To Honour Kano Governor, Daniel, Obaigbena, Others

Still basking in the euphoria of the success and legacy recorded in its maiden edition held last year, the organisers of the Megastar Man of the Decade Awards has concluded plans to host the 2025 edition in a grand style.

For this edition, the prestigious ceremony, scheduled to hold on October 17, 2025, at The Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Abuja, promises to be a prestigious gathering of Nigeria’s most impactful leaders from politics, media, Sports, business, maritime, humanitarian, Fashion, oil and Gas sectors.

Leading the distinguished list of honorees are the Executive Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf; Senator Gbenga Daniel; media titan, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, and energy infrastructure pioneer, Alhaji Amin Ilyas.

For the Kano State Governor, Yusuf, who will be honored with “Champion of Education Transformation,” the organisers said he is being recognised for his transformation agenda in Kano State, which has become the cynosure of all eyes, especially in the area of education and social development.

On his part, Daniel, representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Ogun State will be recognised with the Legislative Excellence and Citizen Engagement Award for his outstanding representation and democratic leadership.

Also, the founder of ThisDay Newspaper and Arise TV, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena will receive the Lifetime Achievement in African Media Excellence Award, which they described as a testament to his transformative impact on the continent’s media landscape.

For Alhaji Amin Ilyas, the Chairman of Transoceanic Group and Cratos E&P, he will be honored with the Energy Infrastructure Innovator of the Decade Award for spearheading multi-billion-dollar projects, including a $3.5b Floating LNG solution and a $2.3b terminal infrastructure project.

They will be joined by other notable leaders being celebrated for their groundbreaking work. These include Adesuwa Okunbo-Rhodes, who will receive the Trailblazer in Private Equity Award; Dr. (Mrs) Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, honored with the African Woman of Impact Award; Seyi Adekunle popularly known as Seyi Vodi will be recognised as Fashion Luminary of the Decade and Esther Olorunfemi, CEO of Es-tree Afrocenter, will be presented with the Diaspora Fashion Excellence Award, among other honorees.

Speaking on the vision behind the awards, the Executive Producer of the Megastar Man of the Decade Awards, Dr. Adeniyi Ifetayo, said it is a pan-African mission. “Our vision extends beyond borders. We are dedicated to celebrating exceptional Africans who are doing extraordinary things, both within the continent and across the diaspora.

“This platform is about shining light on the transformative impact these leaders have had on their sectors and society as a whole, inspiring a new generation of innovation and excellence.

“It’s an award to reward excellence and consistency in the last decade and to unveil Megastar Media Communications commitment towards United Nations Sustainability Development Goals having donated school furniture and first Solar powered toilet facility to about 2,000 pupils and teachers at Junior Secondary School, Sagwari Dutse, Abuja.

While speaking on the criteria for the award, Ifetayo said: “We don’t just consider what they have done in the last one year, but we put into consideration what they have done in a decade – 10 years. We want to look at how they have been impacting communities over the years while in the office either public or private; those are the physical things we looked at.

“Also to people who are making positive impacts in the society that’s one of the criteria we used. They are many but it’s only the few ones that we can reach and that we have their contacts that are being celebrated.

“For Daniel, he opened industrial park in Ogun State while he was the governor. Also, the agro airport that was commissioned few days ago was initiated by him during his tenure. So, those are the things that we looked at. Even, after leaving office as the governor, we still see his activities like job creation and others, adding values to the society. It is about what they have done in the last 10 years and how they are consistent about it.”

The organisers revealed that the awards will build on the legacy of the 2024 edition, which honored distinguished personalities such as Alhaji Aliko Dangote as Megastar Man of the Decade, Governor Abdullahi Sule for Governance Achievement in Industrialisation, and Chief Mike Adenuga as Private Sector Trailblazer of the Decade, among others.

The Chairman of the Megastar Awards Committee, Seunmanuel Faleye, detailed the rigorous selection process designed to ensure the highest integrity. “The integrity of our awards begins with the integrity of our nominees. Our committee employs a meticulous, multi-tiered vetting process to ensure every honoree is beyond reproach and truly deserving.

“We look for individuals whose contributions to national development are not only innovative but are also ethical and sustainable, building a legacy that will benefit future generations.”

Ifedayo said: “For this year, we decided to focus on sectors like governance, real estate, creative, fashion and oil and gas. We cannot exhaust the entire sectors in Nigeria at once, we decided to pick these sectors this year and next year we’ll look at other sectors.

“Like this year, we are looking at these sectors because they are the critical sectors. We are also looking at fashion, part of the creatives like Seyi Bovi who has been consistent, not just a decade but two decades; we want to say we appreciate you. Also, we’ll look at the area of philanthropist, not just because they are in government, there are so many people who have money but don’t know how to give. We just picked these sectors because we can’t exhaust all the sectors at a goal.”

Compared to other awards in the country, Ifedayo said the Megastar Man of the Decade Awards is distinct in the sense that it is not only meant to honour individuals or those “supporting us, but we use this as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). For the first time in the history of Abuja, I stand to be corrected; we donated the first solar powered toilet facility Junior Secondary School, Sagwari Dutse, Abuja. They have about 2000 pupils, but they only have only two toilets and the SDG 3 and 4 has to do with education and health in a conducive learning environment.

“One of the things that inspired me was the speech of the late American president – John F Kennedy’s inaugural address as US President, who said ‘don’t ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ It is all about giving back and how we can add to our country and society, that’s what the awards stand for, to give back while celebrating excellent leadership.”

This edition will also feature keynote address on critical national themes, with the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, billed to deliver an address titled: “From Citizens to Stakeholders: Cultivating a Culture of Collective Accountability.”

The event, which will be broadcast live on Channels TV, will be co-hosted by its anchor, Geffery Uzono and award-winning broadcaster Monique D’Vibe, with live coverage ensuring national and international reach through Channels TV’s extensive network.

The ceremony, bringing the celebration of Nigerian excellence to a global audience of statesmen, business leaders, innovators, and cultural icons, stands as Nigeria’s premier platform for recognising transformative leadership and continues to set the standard for excellence in national recognition programmes.

Grammy award winner, Eric Bellinger, according to the organisers, will grace the occasion with his scintillating performance having featured Tiwa Savage in his latest single titled Understood. Also there would be fashion show by award winning designer, Anjorin Babatunde, the CEO of Anjoreen couture, who has showcased at Washington DC Fashion Week and Ottawa Fashion Week in Canada among other notable international events.