The Managing Director/Editor-in-chief Steve Omanufeme has stated that the 2022 edition of the INDEPENDENT Newspapers Awards celebrates all the awardees in recognition of their service to Nigeria. He said this while giving a speech at the event, which took place on Saturday, February 18 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.
The event, which had as chairman the president of the Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN), Professor Samuel Ovuete Aghalino, was themed 'Celebrating Nigeria's Best’, and was well attended by the crème de la crème of Nigeria’s high society at social, political and cultural levels.
According to him, “this year’s awards focuses on people with exceptional performance in their chosen profession or walk of life. That is why it is themed 'Celebrating Nigeria's Best’.”
Among those awarded are the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, Iyalaje Oodua, Princess Dr. Toyin Kolade, Femi Otedola, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Tompolo, Abdullateef Adedimeji and others.
Bodies and companies like AMCON, Glo, FIRS, Geregu Power PLC were also winners of the night.
Currently in its 12th edition, Omanufeme revealed that the prestigious awards involved a painstaking exercise to select worthy individuals.
“Our board of editors specifically embarked on a thorough and painstaking assessment exercise from which our distinguished awardees were selected. So today, we are here to celebrate you all for your services to Nigeria our country in your chosen fields.
“We believe you all have strings of achievement worthy of emulation, and these awards are just a token of our appreciation of your great achievements.
“Finally, we pray to motivate you to greater heights,” he stated.