The Federal Government (FG) has nominated a number of prominent Nigerians, including Aliko Dangote, Leo Stan Ekeh, Tony Elumelu, Oba Otudeko, and 21 others for the prestigious National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award.

This was disclosed in a letter signed by Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and communicated to all prospective recipients.

The letter dated November 18th, 2019, noted that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the conferment of the National Productivity Order of Merit award on the shortlisted recipients. It added that this is in recognition of their high productivity, hard work and excellence.

Furthermore, the awardees will be conferred with the National Productivity Order of Merit award at a high-profile ceremony scheduled for the NAF Conference Centre and Suites, Kado, Abuja. The event, which is expected to be chaired by President Buhari, will hold on Thursday, November 28, from 9am.

The National Productivity Order of Merit Award is an award of honour and dignity instituted by the Federal Government to recognise hard work and excellence among deserving Nigerians.

Dangote, Africa’s richest man and Chairman of the Dangote Group, has built a business empire that has accommodated major investments in real estate, banking, transport, textiles, oil, and gas. The company employs more than 11,000 people and is the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa.

Ekeh, a serial digital entrepreneur, can best be described as Africa’s technology guru. He has remained in the forefront of the democratisation of technology in Nigeria and beyond for the past three decades.

Indeed, his story is one of many firsts and a series of landmark achievements in his chosen field of Information and Communications Technology.

The Zinox Group Chairman holds the Nigerian national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). Furthermore, he was honoured as an Icon of Hope by former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on the occasion of Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary on October 1st 2001 for his sustained pioneering efforts in the area of Information Technology and also as a pride to modern Nigeria.

Another awardee, Elumelu, is one of the most recognised names in Corporate Nigeria. The economist, entrepreneur and philanthropist is the chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa, Transcorp and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation. Elumelu holds the Nigerian national honours, the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2003.

Renowned businessman Oba Otudeko is the founder and chairman of the Honeywell Group. He also serves as chair of FBN Holdings and founder of the Oba Otudeko Foundation

Other Nigerians on the shortlist for the National Productivity Order of Merit award include the Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun, and the Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, among others.

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