to explore innovative and competitive approaches towards achieving outstanding performance and growth. Therefore, nominees and eventual winners were selected through a verifiable and objective award selection process.