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Neya Kalu, Chairman of The Sun Publishing and Sun Heaven Hotels and Resorts, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Emerging Next Gen Family Business Leader Award.
The award is part of the Family Business Summit 2026, organised by My Family My Business in partnership with BusinessDay Newspapers and PwC Nigeria.
Kalu will receive the award at the Family Business Leadership Awards Gala Dinner scheduled for Thursday, October 15, 2026, in Lagos.
The three-day summit, holding from October 15 to 17, is themed “Beyond the Founder: Scaling Family Businesses Across Generations.”
In a letter informing Kalu of the honour, the organisers said: “Few next-generation leaders embody this theme more than you.”
The letter noted that Kalu had built on the entrepreneurial foundation established by her father, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, founder of the Slok Group, while taking on leadership responsibilities across the family’s diversified business interests.
“You have stepped confidently into leadership — heading a diversified family portfolio spanning publishing, hospitality, renewable energy, travel, transport, gaming, and real estate, while charting your own path as Chairman of The Sun Publishing,” the organisers said.
They added that her journey “reflects the innovation, resilience, and forward-thinking leadership that will define the next chapter of family enterprise in Africa.”
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According to the organisers, the award was based on an independent review conducted by PwC Nigeria, the summit’s knowledge partner, with Kalu unanimously selected as the 2026 recipient.
The organisers highlighted her work in business diversification, including founding and scaling Base Coat, a nail salon business in Nigeria.
They also cited her involvement in women and community empowerment through the Neya Kalu Foundation and the OUK Foundation.
The letter said Kalu’s work demonstrated “commitment to building on your family’s legacy while charting new pathways for growth.”
The summit will bring together family business owners, next-generation leaders, family offices, investors, policymakers, advisers and other business leaders from Africa and beyond.
The programme will feature keynote sessions and panel discussions, alongside a masterclass with Professor Jeremy Cheng of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School.
Other activities include a NextGen Boot Camp, a Deal Room for investment and partnership discussions, and a NextGen networking session.
The organisers said the summit would focus on helping family enterprises strengthen leadership, governance and continuity as they transition across generations.
