Champion Newspaper’s 2023 awards night brims with elegance, shows Nigerian society at its best

ARINZE NWAFOR, Lagos

From Captain Chris Najomo and Barrister Fatima Abdu’s warm “I-dedicate-this-award-to-my-mother” moments to Oliver Alawuba’s heartfelt thank-yous to the winning energy of the PWAN group, the Champion Newspaper’s 2023 awards night brimmed with elegance and showed Nigerian society at its best.

On Saturday, the management and staff of Champion Newspapers awarded 43 citizens and institutions with awards covering politics and industry, public service and private philanthropy.

Guests entering the Eko Hotels Convention Centre are greeted by a bright red carpet and imposing visages of the award winners in adjoining blocks plastered on both sides of the walls.

The outer red beam matching the hue of the Champion Newspapers armorial bearing transitions to a gold-shimmer inside the Convention Centre draped in Black and White and brightly lit.

It is an almost intimate setting save for the rectangular stage with a black floor, a broad screen and a backdrop lined with light strips. But all of this only serves to compliment the black and white motif that continues with the black seats and white roundtables for the guests.

The Champion Newspapers’ General Managing Director (GMD) and Editor-in-Chief, Dr Nwadiuto Iheakanwa, dressed in an all-black sequin evening gown, enters to give her opening address.

Nwadiuto says the award event is “structured to serve as a tonic to the efforts, dedication and tenacity of purpose of persons, institutions and organisations who have over the years consciously made sacrifices in advancing the fortunes of the Nigerian nation and her people.”

She says the awardees are the calibre of people and institutions that Nigeria needs to “get better and bigger” and in the same breath, calls on the political class to reconsider the issue of a single term of five years to enable elected public servants to focus on governance instead of seeking re-election.

The Champion Newspapers’ GMD speech is received by the audience which features award winners, high-ranking members of the Nigerian civil service, journalists, politicians, corporate businessmen, royalty and other dignitaries.

The chairman of the award ceremony, Mohamed Buba Marwa takes the stage and speaks on the drug scourge facing Nigerians.

Marwa, who currently serves as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Chairman makes a passionate plea to the guests about the need to collaborate to end the movement of illicit drugs which he linked to terrorism in the country.

Marwa said, “Parents need to set an example for their children. We need to recover Nigeria from the drug scourge. The NDLEA is ready to help and you can reach it through the helpline for psychotherapy.”

Following Marwa’s speech, the audience soon lights up to a pleasant sight: a dance troupe named Afrique Image Concept, dressed in Southern Africa’s Indlamu garb and dancing to some Nigerian Afrobeats.

The award-giving begin in earnest after the chairman’s speech and cultural presentation with the Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno winning the Face of Democracy award.

A few award winners in the night include Tonye Cole who ascribed his win of the National Peace Ambassador award as a welcome recognition of his role towards peaceful elections in Rivers State.

The Chairman/ CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa received the Excellence in Service Award. She encouraged Nigerians not to be in a hurry to leave the country.

“Please do not japa. Nigeria is a great place,” the NIDCOM CEO said.

Captain Najomo, the Acting Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), received the Aviation Pillar of the Year award and he dedicated the award to his mother.

The warmth of Captain Najomo’s dedication to his mother was increased by Barrister Abdu, the founder of the Heeba Foundation, who received the Heart of Gold award and dedicated it to the late Eudora Iwuanyanwu, the mother of the Champion Newspapers GMD.

Abdu referred to the late Eudora Iwuanyanwu as her adopted mother, called herself “a product of love” and dedicated the award to the victims of the war in Gaza.

The United Bank for Africa CEO, Oliver Alawuba was met with rousing applause from the audience as he received the Man of the Year award.

Alawuba, dressed in a black tuxedo, received the award with his wife Professor Nkeiruka Oly-Alawuba, who complimented him with a simple red gown. The Alawuba’s fashion statement crowned the dazzling outfits of the other guests.

Alawuba dedicated the Man of the Year award to customers of UBA and thanked the staff and the board chairman, Tony Elumelu.

Other defining moments from the awards night include when Dr Aisha Achimugu received the Philanthropist of the Year award as major female dignitaries accompanied her and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) group recognition.

The TETFUND group graced the stage with an array of civil servants dressed in crisp Agbada and beaming with smiles as they pledged to dedicate themselves more to serving the nation.

The Property World Africa Network (PWAN) group chairman Dr Augustine Onwumere and his wife, Dr Jayne received the Most Outstanding Real Estate Company of the Year award with an inspiring speech celebrating their group’s workforce.

A memorable moment on the political front was when Dr Yunusa Tanko delivered a speech thanking the supporters of Peter Obi, who received the award of the Most Impactful Politician of the Year for supporting the latter’s presidential run in the 2023 general election.

The Champion Newspapers 2023 also had the CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema and the former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke in attendance.