Blueprint Lectures/Awards: UN deputy scribe Amina, Adesina, Okonjo-Iweala Global Brand Ambassadors

The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Ms Amina Mohammed, the President of African Development Bank (AfDB) Dr Akinwumi Adesina and the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala would on Thursday be honoured as 2021 Blueprint Global Brand Ambassadors.

Chief Operating Officer of Blueprint Newspapers Limited Malam Salisu Umar said this in a statement issued in Abuja.

He said the trio would be honoured in recognition of their sterling contributions to the development of their organisations.

He said the company would also confer awards on Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state for transforming critical sectors of their states’ economy.

According to him, also listed for Security Icon awards are the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Lucky Irabor, former Chief of Army Staff (COS) Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd) and former Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Sadiique Baba Abubakar (rtd).

He said the Minister of Power Engr Abubakar D. Aliyu and the Chairman of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) would be honoured as Public Officers of the Year while the Minister of Sports and Youth Development Chief Sunday Dare will be conferred with Sport Icon of the Year award.

Ms Amina J. 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 steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment.

Ms Mohammed first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning.
Dr Ngozi 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 immunized 760 million children globally and saved thirteen million lives. She was previously on the Boards of Standard Chartered PLC and Twitter Inc.
Dr Akinwumi A. 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 Nigerian 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.

Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri
Born in Gulak, Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State in 1967, The Rt.Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri began his education at the Central Primary school Gulak and later attended the Government Day secondary school 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 University of Maiduguri. Fintiri as he is fondly called is an outstanding student and athlete throughout his boyhood and adolescent years. 

Dr Ifeanyi Okowa
Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa was born on the 8th of July 1959, into a Christian family in Owa-Alero, Ika North-East Local Government Area Delta State.

He attended Iroro Primary School Owa Alero from 1965 to 1969, and later enrolled at the prestigious Edo College, Benin City, from where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate in 1974 and Higher School Certificate in 1976.

Later, he proceeded to the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, where he qualified as a medical Doctor in June 1981. Before then, he did his internship with the Central Hospital, Benin City, from 1981 to 1982, and thereafter, completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the Primary Health Care Department in Ahiazu-Mbaise Local Government Council, Imo State, 1982 to 1983.

Dr Kayode Fayemi
Dr Kayode Fayemi was the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development (2015 – 2018) under the Buhari APC administration. He had the mandate of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari to reposition the Nigerian 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. He was also the Chairman of the Governing board of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, born on 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.  AbdulRahman’s desire to serve his people began in 2011 when he ran for the office of Kwara governor under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a party founded by the country’s incumbent Muhammadu Buhari.
General Lucky Irabor
General Lucky Irabor was born on October 5, 1965. He is from Ika South of Delta State and he is a member of regular course 34 of the Nigerian Defence Academy.He was the immediate Chief of Training and Operations, Defence headquarters, took over from the erstwhile Commander, Major General AA Tarfa.On the 26th January 2021 he was appointed the new Chief of Defence Staff by President Buhari Muhammadu Buhari.
Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar
Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar was born on 8 April 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 on 15 May 1982. He progressed steadily through the ranks and was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal on 13 August 15. He was the 20th Chief of Air Staff who served from 2015 to 26th January 2021.
Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai

Tukur Yusuf Buratai is a Nigerian Lieutenant general and the current Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria,a position he was appointed to by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2015.He was commissioned in 1983 and has had multiple command, administrative, and instructional appointments.
Abubakar D. Aliyu
An accomplished engineer, a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and a member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), His Excellency Abubakar D. Aliyu is the Honourable Minister of Power.Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu is a public servant par excellence with a long unblemished record of service. He was a Deputy Governor for an uninterrupted rancour-free period of 10 years loaded with achievements. In that period, he exhibited dexterity, patience, courage and enormous competence in the discharge of his duties.
Buba 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 is also a diplomat, author of seminal books and an accomplished entrepreneur.  Born in Kaduna on September 9, 1953, scion of a military family, his father, Buba Marwa, and grandfather, Buba Yola, had served in the Nigeria Army, and Marwa did not deviate from that path. He had his primary school education across Nigeria in Enugu, Zaria, Abeokuta and Lagos (1960-65) and went on to attend the Nigerian Military School (NMS), Zaria (1966-70). Subsequently, he completed a regular combatant course at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned into Nigeria Army Recce Corps (NARC) in June 1973.
Sunday Dare
Born on the 29th day of May 1966, Sunday Akin Dare (Agbaakin of Ogbomosoland), is a veteran journalist and the currently Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development. He was formerly the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).Dare had his secondary school education at Baptist High School Jos; a city in the Middle Belt of Nigeria from 1978 to 1983, shortly afterwards he studied for an Advanced level education at Oyo State College of Arts and Science, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.He thereafter gained admission to Ahmadu Bello University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) honours in International studies in 1991.