The former Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) Chief Olusegun Runsewe,has bagged Vanguard Newspaper’s 2023 Art and Culture Icon Award.
The Vanguard 2023 awards, held on Friday night at Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos southwest Nigeria,was organised to reward excellence.
The former DG Otunba Runsewe was recognised for his contributions toward revitalising the National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST) and fostering national unity through culture.
Also,a former managing director of Eko Electricity Dr Tinuola Sanda bagged the Energy Icon Award for being a staunch advocate of renewable energy and sustainable power solutions in Nigeria.
Sanda was also recognised for being the only female leader among the Chief Executive Officers of the eleven distribution companies in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
Another awardee is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) Kayode Fasua.
He bagged the Vanguard Accounting Icon Award for being instrumental in shaping the professional accounting body.
According to the organisers of the award, Fasua’s leadership over the years has propelled ANAN to a prominent position within the industry, reflecting his dedication to advancing the standards and impact of accounting practices.
Also, Mr Austin Avuru, Chairman, AA Holdings, won the Private Sector Icon award for prioritising investments in enterprises by adding great value to the broader economy.
Also, Miss Ngozi Kekwaru, a bilingual customer service agent at Eko Hotels, bagged the Heroes award, while Chief Michael Tawadrous, Managing Director of VAVA Group of companies, won the Foreign Investor Award.
The Lifetime Achievement Awards went to seven recipients,including Mrs Victoria Samson, Managing Director, BOVAS Group; Chief Bode George, a retired Navy Commodore and Ayo Oritsejafor, Senior Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church;
Others were: Mrs Vero Igbe, an Industrialist; Gen. IBM Haruna rtd, former Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum; Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Esama of Benin Kingdom and Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, past Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce Nigeria.
Dr Gabriel Ogbechie, Chief Executive Officer of Rainoil Ltd. bagged the Vanguard Businessman of the Year Award while Mrs Titi Ejimagwa won the Vanguard Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Chief Kelvin Onumah, Chief Executive Officer, Sublime Industries emerged Vanguard Serial Entrepreneur of the Year and Habeeb Okunola, Chief Executive Officer, Tilt Group won the Young Entrepreneur award.
Gbenga Komolafe, Managing Director, Upstream Regulatory Commission, bagged the regulator of the year award while Dr. Samuel Onyishi won the Innovative Investor Award.
Earlier, Mr Eze Anaba, Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, during the ceremony, said the award recipients were recognised for making remarkable impacts in their respective fields
“We are glad that Vanguard Newspaper has lived up to expectations fighting for a better life of people to make talents thrive. It is a night of recognition and celebration for us,” he says.
The Chairman of the occasion Former governor of Cross River state Donald Duke while congratulating the awardees and recepience, said regardless of their field, the primary qualification and criteria that was used for the award is integrity.
“You have shown integrity in various fields that you have been nominated for. You know integrity is not something you easily find in our society today. You need to look very, very hard to discover it. “He says
The event was graced with top dignitaries, state governors, stakeholders, and some foreign investors.
Oluchi Okwuego
