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Chairman of The Sun Publishing Ltd and Sun Heaven Hotels and Resorts, Neya Kalu, has been named the winner of Emerging Next Gen Family Business Leader Award for her role in expanding and sustaining her family’s business interests across several sectors.
She was selected for the award after an independent review by PwC Nigeria. The award is part of the Family Business Summit 2026, organised by My Family My Business in partnership with BusinessDay Newspapers and PwC Nigeria.
In a letter informing her of the award, the organisers said the recognition was based on her role in building on the entrepreneurial foundation established by her father, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, while taking on leadership responsibilities across the family’s business interests.
Kalu will receive the award at the Family Business Leadership Awards Gala Dinner scheduled for Thursday, October 15, in Lagos.
They noted that she had assumed leadership across a diversified portfolio covering publishing, hospitality, renewable energy, travel, transport, gaming and real estate, while also serving as Chairman of The Sun Publishing.
“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, one of the country’s most respected media institutions.
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Your journey reflects the innovation, resilience, and forward-thinking leadership that will define the next chapter of Family enterprise in Africa,” the organisers said.
Her business activities also include the founding and expansion of Base Coat, a nail salon business in Nigeria, which the organisers cited as part of her contribution to diversification within the family’s business interests. The organisers further cited her involvement in women and community empowerment initiatives through the Neya Kalu Foundation and the OUK Foundation.
According to the organisers, the award followed an independent review conducted by PwC Nigeria, the summit’s knowledge partner, with Kalu unanimously selected as the 2026 recipient. The notice added that she has demonstrated a “commitment to building on your family’s legacy while charting new pathways for growth.”
They also described her leadership as reflecting “innovation, resilience, and forward-thinking leadership that will define the next chapter of family enterprise in Africa.”
The three-day summit, scheduled for October 15 to 17, is themed “Beyond the Founder: Scaling Family Businesses Across Generations.” It is expected to bring together family business owners, next-generation leaders, family offices, investors, policymakers, advisers and other business leaders from Africa and beyond.
