Category: Leadership & Diplomacy

Two journalists with Nigerian heritage; Adeshina Emmanuel and Ese Olumhense have received the prestigious Ida B. Wells Fellowship in investigative journalism

Pearlena Igbokwe has been named the President of Universal Television, a subsidiary of National Broadcasting Cable (NBC), Universal Television Group

Mohammed Barkindo has emerged as the new Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

OPEC said in a communique after its 169th Meeting  held in Vienna, Austria, stated:

“The Conference decided to appoint Mr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, from Nigeria, as Secretary General of the Organization, with effect from 1st August 2016, for a period of three years.”

Mohammed Barkindo, who was a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from 2009-2010, replaces Libya’s Abdalla El-Badri, who has completed his tenure.

A Nigerian lawyer, Dr. Uchenna Emelonye has been decorated with the Outstanding Career Achievement award of the Central European University, (CEU).

CEU is a post graduate institution in Budapest Hungary, funded by George Soros and dedicated to promoting open societies worldwide.

As part of the celebration of its 25th Anniversary, CEU held the Alumni Impact Award on May 7, 2016 to showcase and salute those alumni whose actions have helped to bolster its overall mission and enhance its international reputation.

The award was vested on 25 recipients selected from among more than 13,000 fellow alumni all doing impressive things around the world.

Uchenna Emelonye graduated from the CEU Legal Studies Department in 2004 with an LL.M in Human Rights Law. He is presently the Country Representative of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Uganda. Prior to this position, he was the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the United Nations Africa Headquarters in Kenya; Head, Governance, Institutional and Justice Reform Division of the international Development Law Organisation Rome, Italy; Judicial Affairs Officer of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur Sudan.

Uchenna Emelonye was also a Human Rights Officer with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Pristina Kosovo, and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan; chief-of-Party of RCN Justice and Democratic, Brussels, Belgium; Rule of Law Coordinator of the International Rescue Committee, New York, USA and Executive Director of the Constitutional Rights Project Nigeria.

He holds a doctorate degree in Law (LL.D) from the University of Helsinki Finland; master’s degree in Human Rights Law (LL.M) from Central European University, Budapest Hungary; another master’s degree in law (LL.M) from Abia State University in Nigeria and a bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B) from Abia State University Nigeria. He was admitted a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1995.

Amongst numerous international peer review articles, Dr. Emelonye has authored and contributed chapters to 8 books in the area of human rights, rule of law, protection of civilians and good governance.

Professor of Biochemistry, Pollution Control and Biotechnology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Ikechukwu Onwurah has emerged President, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), Africa.

Professor Peter Onyekwere Ebigbo is elected to serve on the International Council for Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (IRCT) in Copenhagen from 2016 to 2019

Oba Otudeko, has emerged the Africa Chief Executive of the Year (2016).

Otudeko, who is the chairman of Honeywell Group, beat seven other finalists, including Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to clinch the coveted prize at a meeting of more than 800 chief executives across the continent held in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire.

Otudeko and Dangote were the only Nigerians listed among the eight top contenders for the coveted Africa CEO of The Year Award.

Four Nigerian firms – Seplat Petroleum, Dangote Group, Guaranty Trust Bank and Zenith Bank – were also on the list of finalists for prizes in the six-category award session of the yearly conference of the Africa CEO Forum. Other categories were African Company of the Year (where Nigeria’s Dangote Group and Seplat are listed), African Bank of the Year (with Zenith Bank among the eight finalists), Private Equity Investor of the Year, International Corporation of the Year and the Young CEO of the Year.

The six prizes were announced in the presence of Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina, the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The Forum rewards Africa’s best chief executive officers, companies, and investors whose strategies have contributed significantly to the economic growth of the continent.

Set up in partnership with the AfDB, the Africa CEO Forum is an event organised jointly by Groupe Jeune Afrique, publisher of Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report, and Rainbow Unlimited, a Swiss company specialising in organising economic promotion events.

The organisers of the yearly event yesterday said that Otudeko has, over the years, spurred economic growth in Africa by transforming the business landscape with legacy projects.

Founder and President of the Africa CEO Forum, Amir Ben Yahmed, while presenting the award to Otudeko, noted that the prize was conferred on him based on his achievements in the fields of development, governance, strategy, leadership, and financial performance across the operations of his conglomerate.

According to the organisers, Otudeko, in response expressed happiness at the recognition for his contributions to achieving a better Africa. ‘’I see the award as recognition of hard work, commitment and confidence in what is indeed African,” the Honeywell Group chair said, just as he encouraged African CEOs to continue working together to support the continent’s growth dynamics.

Otudeko’s Honeywell Group — which originally started operations as trading concern, importing and marketing baking yeast, stock fish, glass and steel rods, among others, was founded in 1972. The group of companies has now evolved into a diversified enterprise with businesses across major sectors of the Nigeria economy (foods and agro-allied, real estate, infrastructure, energy and services). Through additional portfolio investments, the Group is also a significant provider of capital to other sectors of Nigeria’s economy, including financial services, telecommunications, and security management.

Apart from the Honeywell Group, Otudeko also chairs the First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Holdings Plc. He was, at various times, Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria, FBN Bank (UK) Limited, Airtel Nigeria and Fan Milk of Nigeria Plc. He has also served on the boards of Central Bank of Nigeria (1990 – 1997), Guinness Nigeria Plc (1999 – 2003), British American Tobacco Ltd (2001 – 2004) and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, headquartered in the Togolese capital of Lome (2002 – 2010).

Oba Otudeko, a chartered banker and corporate secretary, was the 16th President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) between September 2006 and August 2009.

He holds the Nigerian National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), awarded him in 2011 by former President Goodluck Jonathan. He was Chancellor of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State from 2001 to 2010 and currently serves as a member of the Office of Distinguished Friends of the London Business School (UK).

Oba Otudeko also promotes the Oba Otudeko Foundation (OOF), a not-for-profit organisation, which he runs as pet project.