Soul, spotlight, power move serenade Lagos at NBLA 2025

It was an evening where strategy met spectacle and where the rhythm of leadership blended seamlessly with the rhythm of music. Under a skyline glimmering with ambition at Harbour Point Events Venue, Victoria Island, Lagos, the 2025 Nigerian Business Leadership Awards (NBLA) transformed Lagos into a luminous theatre of achievement, honouring the companies and executives redefining what progress means in modern Nigeria.

The night took on a transcendent tone as Cill Chioma, Nigeria’s spellbinding alternative-soul and folk-fusion vocalist, opened the gala with her signature acoustic storytelling. Her textured harmonies, intimate stagecraft, and emotionally intelligent performance wrapped the ceremony in a warmth that only a few artists can summon, setting the perfect backdrop for a celebration of enterprise, resilience, and renaissance.

THE 2025 NBLA HONOUREES

VAVA Furniture Nigeria Limited – Furniture Company of the Year

Championing design excellence and local manufacturing, VAVA continues to elevate Nigerian craftsmanship with scalable production and contemporary aesthetics that rival global standards.

Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited – Agribusiness & Poultry Innovator of the Year

Through pioneering hatchery science and nationwide distribution, Amo Farm strengthened food security and expanded smallholder livelihoods, redefining poultry value chains across Nigeria.

Strongmas Residence – Smart Real Estate Leader of the Year

Strongmas pushed the frontier of intelligent housing with cutting-edge automation, sustainable materials, and residential solutions tailored for Nigeria’s modern urban lifestyle.

Global Property & Facilities International Limited – Facilities Management Excellence Leader of the Year

With industry-leading efficiency, GPFI modernised asset maintenance and commercial property operations, setting new benchmarks for service reliability and operational resilience.

Nestlé Nigeria PLC – Purpose-Driven Business Leader of the Year (Wassim Elhusseini, MD/CEO)

Nestlé’s leadership advanced nutrition, sustainability, youth employability, and local sourcing, proving that purpose and profitability can reinforce each other in meaningful ways.

Rosie Young Fashion House Ltd – Visionary Fashion & Brand Expansion Leader of the Year ( Roselyn Nwala, CEO)

Rosie Young scaled its fashion and retail footprint with bold creativity, global-ready brand strategy, and culturally resonant designs that continue to inspire the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs.

Heirs Energy Limited – Energy Company of the Year

Heirs Energy deepened Nigeria’s energy security through disciplined asset optimisation, operational efficiency, and indigenous capacity for large-scale upstream operations.

FoodCo Nigeria Limited – Trusted Food Retail & Lifestyle Brand of the Year

FoodCo expanded its multi-format retail ecosystem, empowering SMEs, stabilising prices, and serving millions through Nigeria’s most dynamic homegrown retail network.

Nigerian Exchange Group – Capital Markets Visionary & Value Architect (Temi Popoola, Chief Executive Officer)

Under visionary leadership, NGX strengthened market infrastructure, deepened liquidity, and advanced Nigeria toward a future where capital formation becomes truly democratic.

MITSUN Group – Emerging Conglomerate of the Year

MITSUN accelerated diversification across manufacturing, commercial services, and industrial solutions, demonstrating the boldness required to build the next generation of African conglomerates.

TGI Group – Outstanding Consumer Brand of the Year (Terra Cube)

Terra Cube expanded nationwide adoption through quality, affordability, and distribution excellence, cementing its position as one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing seasoning brands.

TrustBanc Holdings Ltd – Excellence Award in Financial Reporting, Analysis & Investor Education

TrustBanc delivered clarity in a volatile financial year, empowering retail and institutional investors with research, transparency, and insights that strengthened market confidence.

MDS Logistics Limited (a DP World Company) – Supply Chain Excellence Leader

MDS Logistics optimised Nigeria’s supply chain backbone through world-class warehousing, nationwide cold-chain solutions, and technological innovation that raised the standard for logistics performance.

Benjamin Aduli, MaisTrade Multipurpose Cooperative Society – Co-operative Capital Pioneer of the Year

Benjamin Aduli has pioneered a structural shift in Nigeria’s cooperative finance landscape. Under his stewardship, MaisTrade helped launch the US$5 billion AssuredInvest Cooperative Trust Fund, the first demand-driven cooperative capital vehicle in Africa.

As the lights dimmed and Cill Chioma’s final notes lingered like a blessing over the room, one truth became unmistakable: Nigeria’s private sector is not waiting for perfect conditions to create progress; it is building progress with its own hands. From fashion to energy, retail to logistics, the honourees of NBLA 2025 proved that leadership is no longer defined by scale alone, but by imagination, resilience, and the courage to forge new value in uncertain times.