Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, the immediate-past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata and the former Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank, Dr Ifie Sekibo have been conferred with a prestigious award each at the inaugural African Heritage Concert and Awards in Kilgali, Rwanda.
The awards were conferred on the Nigerian nationals in recognition of their different change-making contributions for the good of Nigeria and Africa both in the public and private sector spaces. Wabote was conferred with the Champion of Local Content Development in Africa Award. While former president Jonathan won the African Democracy and Peace Icon Award, Akpata bagged the African Legal Icon Award. Sekibo received the African Philanthropist Award. Ex-president, Jonathan, through his media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, commended organisers of the African Heritage Concert and Award for honouring Africans who have distinguished themselves in different endeavours.
Jonathan challenged political officer holders to initiate policies that would improve the lives of the citizenry and build institutions that will outlive them in order for them to be remembered for good when they leave office. Wabote while thanking the organisers dedicated his award to his family and the hard-working staff of the NCDMB. He revealed that the award and several others he had clinched in the past were made possible by the staff’s dedication and support. He added that the award would challenge him to continue promoting local content across Africa in concert with other organisations and individuals. On his part, Akpata dedicated the award to his partners at Templars Law Firm, all of whom agreed to let him take a sabbatical for two years to fully concentrate on the highly demanding job of presiding over the NBA.
