20 Game Changers Bag THISDAY 20th Anniversary (Photos)

Twenty distinguished personalities who, in their own small steps and in their own corners, have altered the landscape and made remarkably positive impacts will be conferred with Game Changer Awards at THISDAY 20th Anniversary and Annual Awards for Excellence and Good Governance.

The 20 personalities were shortlisted by THISDAY Board of Editors last Thursday and they are made up of a new generation of leaders who have emerged in business, politics and across all areas in the past 20 years - a period that witnessed the tortuous transition from military era to democratic dispensation.

The 20th edition of the Awards for Excellence and Good Governance to mark THISDAY's 20 years of robust and innovative journalism, has as its theme: ‘Conversations on Security’, and will hold on Saturday, September 5 in Lagos.

Of the 20 new generation leaders to be conferred with the game changer awards, five are women, including a posthumous award for Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, a Nigerian physician, who died following her gallant effort to prevent the spread of Ebola in the country by braving the odds and placing a Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, an Ebola patient, in quarantine in her hospital.

The distinguished personalities that would be honoured are business tycoon and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, businessman with vast interests in telecommunication and oil and gas, Dr. Mike Adenuga, former banker and founder of FATE foundation, Mr. Fola Adeola, university lecturer and immediate past electoral commission chair, Prof. Attahiru Jega, businessman and chairman of Zenith Bank Group, Jim Ovia, and pioneer of IT solutions in West Africa/ chairperson of Zinox Technologies Limited, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh.

Others are former bank CEOs, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Hakeem Belo-Osagie, Tony Elumelu and Atedo Peterside.

Also to receive the game changer awards are owner of Gatwick Airport, London, Mr. Adebayo Ogunlesi, Special Adviser to United Nations secretary general, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, Survivor of the Boko Haram bombing of UN building in Abuja and campaigner for the less privileged, Ms. Member Feese, and chairman/CEO of Stallion Group, Sunil Vaswani.

Others are popular blogger, Linda Ikeji, former anti-corruption czar, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, businessman with vast interest in automobile sales and real estate, Tunde Ayeni, former investment banker and executive of Google Africa, Sim Shagaya, and prominent event manager, Yewande Zaccheaus.

THISDAY Board of Editors had earlier announced the names of 20 prominent Nigerians to be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Awards. Those to be honoured with the awards include: Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe; former Secretary for Health and foremost pharmacist and lawyer, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi; war time hero and frontline pro-democracy advocate, Lt.-General Alani Akinrinade (rtd); and tax practitioner and politician, Senator Ayo Akinyelure.

Other lifetime achievers are former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ahmadu Ibrahim Coomasie; former Minister of Tourism, Chief Tonye Graham-Douglas; businessman extraordinaire, Sir Alex Duduyemi, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday; and former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki.

Former Minister of External Affairs, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari will also be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award along with the Emir of Zaria, His Royal Highnesses Alhaji Shehu Idris, insurance guru, Professor Joe Irukwu, and former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Chief Kola Jamodu.

Former Lagos State Governor, Commodore Ndubuisi Kanu; former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice I. L. Kutigi; former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh; first female Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mariam Muktar, and one of her predecessors, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapha, were also shortlisted by the THISDAY Editorial Board for the lifetime award.

Others include newspaper veteran, Mr. Henry Odukomaiya, boardroom guru, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, and retired banker and former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Chief Joseph Sanusi.

Also at the 20th anniversary and annual awards, THISDAY will honour its staff who have spent 20 years with the company and distinguished alumni of the organisation.

The annual awards were initially slated for February but shifted due to the general election held early in the year. The annual awards and celebration of 20 years of innovative journalism promises to bring together Nigerian and global leaders of note who will engage in thought-provoking discussions on national issues. Awards