The 2021 Blueprint Newspapers’ Annual Lecture and Impact Series/Awards will hold Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at the International Conference Centre Abuja.
The event would be chaired by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company, Malam Salisu Umar, said in a statement Sunday.
He said the 17th Chief of Army Staff and former Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, is expected to deliver the keynote address at the event.
The statement also said General Dambazau would speak on “2023 Politics, National Security and Nigeria’s Stability.”
The COO said the choice of the topic was informed by the need to contribute to the country’s political development and engender national cohesion.
Umar also said the event is dedicated to finding workable solutions to the challenges associated with elections, national security, peace and stability of the country.
The COO said the event “is also organised to honour key political actors, players in the private sector, individuals and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) among others, who have proved their worth in specific areas of governance and human endeavours.”
Awardees
Some of those listed for the awards at the event are Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state and Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state who were nominated as Blueprint’s Politicians of the Year.
Listed for Blueprint Governor the Year awards are Governors Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa state, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state.
Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Ms Amina Mohammed, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Mr Akinwumi Adesina and Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO) Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are billed to receive the Blueprint Global Brand Ambassador award.
Minister of Power Abubakar D. Aliyu is billed to receive Public Servant of the Year award, Minister Sports and Youth Development Sunday Dare would receive Blueprint Sport Icon of the Year while Chairman/CEO of National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) General Buba Marwa (retired) gets the Public Officer of the Year award.
Also listed for the honour are the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Lucky Irabor, former Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai (retired) and former Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar (retired) who would receive Blueprint Security Icons award.
Others are Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (Legislator of the Year), Senator Jibrin Barau (Legislator of the Year), Senator Ali Modu Sherrif (Lifetime Achievement Award), Alhaji Nasiru Danu (Entrepreneur of the Year), Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim (Female Politician of the Year), Emeka Oparah (Telecoms Brand Personality of the Year), Stephen Maduwa (Philanthropist of the Year), Engr Musa Nimrod (Sports Administrator of the Year), Alhaji Grema Aliyu (Foremost Civil Servant), Alhaji Bukar Hassan (Realtor of the Year), Ashafa Yusuf Ismaila (Hospitality Icon of the Tear), Bashiru Saidu Mohammed (Young Person of the Year), Blessing Oborududu (Sports Person of the Year), Sam Nda Isiah (Posthumous Award), Malam Wada Maida (Posthumous Award), Ismaila Isa Funtua (Posthumous Award), Zenith Bank (Bank of the Year), Galaxy Backbone (Government Agency of the Year), Kaduna Electric (DISCO of the Year), Rice Farmers Association (Association of the Year), Labana Rice (Product of the Year), Farmtrac Nigeria Limited (Indigenous Contractor of the Year), and Azman Air (Airline of the Year).
Yahaya Bello
Yahaya Adoza Bello is a Nigerian businessman and politician who has been the Governor pf Kogi state since 2016.
A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bello has been the youngest governor. Born in Okene, Kogi state, Bello studied accounting and business administration at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria before entering the workforce in the mid-2000s.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Mutawallen Sokoto, was born into the religious and aristocratic family of Wazirin Tambuwal on the 10th of January, 1966.
He started early education, like all Muslim children, at a very early age. He was then enrolled in Tambuwal Primary School in 1972.
Ms Mohammed
Ms Amina J. Mohammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.
Prior to her appointment, Ms Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she gave direction to the country’s efforts at engendering the right policies around climate-related issues as well as its efforts to protect the natural environment.
Okonjo-Iweala
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a global finance expert, an economist and international development professional with over 30 years of experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala was formerly Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Since its creation in 2000, Gavi has immunised 760 million children globally and saved thirteen million lives.
Adesina
Often described as “Africa’s Optimist-in-Chief”, African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina (1960) is widely lauded for his visionary leadership and passion for Africa’s transformation.
Formerly the Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister, Dr Adesina was first elected President of the African Development Bank Group on May 28, 2015. He was unanimously re-elected for a second five-year term on 27 August 2020.
Fintiri
Born in Gulak, Madagali local government area of Adamawa state in 1967, Rt. Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri began his education at the Central Primary School Gulak and later attended Government Day Secondary School also in Gulak.
Thereafter, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maiduguri and holds a post-graduate Diploma in Policy and Strategic studies also from the same university.
Fintiri, as he is fondly called, is an outstanding student and athlete throughout his boyhood and adolescent years.
Fayemi
Dr Fayemi was Minister of Mines and Steel Development (2015–2018) under the Buhari-led APC administration. He had the mandate of the president to reposition the Nigeria’s mining sector to contribute optimally to the administration’s priority agendas of diversifying the country’s revenue base and creating jobs and economic opportunities for Nigerians.
AbdulRazaq
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, born February 5, 1960, is the governor of Kwara state in central Nigeria or the Middle Belt.
Before joining active politics, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was a successful businessman and philanthropist with a special focus on the poorest of the poor and persons living with disabilities.
Irabor
General Lucky Irabor was born on October 5, 1965. He is from Ika South of Delta state and a member of Regular Course 34 of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
The top military officer was the immediate Chief of Training and Operations, Defence Headquarters, a position he took over from the erstwhile Commander, Major General AA Tarfa.
Abubakar
Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar was born on April 8, 1960 at Azare in Bauchi state, Nigeria. He joined the Nigerian Air Force as a member of the Cadet Military Training Course (CMTC 5) in November 1979 and was commissioned pilot officer May 15, 1982. He progressed steadily through the ranks and was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal August 13, 2015.
As the NAF Chief, Abubakar was very visible in the aerial onslaught against the insurgents.
He was the 20th Chief of Air Staff who served from 2015 to 26th of January 2021 and currently the face of Nigeria in the Chad Republic where he is currently serving the country as its Ambassador.
Buratai
Tukur Yusuf Buratai retired as a Lieutenant General after serving a fulfilling tenure as the Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria, following his appointment by President Buhari in July 2015.
He was commissioned in 1983 and has had multiple command, administrative, and instructional appointments.
A thoroughbred soldier, Buratai showed leadership by example during his stint as the COAS, as he inspired confidence in the troops during the insurgency war. And for doing a good job, he was rewarded with more job by President Buhari who appointed him as the Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic.
Aliyu
Abubakar D. Aliyu, currently the minister in charge of power, is an accomplished engineer, fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and a member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
Engr. Aliyu is a public servant par excellence with a long unblemished record of service. He was deputy governor of Yobe state for an uninterrupted and rancour-free period of 10 years loaded with achievements.
Marwa
Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), OFR, is a thoroughbred soldier known for meritorious service and a distinguished career in the Nigeria Army.
Renowned as an administrator par excellence, he was also a diplomat, author of seminal books and an accomplished entrepreneur.
Dare
Born on the 29th day of May 1966, Chief Sunday Akin Dare (Agbaakin of Ogbomosoland) is a veteran journalist and currently the Minister of Youth and Sports Development. He was formerly the Executive Commissioner,
Stakeholder Management, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Wamakko
Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko is a ranking Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has been in government and political circles for over five decades now.
Wamakko was born on March 1, 1953 in Wamakko, Sokoto state. He spent five years (from 1968 to 1972) at the Sokoto Teachers’ College.
Sheriff
Born in 1956, Ali Modu Sheriff is the first Borno State’s governor to serve two consecutive terms. He held two elected offices as a member of the All Nigeria People’s Party, and later joined the All Progressives Congress becoming a founding member of the party.
In 2014, Sheriff switched affiliation to the People’s Democratic Party. He acted as the National Working Committee chair from 16 February 2016 until the National Convention which elected Ahmed Makarfi as his replacement
