Get Guardian on GooglePresident Bola Tinubu has bagged the Lifetime African Achievement award from the Millennium Excellence Foundation based in Ghana.
Tinubu, while receiving the award, commended the patron of the Foundation, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, for the invitation extended to him and the success of the event put together by the Foundation.
The president, represented by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, received the award as special guest of honour during the 25th anniversary of the Millennium Excellence Prize in Kumasi, Ghana.
Tinubu said, “I salute the visionaries who have nurtured this institution for a quarter of a century and also celebrate the values of honour, integrity, service, and excellence that underpin its work.
“Specifically, the organisers for identifying and celebrating Africa’s shining lights, individuals whose lives and work had lifted the continent and inspired generations.
“It is no small achievement to have honoured such illustrious figures as the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Prof. Wole Soyinka, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Dr. Mo Ibrahim, among others.”
He charged the young generation of Africans to rise with courage towards contributing their quota in making the African continent a more united, peaceful, and prosperous one.
He emphasised the need for such contributions to be carried out in the areas of science, technology, education, governance, entrepreneurship, and the arts.
He further called on Africans to always work closely together in shaping their shared destiny, while urging the event organisers to continue to inspire excellence, uphold values of leadership with service, and invest in the youth to foster collaboration across borders.
“The award ceremony had, from its inception in 1988, remained a beacon of inspiration and recognition across the continent,” he said.
“Its mission of identifying, celebrating, and supporting those who had distinguished themselves in the pursuit of African development resonated deeply with the aspirations of Nigeria and indeed, all African nations.”
The event featured the presentation of the Lifetime African Achievement Prize to Tinubu and the global intra-African trade excellence in Africa to the President/Chairman of the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM), Dr. Benedict Oramah.
Also, Akwa Ibom State Governor Pastor Umo Eno received the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize for Governance and Public Service; the Founder/Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji AbdulSamad Rabiu, received the African Excellence in Business award; and Mr. Dumo Lulu-Briggs received the African Traditional Leadership and Business Excellence award.
