Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, his Osun State counterpart, Senator Ademola Adeleke, Chief Executive Officer of Chapel Hill Denham, Mr. Bolaji Balogun, Founder and CEO of Northwest Petroleum & Gas Company Limited, Mrs. Winifred Akpani, and the First Lady of Kwara State, Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaq, have emerged winners of the 2024/2025 Zik Prize in Leadership Awards.
In a statement, the Head of the Selection Committee of the Advisory Board of the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC), Professor Pat Utomi, said the recipients were chosen in recognition of their outstanding achievements in governance, entrepreneurship, professional excellence, and humanitarian service across Nigeria and the African continent.
According to the statement, Governor Mbah was honoured under the Zik Prize in Good Governance category for his “visionary policies transforming Enugu from a civil service enclave into a thriving centre of innovation and prosperity with a $30 billion GDP target by 2031.”
Also honoured in the same category is Governor Adeleke, who was recognised for his “transparent, people-centric policies” that have “ignited inclusive prosperity and democratic vitality” in Osun State.
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Mr. Bolaji Balogun was named winner of the Zik Prize in Professional Leadership for his role in driving Nigeria’s economic transformation through his expertise in investment banking and telecommunications.
Mrs. Winifred Akpani, CEO of Northwest Petroleum & Gas Company Limited, received the Zik Prize in Entrepreneurial Leadership for harnessing enterprise to promote economic empowerment, integrity, and national resilience.
The First Lady of Kwara State, Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaq, was recognised with the Zik Prize in Humanitarian Leadership for her lifelong dedication to empowering the marginalized through health advocacy, gender equality, and poverty alleviation initiatives.
Established in 1995 to honour the legacy of Nigeria’s first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Zik Prize celebrates exemplary leadership across Africa and its diaspora. Over the past three decades, it has recognised notable figures such as President Jerry Rawlings, President Julius Nyerere, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, President Sam Nujoma, Dr. Nelson Mandela, Prof. Dora Akunyili, and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.
Prof. Utomi noted that the 2024/2025 honorees exemplify the ideals of visionary leadership, ethical governance, and societal transformation espoused by Dr. Azikiwe. He also paid tribute to the late Chairman of PPRAC, Professor Jubril Aminu, who passed away in June 2025.
The formal presentation ceremony of the 2024/2025 Zik Prize Awards will take place on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
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