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The senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District and Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola, and the management of Zenith Bank have expressed pleasant surprises over their emergence as winners of The Sun Man of the Year, and Bank of the Year awards for 2025 respectively.
Sen. Adeola and the management of Zenith Bank spoke separately in Lagos when teams from The Sun Publishing Limited, led by the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Onuoha Ukeh, presented nomination letters to them.
The senator and Zenith Bank would be honoured with 35 other individuals and one organisation at The Sun Awards ceremony holding at the Expo Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on January 31, 2026.
Adeola said he never knew that what he was doing as Senator representing Ogun West was being taken note of by The Sun Board of Editors, describing his emergence as The Sun Man of the Year as something worthy of celebration, and one that will go down in history.
“I am happy that I’m one of the senators considered worthy to be honoured with such a prestigious award,” he said, while expressing thanks to “God and the people who have always given me the opportunity to serve because I believe that governance is about serving the people.”
Senator Adeola said that every politician has his preferences and what he sets out to do, emphasising: “I’m concerned about what we can do to alleviate the sufferings of the people because we are in privileged positions. So we should use these positions to improve their lives.
“I have this belief that to whom much is given, much is expected because if they had not voted for me, if they had not supported me, what would I have done. That is why I show this commitment. This is my 22 years in political office. By 2027, I would have spent 24 years of my life serving my people.
“When we were buying transformers, the figures they gave us were lower than the actual number the communities that needed them. I asked them to go and buy additional ones. Secondly, some of the communities have not had light in five years. When they came to me with the cost, I asked them to go for me to figure out something. I did solve the problem. I’m prompted to do most of my empowerment projects by compassion.”
While presenting the nomination letter to Adeola earlier, The Sun MD felicitated with him on his achievements as the senator representing Ogun West, noting that he had brought unprecedented development and visibility to his constituency.
Ukeh said: “Within a short period, you have executed numerous infrastructure projects, from the construction of roads, classroom blocks, and healthcare facilities to the provision of boreholes, electricity transformers and rural development initiatives.
“In two and half years as senator representing Ogun West, you have facilitated numerous infrastructure projects. These include roads, units of classroom blocks, Primary Health Centres, modern markets, town halls, ICT centres, Intensive Care Units, libraries, Police Stations and a Mobile Police base.”
The Sun MD pointed out that Sen. Adeola also facilitated the installation of electric transformers, solar street lights and electric poles, adding that he made a personal commitment to repair and upgrade major electrical infrastructure that affect many communities that have been in perennial and month-long blackouts in Ogun West and beyond.
He added: “In the area of empowerment, you have facilitated and empowered many of your constituents with skills acquisition programmes, equipment and cash grants for self-employment. In addition, market men and women were given cash grants ranging from N25, 000 to N100,000 while farmers benefited from farm inputs and machinery including tractors.
“Also, within your two and half years as Senator representing Ogun West, students of tertiary institutions benefited from scholarships and bursaries of sums ranging from N100, 000 to N200, 000. Similarly, secondary school students in his senatorial zone have been empowered with laptops after requisite training in computer programming.
“At the national level, your legislative record speaks volumes. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, you have demonstrated rare expertise and fiscal prudence in steering Nigeria’s budgetary process towards transparency and developmental priorities.”
On the part of Zenith Bank, its Executive Director, Adaobi Nwapa, who represented the Group Managing Director, Adaora Umeoji, when The Sun team visited the corporate head office of the bank in Lagos, said that Zenith Bank was quite honoured to receive the award.
Nwapa said: “Everything you are seeing is from the vision of our founder and chairman of the bank, Dr. Jim Ovia. In fact, we always say we have the DNA of our chairman. So that vision, the hard work, the dedication, they are all there.
“The coming of Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji as our GMD is quite auspicious. She has done a lot. She has the capacity to lead Zenith Bank, and that is the result you have seen. She actually championed our capital rise. She wanted to do it before any other bank.
“You talked about our global expansion. Of course, we are going to the francophone countries. We have gotten our licence for Cote d’ Ivoire. That will lead us to eight other African countries, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Kenya, Cameroon and the rest of them.
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“So it’s a good thing we are expanding globally. You also mention that out of 600 top banks in the world, Zenith Bank featured. We will continue to do that.”
While presenting the nomination letter, The Sun MD noted that with an unbroken 16-year run as Nigeria’s number one bank by Tier-1 capital and a consistent place among the world’s top 600 banks, Zenith Bank has continued to set industry benchmarks in resilience, governance and innovation.
He said: “Zenith Bank’s growth since it was established in 1990 has been powered by its strength in digital and technology-driven banking, with industry-leading online platforms and fintech services that have helped redefine customer experience.
“It is gratifying to note that the bank maintains a strong regional footprint, with operations and representative offices in the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Sierra Leone and China, enabling seamless cross-border banking and trade support.
“The bank’s corporate social responsibility efforts have equally been robust. Over a five-year period, Zenith Bank invested more than ₦12 billion in nationwide projects spanning health, education, sports development, public infrastructure and financial literacy.”
Ukeh also recalled that in 2024 alone, Zenith Bank committed N4.75 billion to CSR, including upgrading community health centres, supporting disaster relief efforts and sustained sponsorship of the Zenith Women Basketball League. Through these interventions and business strategies, Zenith Bank continues to position itself as a leader in banking and inclusive economic development in Nigeria.
He added that with the coming of Dame Adaora Umeoji, the first female Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank in June 2024, the bank’s fortunes took a dramatic leap. By early 2024, she announced that the bank, riding on a Profit Before Tax of N796 billion for 2023 and strong first quarter numbers, was on track to cross the N1 trillion Profit Before Tax.
He said: “The GMD has led the bank to raise additional capital, leading a successful hybrid offer that raised N350.4 billion, boosting the bank’s market capitalisation and positioning it well for regulatory capital requirements.
“Beyond the numbers, Zenith Bank has engaged in innovation and digital transformation, championing financial inclusion via technology and backing the establishment of a fintech subsidiary, ZenPay, to extend retail and corporate banking reach. The bank also emphasises international growth, with plans to expand to France and other Francophone African markets,” Uke noted.
Apart from Senator Adeola and Zenith Bank, other nominees who will receive awards include Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Dr. Olayemi Cardoso, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (Man of the Year); Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State and Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River (Governor of the Year).
The First Lady of the Year award goes to Mrs. Chioma Uzodimma of Imo State, while the Political Personality of the Year award would be received by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, just as HRM, Igwe Kenneth Orizu of Nnewi Kingdom would receive the Most Outstanding Royal Father of the Year award.
The Minister of the Year award goes to Mr. Nyesom Wike, Minister of FCT, while the Lifetime Achievement Award would be received by Oba Rashidi Ladoja, Olubadan of Ibadanland; Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Presiding Bishop, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); and Chief Simeon Eyisi, Chairman/CEO, SIMS Nigeria Limited.
Dr. Chukwuemeka Agbasi, MD/CEO, Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and Prof. Stella Ifeanyi Smith, Director of Research, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research will receive the Public Service Personality award, while the Banker of the Year goes to Mr. Emmanuel Efe Emefienim, MD/CEO, Premium Trust Bank, just as Investor of the Year award will be received by Dr. Julius Rone, CEO, UTM Offshore Limited; Dr. Andrew Oru, Chairman, Rojitel Group; and Engr. Oguchi Emeka, Chairman/CEO, Pointek Limited.
The Entrepreneur of the Year award would be received by Prince Charles Ezeagwu, CEO, Charzin Group; Mr. Olasunkanmi Owoyemi, Chairman, Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited; Chief Mike Duru Ejiogu, CEO, Citygate Group; and Dr. Eric Opah, CEO, Fortune Global.
Mr John Ezeobi, chairman, Zobis Cable Nigeria Limited; Chief Emeka Agbanari, chairman, Seaman Group, and Chief Peter Orogwu, chairman, Chuby Zion Industries Limited, would receive the Industrialist of the Year award, with Real Estate Icon award going to Dr. Stephen Maxwell Nweze, chairman of Seman Global Concept Limited.
The Humanitarian Service Icon award goes to Sen. Barau Jibrin, Deputy Senate President, with the Hospitality Icon award going to Mr. Paul Onwuanibe, CEO, Landmark Africa Group, owners of Landmark Hotel & Resorts, and Chief Livinus Anigbogu, CEO, AG Lexon Nig. Limited, owners of Villa Park Hotel & Suites.
The Courage in Leadership award would be received by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, while the Nollywood Icon award goes to Kenneth Okonkwo, ace actor, film producer and activist.
Mrs. Onyeka Michael-Ugwu, founder, Hello Perfect and Mr. Tunde Onakoya, founder, Chess in Slum Africa, would receive the Young Achievers award, with Opay Digital Services Limited receiving Fintech/Digital Bank of the Year award.
