Recognizing Excellence: Federal Government Announces 2023 National Award Recipients

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the recipients of the prestigious 2023 national awards.

This esteemed recognition acknowledges the exceptional contributions and achievements of individuals from various fields.

Emeka Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth Secretary-General, stands as the sole recipient of the esteemed Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) award. This recognition highlights his outstanding leadership and immense national and international diplomacy contributions.

The talents of Davido, Tiwa Savage, Charles Okpaleke, Kunle Afolayan, and Augustine “Jay Jay” Okocha will be honoured with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) award. Their significant achievements in music, film production, and sports have brought immense pride to Nigeria on the global stage.

AY Makun, the renowned comedian, and Victor Osimhen, the talented footballer, will both receive the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) award. Their contributions to the entertainment industry and sports have garnered admiration and inspired countless individuals.

The list of awardees also recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of women business leaders. Dr Awele Elumelu, Chairperson of Avon Medical Practice Limited, will be honored with the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) award. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD CEO of Fidelity Bank, and Dr Owen Omogiafo, President and Group CEO of Transcorp Nigeria, will both receive the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) award. Their exemplary leadership and contributions to the business sector have set a commendable benchmark for aspiring professionals.

The full list of national award recipients below showcases the diversity of talent and dedication present within Nigeria. These individuals have demonstrated exceptional skills, resilience, and a commitment to making a positive impact in their respective fields. Their recognition is a testament to their unwavering pursuit of excellence and their invaluable contributions to the nation’s growth and development.

GRAND COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE NIGER (GCON)

1. 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