The Federal Government of Nigeria proudly unveiled the deserving recipients of the highly esteemed 2023 national awards. This annual tradition serves as a momentous occasion to recognize and honor exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions to the nation’s progress and upliftment.
Among the distinguished awardees are renowned personalities from various fields, ranging from politics to entertainment and business.
Let us delve into the extraordinary accomplishments of these remarkable individuals who have left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s landscape.
Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON): At the pinnacle of the prestigious awards list stands Emeka Anyaoku, a luminary revered for his remarkable tenure as the former Commonwealth Secretary-General.
Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON): Davido, Tiwa Savage, Charles Okpaleke, Kunle Afolayan, and Augustine “Jay Jay” Okocha are among the illustrious personalities who will be recognized with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) award. Their exceptional talent, hard work, and dedication have not only brought them immense success but have also elevated Nigeria’s cultural influence on the global stage.
Member of the Federal Republic (MFR): AY Makun, a celebrated comedian, and Victor Osimhen, a football sensation, will be bestowed with the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) award.
Leading Women Business Leaders: The list of national award recipients also features prominent women business leaders who have broken barriers and shattered glass ceilings in their respective industries. Dr. Awele Elumelu, the Chairperson of Avon Medical Practice Limited, will receive the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) award. Her remarkable accomplishments in the healthcare sector have significantly contributed to improving the quality of healthcare services in Nigeria.
Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, the MD CEO of Fidelity Bank, and Dr. Owen Omogiafo, the President and Group CEO of Transcorp Nigeria, will both be honored with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) award.
See the full list below:
GRAND COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE NIGER (GCON)
• CHIEF EMEKA ANYAOKU
COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC (CFR)
1 HON. JUSTICE CHIMA CENTUS NWEZE, JSC
2 HON. JUSTICES AMINA ADAMU AUGIE, JSC
3 HON. JUSTICE UWANI MUSA ABBA AJI, JSC
4 HON. JUSTICE JOHN INYANG OKORO, JSC
5 HON. JUSTICE LAWAL GARBA, JSC
6 HON. JUSTICE HELEN M. OGUNWUMIJU, JSC
7 HON. JUSTICE I.N. M. SAULAWA, JSC
8 HON. JUSTICE ADAMU JAURO, JSC
9 HON. JUSTICE TIJJANI ABUBAKAR, JSC
10 HON. JUSTICE EMMANUEL A. AGIM, JSC
11 MAJ GEN. SAMUEL A. ADEBAYO
12 GODWIN EMEFIELE
13 MOHAMMED BAKINDO (POSTHUMOUS)
14 MALLAM MAMMAN DAURA
15 CHIEF BISI AKANDE
16 HRM MATTHEW ALAJI OPALUWA OGUCHE AKPA
17 HRH MOHAMMED SANI HALIRU DANTORO KITORO 1V
18 HRH MOHAMMED HAMIM NUHU SANUSI
19 HIM OBA DR. SEN. OLALEKAN MOHOOD ISHOLA BALOGUN
20 CHIEF OLUSEGUN OSOBA
21 HERBERT ONYEWUMBU WIGWE
22 ENGR. OLUMIYIWA BERNARD ALIU
23 SEN. HADI ABUBAKAR SIRIKA
COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE NIGER (CON)
1. SUNDAY DARE
2. ENGR. SULEIMAN HUSSEIN ADAMU
3. SADIYA UMAR FAROUQ
4. MOHAMMED HASSAN ABDULLAHI
5. PROF ISA ALI IBRAHIM PANTAMI
6. SEN. GEORGE AKUME
7. DR. CHRIS NWABUEZE NGIGE
8. OGBENI RAUF ADESOJI AREGBESOLA
9. ARC. OLAMILEKAN ADEGBITE
10. DAME PAULLEN TALLEN
11. SEN. ADELEKE O. MAMORA
12. MU’AZU JAJI SAMBO
13. ENGR. ABUBAKAR D. ALIYU, FNSE
14. GODDY JEDY AGBA
15. FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN
16. ALHAJI KASHIM IMAM
17. ABDULLAHI UMAR GANDUJE
18. ABDULRAHMAN ABDULRAZAQ
19. ADEGBOYEGA ISIAKA OYETOLA
20. MOHAMMED BADARU ABUBAKAR
21. UDOM GABRIEL EMMANUEL
22. AHMADU UMARU FINTIRI
23. AUGUSTINE OYAREKHUA ALEGEH, SAN
24. SEN. OLUREMI TINUBU
25. SEN. MUHAMMAD ADAMU ALIERO
26. SEN. ALIYU MAGATAKARDA WAMAKKO
27. SEN. LADY LILIAN EKWUNIFE
28. SEN. HENRY SERIAKE DICKSON
29. SEN. ABU IBRAHIM
30. SEN. ENGR. IBRAHIM ABDULLAHI GOBIR
31. SEN. IBRAHIM GAIDAM
32. SEN. PHILIP TANIMU ADUDA
33. YAHAYA BELLO
34. HRM AGABA-IDU, ELAIGWU ODOGBO OBAGAJI JOHN
35. HRM OBA ALHAJI (DR.) HAMEED OYELUDE MAKAMA (TEGBOSUN III)
36. GEOFFREY ONYEAMA
37. SHARON IKEAZOR, ESQ
38. AMB. MARYAM KATAGUM
39. MUSTAPHA BABA SHEHURI
40. PRINCE CLEM IKANADE AGBA
41. RAMATU TIJJANI ALIYU
42. SEN. GBEMISOLA SARAKI
43. AMB. ZUBAIR DADA
44. EMMANUEL EMEFIENIM
45. HRM OLU ANTHONY BAMIGBAIYE IDOWU
46. SEN. BASHEER LADO MOHAMMED
47. BABAJIDE OLUSOLA SANWO-OLU
48. SEN. HOPE UZODINMA
49. MUHAMMAD INUWA YAHAYA
50. CHIEF (DR) LEEMON AGBONJAGWE IKPEA
51. SIR CHIEF PIUS OLUWOLE AKINYELURE
52. ALHAJI ADAMU HUSSAINI
53. UMANA OKON UMANA
54. ADEDAPO OLUSEUN ABIODUN
55. HRM OBA ABDULWASIU OMOGBOLAHAN LAWAL
56. HRM KING ADM. DR. GODDY IDAMINABO IDIKISIME-OLUNWA
57. SEN. ALI MODU SHERIFF
58. OLOROGUN DR. MOSES O. TAIGA
59. BABA IBRAHIM BUNU
60. CHIEF TAIWO AFOLABI
61. SEN. LEKAN MUSTAPHA
62. CHIEF ADENIYI OLASUNMADE MICHAEL AKINTOLA, SAN
63. CHIEF (DR) ANTHONY ALETOR
64. SEN. KABIR GARBA MARAFA
65. SEN. BABAFEMI OJUDU
66. SEN. ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR GUMEL
69. ABDULRASHEED BAWA
70. SEN. BABAJIDE OMOWORARE
71. ROTIMI JACOBS, SAN
72. HON. UMAR IBRAHIM EL-YAKUB
73. CHIEF STEVEN LAWANI
74. ROBERT EMMANUEL HAYES
75. SEN. JACK TILLEY-GYADO
OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC (OFR)
1 AVM ABUBAKAR ABDULLAHI
2 MRS. AISHAH N. AHMAD
3 EDWARD L. ADAMU
4 FOLASHODUN ADEBISI SHONUBI
5 DR. KINGSLEY OBIORA
6 ALHAJI UMAR ABDULLAHI
7 ENGR. AMUCHI GABRIEL OTUNYO CHUKUBEZE
8 CHIEF TERRY WAYA
9 AMAJU MELVIN PINNICK
10 BERNARD IYORLYAM HOM, SAN
11 SEN. NDA ISAIAH (POSTHUMOUS)
12 AVM JAMES GBUM (RTD)
13 H.E. GILBERT SASSINE
14 YA’U SHEHU DARAZO
15 CHIEF TIMI ALAIBE
16 ENEUKWU IKECHUKWU EMMANUEL JOSEPH
17 MAJ. GEN. KAMILU OLAYINKA KADIRI
18 HABEEB OKUNOLA
19 HH AMINU BABBA DAN’AGUNDI
20 MUSA HALILU-AHMED
21 DR. PINHEIRO OLUWAKEMI ADEKUNLE UTHMAN, SAN
22 ENGR. SYLVANUS GHASARAH
23 MU’AZU BAWA MOHAMMED
24 SULAIMAN MUHAMMAD ARGUNGU
25 ENGR. GBENGA OLU KOMOLAFE
26 CHIEF ISAAC SHAAHU
27 HON. JUSTICE R.C. AGBO, JCA
28 HON. JUSTICE J.O. BADA, JCA
29 HON. JUSTICE J.H.C SANKEY, JCA
30 HON. JUSTICE A.A.B. GUMEL, JCA
31 HON. JUSTICE H.S. TSAMANNI, JCA
32 HON. JUSTICE I.G. MBABA, JCA
33 HON. JUSTICE U.I. NDUKWE-ANYANWU, JCA
34 HON. JUSTICE H.S. IKYEGH, JCA
35 HON. JUSTICE O.O. DANIEL-KALIO, JCA
36 HON. JUSTICE M.I. SHUAIBU, JCA
37 MOHAMMED BELLO SHEHU
38 JUSTICE DANLADI UMAR
39 JUSTICE WILLIAM AGWADZA ATEDZE, PHD
40 ALHAJI NASIRU HALADU DANU
41 MAJ. GEN. M.S.A. ALIYU (RTD)
42 MAJ. GEN. CYRIL U. AGULANNA (RTD)
43 PROF MOHAMMED ISA
44 BARR. EMMANUEL OGALA, SAN
45 REAR ADMIRAL JAMILA ABBO MALAFA (RTD)
46 IYABO MASHA
47 MAJ. GEN. AK IBRAHIM
48 MAJ. GEN. GM MUTKUT
49 MAJ. GEN. AB OMOZOJE
50 MAJ. GEN. CG MUSA
51 AVM AO JOLASINMI
52 AVM IG LUBO
53 AVM TO YUSUF
54 AVM AG BELLO
55 R. ADM NA MUOGILIM
56 R. ADM SK IBRAHIM
57 R. ADM SS LASSA
58 R. ADM OE EYO
59 MAJ. GEN. BENSON AKINROLUYO (RTD)
60 CHARLES EKHOEUTOWMEN IDAHOSA
61 OLADIPO AIGBEDO OKPESEYI, SAN
62 SUNDAY IBRAHIM AMEH, SAN
63 ENGR. IBRAHIM ALI, FNSE
64 KEHINDE OLAMIDE OGUNWUMIJU, SAN
65 WINIFRED NWAUKPO AKPANI, FCA
66 HON. ADEKUNLE SONAME
67 WALE EDUN
68 CHIEF MADUBUKO CHINEDU BENSON
69 CHIEF DR. KENNETH U. IDIODI
70 CHIEF WILLIAM O. ADJEKUGHELE, FCA
71 DR. MRS. AWELE ELUMELU
72 AISHA SULAIMAN ACHIMUGU
73 DR. YEMI OGUNBIYI
74 PASTOR JOSEPH OLUSEYI MALOMO
75 ABDULWAHEED ABUBAKAR SULEIMAN
76 CAPT. PATRICK MUTAYANJLWA
77 AHMED KURU
OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF THE NIGER (OON)
1 MIRIAM OLUSANYA
2 NNEKA ONYEALI-IKPE
3 MOHAMMED JAMU YUSUF
4 DR. EKERE LOUIS ELOHO
5 DAVID ADELEKE (DAVIDO)
6 NEBOLISA O. ARAH
7 KUNLE AFOLAYAN
8 RT. HON. DICKSON TARKIGHIR
9 CHARLES OKPALEKE
10 HON. FARUK ADAMU ALIYU
11 GARBA SHEHU
12 AMB. YUSUF MAITAMA TUGGAR
13 JAMES SULE
14 MAURICE NNAMDI MBAERI
15 DAVID ADEJO ANDREW
16 IBIENE PATRICIA ROBERTS
17 TIJJANI IDRIS UMAR
18 WILLIAM NWANKWO ALO
19 DIDI ESTHER WALSON-JACK
20 OLUSEGUN ADEYEMI ADEKUNLE
21 FATIMA NANA MEDE
22 AMB. ABDULLAHI GWARY
23 ABUBAKAR MUSA
24 MARY EKPERE-ETA
25 LAOLU AKANDE
26 BAR. LADI JATO
27 AHMED RUFAI ZAKARI
28 MRS. MARYAM UWAIS
29 DR. NICHOLAS AUDIFFEREN
30 NZE CHIDI DURU
31 PROF MAY IFEOMA NWOYE
32 SEYI ADEKUNLE
33 ADEBOLA SHEIDU
34 AMB. JERRY SONNY UGOKWE, PHD
35 PROF FOLASADE TOLULOPE OGUNSOLA
36 SIR GODSON OLOGBO UKPEVO
37 OLUKAYODE ABRAHAM AJULO, ESQ.
38 CHIEF TONY CHUKWU
39 ALHAJI ALIYU ISMAILA NUMAN
40 HAJIA HALIMA BUBA
41 DR. BELLO MAIGARI
42 LANRE GBAJABIAMILA
43 SIR JOSEPH N. ARI
44 YUSUF MAINA-BUKAR, PHD
45 PROF AKIN ABAYOMI
46 ALHAJI ALIYU ISMAILA NUMAN
47 ALH. BASHIR IBRAHIM GWAMMAJA
48 BUARI CLEMENT OLURANTI
49 YUSUF YILA PHILIP
50 HASSAN BELLO
51 MAAGBE SAMUEL ADAA
52 ALH. KABIR MUHAMMAD MASHI
53 AUGUSTINE AZUKA (JAY JAY) OKOCHA
54 ENGR. ADOKIYE TOMBOMIEYE
55 OLUDARE AYODELE AKANDE, PHD
56 BASHIR IBRAHIM AL-MUSTAPHA
57 LINUS AWUTE, MNI
58 PROF UGBOAJA JOSEPH ODIRICHUKWU
59 HON. TEMITOPE ADEWALE
60 LADI AHMED JATTO, ESQ
61 MRS. DABNEY SHALLHOLMA
62 MRS. NKECHI OBI
63 TIWATOPE SAVAGE
64 MRS. LAJA ADEDOYIN
65 VICTOR IFIJEH
66 BAYO ONANUGA
67 DELE ALAKE
68 ENGR. AFOLABI SALAMI
69 PROF IBRAHIM ABUBAKAR
70 DR. SHUAIB M.L. BELGORE
71 JAFAR MUHAMMAD SHANONO
72 DR. MRS. FOLUKE ABDULRAZAQ
73 FR. PATRICK TOR ALUMUKU
74 RT. HON. YUSUF ADAMU GAGDI
75 DR. MRS. OWEN D. OMOGIAFO
76 HON. DR. ODIYOVWI OYOVWI OSUSU
77 HON. ABUBAKAR HASSAN NALARABA
78 IFEOMA ANAGBOGU
79 AIG AISHA ABUBAKAR
80 LUCY ZAIYOL ABAAGU ALUOR
81 COL. YUSUF DODO
82 PROF ARMAYA’U HAMISU BICHI
83 DR. NESTOR INIMGBA
84 PROF TIJJANI AHMED MORA
85 AMB. GONI MODU
MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC (MFR)
1 IDRIS AHMED KASIM, FSI
2 SHEHU USMAN BELLO
3 LT. COL. IA MANGA
4 AMB. MATHEW ADOLI
5 RICHARD AYODEJI MAKUN (AY)
6 ADEBISI ABIDEMI ADEBUTU
7 DR. JEFF NNAMANI
8 HON. FYNEMAN WILSON
9 ABDUL MUTALLAB MUKHTAR
10 DR. BABAGANA MOHAMMED AJI
11 JUSTICE MRS. TITI MABOGUNJE
12 HON. ZAKARY FUNSHO YUSUF
13 CHIEF NSIKAN INNOCENT UDOH
14 GODWIN TORITSEJU EBOSA
15 MR. ILLIYASU M.B. AGAKA
16 ENGR. DR. EMEM S. COFFIE
17 CHIEF HAA ORPIN
18 DR. MUKHTAR MUHAMMED
19 TOLA JOHNSON
20 AGWA TERWASE RICHARD
21 DR. JUMOKE ODUWOLE
22 MICHAEL ADEKUNLE OWOLABI
23 VICTOR JAMES OSIMHEN
24 DR. WOLE ABODERIN
25 ABDULLAHI BASHIR HASKE
26 NWAKUCHE SYLVESTER NDIDI, MNI
27 EJIKE C. UGBOAJA
28 ZAKARI-JIYA ALIYU
29 BABATUNDE AINA
30 ADAMU SAMBO
31 EMMANUEL ARIH
32 EMMANUEL AKPAKWU
33 DR. REGINALD CHIKA STANLEY
34 CHIEF DR. ERIC UMEOFIA
35 OLATUNBOSUN ARIYO
36 CHIEF (MRS) FUNMILAYO OLAJUMOKE FATOKUN
37 NUHU FULANI KWAJAFA
38 SIR ADEMOLA ADETULA
39 BAYO OMOBORIOWO
40 DR. AMOBI DANIEL NWOKAFOR, FCA
41 CHIEF EZE EMEKA EMMANUEL
42 ABUBAKAR SADIQ UMAR
43 GARBA MOHAMMED MUKHTAR
44 GEORGE ABANG EKPUNGU
45 AONDOAKAA EMMANUEL TERHEMEN, FCA
46 ENGR. SAMUEL FOLA CALEB
47 SANI LIMAN KILA
48 USMAN ISIAKA ALFRADARAI
49 TOLANI ALLI
50 DR. ALIYU IBRAHIM
51 ALHAJI ABUBAKAR YAKUBAU
MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF THE NIGER (MON)
1 CHIEF SURU OYAREDE
2 BARR. KEMELA OKARA
3 DR. USMAN BELLO
4 AKUTAH PIUS UKEYIMA
5 AMB. LAWRENCE OLOCHE EMMANUEL
6 SHEIKH ABDULKADIR JIMOH
7 BALA MOHAMMED
8 HON. EJIKE LUCKY CHUKWU
9 ADI JAMES VERNIMBE
10 ENGR. MICHAEL OJIMA FRIDAY
11 BARR. CLEMENT NWANKWO
12 PRINCE MUHAMMED KADEDE SULEIMAN
13 REV. FR. STEPHEN MAMZA
14 IYORSHE ORNGUDWEM
15 ABDULKARIM CHUKKOL, FWC
16 SHADRACH HARUNA
17 TOLU OGUNLESI
18 SUNDAY AGHAEZE
19 MRS. BUNMI ABIOLA MORGRIDGE
20 ADEBAYO OLUSANJO ODEJINMI
21 IBRAHIM GARBA MONITA
22 MICHAEL MSUAAN
23 APOSTLE DAVID ADEREMI BABALOLA
FEDERAL REPUBLIC MEDAL I (FRM I)
1 MRS. JUMOKE JANET AWODIGEDE
2 ALADE DORIS PAMELA
3 MOHAMMED HAKEEM ABIODUN