The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume; former President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina; and 28 other people have been included in the list to be recognized as Nigerian heroes, according to the Daily Times of Nigeria (DTN).
The disclosure comes after the newspaper earlier announced a separate category that includes current and former presidents and other distinguished Nigerians, while the Times Heroes Award category focuses on individuals whose contributions to national development span public service, politics, business, entrepreneurship and other sectors.
The Chairman of the DTN@100 Heroes Awards Council, Bolaji Okusaga, revealed the names while speaking to journalists yesterday in Abuja, ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled for Thursday.
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Okusaga said about 30 Nigerians would be honored in the first batch, with subsequent ceremonies expected to produce the remaining honorees under the centenary awards cycle, which is expected to climax in June 2027.
He said six to seven governors would be recognized along with public servants, legislators, private sector leaders, businessmen and Nigerians whose activities have had a national or global impact.
Akume, according to him, would be recognized for his career of public service spanning several decades, including his tenure as Governor of Benue State, his years in the Senate and his current position as SGF.
Adesina, former president of the AfDB, will receive the Global Impact Award and is expected to deliver the keynote address at the ceremony.
Okusaga said the selection process was not limited to political office holders, explaining that nominees were put through a process that included nominations, interaction with candidates and physical verification of claims about their achievements.
“The Daily Times could not have done this because to be a news platform, you need news makers. That is why we are rewarding news makers over the last 100 years, with special emphasis on the last 10 years, who have contributed to Nigeria as a nation,” he said.
He said nominees who did not make it to the first batch could still be considered in later rounds, adding that recognition would extend to the judiciary, legislature, security agencies, traditional institutions and other sectors.
Among those also listed for recognition is Senator Ahmed Wadada, while other Nigerians whose contributions have enriched the country are expected to feature in later categories.
Beyond the awards, Okusaga said the 100 Nigerians ultimately selected under the centenary program would be documented in the Big Book of Nigeria, a historical record of the country’s development from 1914 to independence and the post-independence era.
Reflecting on the history of the newspaper, he said the Daily Times played a role in Nigeria’s struggle for independence and subsequent national development, including its contribution to the establishment of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
He also recalled the newspaper’s investment in education and its pioneering initiative with the Evening Times, which provided more frequent news updates before the advent of the Internet and the current 24-hour news cycle.
Okusaga said the centenary also offered the newspaper an opportunity to examine how it could respond to changing patterns of news consumption and the changing media environment.
The Daily Times, which began publication in 1926, is celebrating its centenary with a series of activities culminating with the DTN@100 Heroes awards ceremony in Abuja.
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