Dangote Group and the organisation’s Group Head of Corporate Communications, Anthony Chiejina, were among individuals and corporate institutions that were honoured with Nigeria’s Pride Awards on Tuesday, September 30th at Barcelona Hotel, Abuja.

While Dangote Group emerged as ‘Chief Cornerstone of Business in Africa,’ Anthony Chiejina was recognized as ‘The Most Impactful Corporate Marketing Officer of the Decade.’

The Awards was organized by First Green White Resources (FGWR), publishers of African Leadership Scorecard Magazine and Nationwide Reports; and was chaired by Gen. Paul Boroh (Rtd), former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta/Coordinator of Amnesty Programme while the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris was Guest Speaker with Dr. Sarah Jibrin, former Presidential Adviser on Ethics and Moral Values served as Mother of the Day.

In an opening remark, the Founder/CEO of FGWR, Bonaventure Phillips Melah, said Nigeria’s Pride Awards was founded to identify, recognize, appreciate and celebrate citizens, other nationals and corporate citizens that distinguish themselves through selfless service, patriotism, exemplary and inspiring leadership and therefore contribute positively to the development, prosperity, peace, unity and security of Nigeria as well as overall wellbeing of humanity.

He said although Nigeria is a country in search of quality leadership, many of its citizens at home and in the Diaspora are doing well in diverse fields of human endeavour and should be celebrated as according to him, a society that does not reward good people does not deserve good people in the first place.

Dr Jibrin Abubakar who represented Dangote Group at the event thanked the organizers of the awards, saying that Dangote Group was established to serve Nigerians and Africans as well as contribute to the nation’s economic growth.

According to a citation read at the evet, Dangote Group was established in the 1970s, and is the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa as well as one of the top-three in Africa with over 50,000 Nigerians and other nationals in its employment. With over 18 subsidiary companies, Dangote Group is involved in diverse businesses including transportation, fisheries, textile, flour milling, salt processing, fertilizer production, rice, sugar refining, construction, haulage, cement production and others. The successful takeoff of the Dangote Refinery, recoginsed as the largest single-train refinery in the world with the capacity of 650,000 barrels per day which also produces diesel, aviation fuel and other products, is a landmark achievement unprecedented in history; and is being celebrated by every well-meaning Nigerian, as it has ended the perennial fuel scarcity that afflicted the nation and her people for decades.

Due mainly to Dangote’s patriotism and human-oriented business approach, the Group has been at the forefront of efforts to reduce price of petroleum products in Nigeria, especially petrol, which at the moment stands at N840 per litre from the N1,200 last year. The same is true of cooking gas and others.

So far, some brand new CNG trucks have arrived and commenced free distribution of petrol across the country, while a total of 10,000 of the trucks are being expected, the cost of petrol has further reduced, thereby relieving the people as well as ensuring end of product scarcity in the country.

Other top awardees were the Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru, who was honoured in two categories as Best Governor on Road Infrastructure and Best Governor on Community Empowerment; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa- ‘Shield of the Nation,’ Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo- Most Impactful Minister of the Year,’ Senator Ireti Kingibe- Most Grassroots-Oriented Politician of the Year,’ veteran Nollywood actresses, Tonto Dikeh and Empress Njamah and other top Nollywood personalities, Directors- General of NTA, Abuja Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Sir Jideani Agabaidu- Most Gender-Inclusive Chief Executive Officer of the Year; and Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), Hon. Rinsola Abiola- Exemplary Young Corporate CEO of the Year; respectively as well as President of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Dr. Emeka Rollas-Most Impactful Entertainment Personality of the Year, Dr. Queen Blessing Ebigieson- Most Outstanding Movie Producer of the Decade, Gloria Okafor- Best Movie Producer of the Year, Sandra Okunzuwa- Best Actress of the Year, Rekiya Ibrahim and Abubakar Sanusi Yakubu.