Akpabio, Wike, Gbaja… 40 Nigerians to receive public service awards

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and 39 other Nigerians will be honoured at the 2024 Nigerian Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS).

NEAPS was set up to recognise excellence in leadership, service, or humanitarianism.

To be eligible, the recipient must be a public official or a private citizen, excelling consistently in a given sphere of influence, in good character standing, and at the forefront of service and innovation.

The 2024 edition of the award ceremony is organised by the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (OSGF) alongside The Best Strategic PR (TBS), a private firm.

The event will be held in Abuja on Saturday.

Among those who will also receive the award are Nyesome Wike, minister of federal capital territory (FCT); Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff (CoS) to the president; Yemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); and Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives.

The list also includes seven state governors, who are Peter Mbah of Enugu, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Mohammed Bago of Niger, and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun.

Wale Adeniyi, comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Zach Adedeji, executive chairman of the Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS); Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP); Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA); Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC); Khalil Suleiman Halilu, executive vice-chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI); are among the award recipients.

Others are Christopher Musa, chief of defence staff; Epa Undiandeye, chief of defence intelligence; Taoreed Lagbaja, chief of army staff; Emmanuel Ogalla, chief of naval staff; Hasan Abubakar, chief of air staff; Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Abike Dabiri, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM); Boss Mustapha, former secretary to the government of the federation; James Faleke and Aliyu Betara, both members of the house of representatives; Musa Sanni, a senator; Zuwaira Gambo, Borno state commissioner for women affairs.

According to the award organisers, President Bola Tinubu will be present to honour the awardees.

The maiden edition of the NEAPs awards, held in October 2022 at the State House Conference Center, Abuja, honoured 44 Nigerians.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, Wike, and Buba Marwa, chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), were among the recipients.