The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has conferred its National Outstanding Leadership Performance Award (NOLPA) on Prince Cletus Ilobanafor, Managing Director of CEOAFRICA and initiator of the Geneith Health Competition (GHC), alongside Mr Emmanuel Umenwa, Managing Director of Geneith Pharmaceuticals and key sponsor of the GHC.
The awards were presented during the association’s 44th Inaugural Senate Sitting, held at the House of Chiefs, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Prince Ilobanafor was named the “Most Student-Friendly MD in Nigeria 2025”, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to vocational and polytechnic education and his visionary commitment to youth empowerment in Nigeria.
His leadership role in the establishment of the Geneith Health Competition was praised as a groundbreaking intervention, offering young people the tools, platform, and motivation to address urgent public health challenges—especially malaria—through innovation, education, and engagement.
Also honoured was Mr Emmanuel Umenwa, whose sponsorship of the GHC, backed by a ₦1 billion commitment, was described as a monumental investment in youth-led solutions to health issues.
The GHC is regarded as the first initiative of its kind in Africa, aligned with the World Health Organization’s global malaria eradication strategy.
It mobilises students from secondary and tertiary institutions to serve as health ambassadors through public awareness campaigns, community outreach, and academic research.
In his acceptance speech, Prince Ilobanafor dedicated the award to God and to his late father, whose personal mantra—“service to humanity is key”—continues to guide his work.
He expressed gratitude to the student body for embracing the initiative and urged wider collaboration among stakeholders to ensure its success.
“Together, we will eradicate malaria,” he declared, calling on students nationwide to participate in the contest by registering via the competition’s official website.
Registration for the Geneith Health Competition is currently open at www.geneithhealthcompetition.com, as the movement to empower Nigeria’s youth in combating malaria gains nationwide traction.