To be globally competitive, founder of The SERAS Africa Sustainability Awards, Ken Egbas, has stressed the need for African brands to innovate, leverage inclusion and sustainability. In his welcome address at the 19th edition of the award held in Lagos recently, Egbas noted, “we must connect growth to inclusion, profit to purpose, ambition to equity.”
Specifically, he highlighted evolution of the awards over nearly two decades, noting their ascent to becoming the gold standard for sustainability recognition in Africa and a benchmark for organizations worldwide.
NNPC Foundation dominated the night, emerging as Overall Winner and reaffirming its leadership in social investment across Africa. The foundation clinched three major awards: Best in Poverty Reduction, Best in Stakeholder Management, and Best Organisation in Decent Work and Economic Growth, cementing its position as a trailblazer in national development and community resilience.
Zenith Bank Plc emerged Best in Reporting/Transparency and Best in Gender Equality & Women Empowerment.
The bank’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Dame Adaora Umeoji, also carted home the coveted CEO of the Year Award, recognising her groundbreaking leadership in sustainable finance and inclusive transformation. She clinched this award from a pool of CEOs representing the 325 organisations that participated in the 2025 edition.
The Bank of Industry (BOI) also won Best in Infrastructure Development and Best in Financial Inclusion, underscoring its strategic role in strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base and expanding access to finance for underserved communities.
The ceremony further spotlighted a diverse range of top-performing organizations — including Opay, IHS Towers, Airtel, Union Bank Plc, TotalEnergies, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Shell, Seplat, Nigerian Bottling Company, Rite Foods, Stanbic IBTC, NASCO Allied, Building Practice, Lagos Free Zone, Lafarge Africa, News Central, and Integrated Indigo — each recognised for exemplary contributions to sustainability, innovation, and community impact.
On the individual honours platform, celebrated Nollywood star Stephanie Linus received the African Outstanding Achievement Award in Gender Equality/Women Empowerment for her groundbreaking advocacy and creative influence through her internationally acclaimed movie that touched on the challenges of early girl-child marriages. Dr. Emmanuella Arukwe, CEO of NNPC Foundation, was named African Sustainability Professional of the Year, while Nzan Ogbe was honoured as African Sustainability Man of the Year for his transformative contributions to clean energy manufacturing..
