Sen. Akume, Govs Sule, Dauda, Others,To Receive  Leadership Awards At 2025 MMS Hall of Fame

…Kingibe, Akutah,  Dantsoho, Mobereola, to speak

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator (Dr.) George Akume, will be honoured with the Distinguished Leadership Award at the 2025 edition of the MMS Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame (WoFHoF), scheduled for November 20, 2025, at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

Akume, who will serve as the Chief Guest of Honour, joins a lineup of distinguished leaders and governors at the one-day event with the theme “Fostering Sustainability, Women and Leadership with Technologies.”

While Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State will chair the event, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State joins him as one of the awardees. This is even as the Executive Farmer Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Bago, is confirmed as the Special Guest of Honour.

Other  honourees include Hajiya Aisha Bala Mohammed, First Lady of Bauchi State; Hajia Zainab Nasare Nasir Idris, First Lady of Kebbi State; and Dr. Dili Ezughah, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Press Council; Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuka, CEO, Project E; Dr. Faisal Shua’ib, former Executive Director/CEO, National Primary Health Care; Hon. Tijani Aliyu Ahmed, CEO, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons(NCFRMI); and  Hajia Aisha Atiku-Bagudu, who will be crowned MMS Hall of Fame Face of Northern Women.

The event also marks 13 years of the MMS Hall of Fame legacy, known for spotlighting leadership excellence and inspiring impact-driven governance in both public and private sectors.

2025 MMS Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame inductees also include Chief Mrs. Faustina Ngozi Egbunike, Founder, Faustina Egbunike Foundation; Amb. Mrs. Jane Ogo Egbo, Founder, Paradise Mission for Widows and Teenage Girls; and Dr. Ngozi Azodoh, Senior Special Adviser on Health to the Abia State Governor; Hajiya Sa’adatu Husssaini Agade, former Permanent Secretary; Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, Esq, Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy; High Chief Dr. Rosevivian Chigekwu, CEO, Happiest Soaring Eagle Entrepreneur Academy; Hajia Maryam Ciroma, former Minister of Women Affairs, and Dr. Stella Iwuagwu,CEO, Centre for the Right to Health.

Others include, Mrs. Aloysius Faithhope, Maritime Marketing/Logistics Specialist; Prof.Elizabeth Ugo, Faculty of Education, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State; Engr. Mrs. Adedolapo Helen,CEO, Magnificent Works; Amb. Aisha Mahmoud, Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, Nigeria-Russia Trade and Investment Advisory Council.

The programme will feature a morning summit with two thought-provoking panel sessions and an induction ceremony, followed by an evening segment dedicated to the Leadership-Impact and SDGs Awards Night.

According to the organising chairperson, Amb. Nana Aisha Mahmoud, this year’s edition is designed to “intentionally promote sustainability in gender diversity across critical sectors of the economy, and the inclusion of technology in alternative and informal education, while encouraging stronger participation of northern Nigerian women in socio-economic and political development.”

She noted that addressing the challenges limiting women’s access to education and empowerment is central to the 2025 focus, aligning with the broader UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Meanwhile, Zenith Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) will also be honoured at the event after emerging as Nigeria’s top performers in gender policy compliance, in a recent assessment by MMS Hall of Fame.

The evaluation, which covered 24 commercial and six non-interest banks, examined annual reports, sustainability disclosures, and gender representation in leadership over a three-year period. Only five banks met the compliance benchmark, with Zenith and GTCO standing out for exceeding the Central Bank of Nigeria’s gender inclusion targets 30% female representation on boards and 40% in senior management.

Zenith Bank will receive the award for Best Gender-Diversity, Equality & Inclusion (DEI) Bank in Nigeria, while GTCO was named Best CBN Gender Policy Compliant Bank 2025.

Among the corporate Awardees are, Skelas Group; LTT Coastal and Marine Services Limited; Nigerian Shippers’ Council(NSC); Tyse Group.

His Royal Highness (HRH) Hon. Justice (Dr.) Sidi Bage Muhammed 1 CFR(JSC Rtd), Life Bencher, Emir of Nasarawa State, Father of the Day.

Speakers and guests of honours include; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola; Dr. Ifenyinwa Ogbonna-Nwaogu, Faculty of Social Sciences, NOUN, Abuja, Keynote Speaker; Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs; Sen.Ireti Kingibe, Senate Committee Chair on Women Affairs; Mr.Obed Levite, CEO, Hashtag Digital Limited; Dr. Mohammed Sani Idris, Executive Secretary/CEO, National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of -School Children’s Education(NCAOOSCE); Charles Odii, Director General/ CEO, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria(SMEDAN).

Other speakers are, Dr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah, Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Shippers’ Council(NSC); Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA); Chief Mrs. Chinwe Ezenwa, Chief Host, Mr. Kingsley Anaroke, Founder/CEO, MMS WoFHoF Initiative, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, DG/CEO, NIMASA, among others.