Tinubu, Obasanjo, Jonathan, Atiku, others make list of DTN@100 Heroes Awards

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ex-Nigerian presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and other eminent Nigerians will be honoured on Thursday in Abuja as The Daily Times of Nigeria recognises eminent Nigerians who have made their mark in different fields of endeavour.

The event, tagged: DTN@100 Heroes Award, is part of the activities to mark the Centenary of the Daily Times of Nigeria.

The final announcement was made yesterday in Lagos during a press briefing.

Mr Bolaji Okusaga, Chairman, DTN@100 Heroes Awards Council, said Thursday’s event forms a major component of the centenary celebrations of The Daily Times, Nigeria’s iconic newspaper of record, which began publication in 1926 and has chronicled the country’s political, economic, social and cultural evolution across a century. The centenary programme has been framed around the newspaper’s enduring contribution to journalism, national discourse and nation-building.

According to Okusaga, the awards are conceived not merely as a ceremony of recognition, but as a deliberate effort to preserve national memory and celebrate the individuals and institutions whose leadership, courage, enterprise, public service and innovation have contributed meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.

“The Daily Times has spent 100 years documenting the Nigerian story. Through the DTN@100 Heroes Awards, we are taking that responsibility a step further by documenting and celebrating the people and institutions that have helped to write that story through their service, leadership, enterprise and impact,” Okusaga said.

He added that the final list reflects the breadth and diversity of contributions that have shaped the Nigerian experience, spanning governance, politics, business, public administration, technology, energy, development, climate action, community leadership, diplomacy, social impact and enterprise.

“These are not simply awards for prominence. They are recognitions of impact. They speak to what individuals and institutions have contributed to the growth, resilience and transformation of Nigeria and, in several cases, to Africa and the wider global community,” he said.

A defining feature of the DTN@100 celebration will be the presentation of Prestige Honours to a distinguished group of Nigerians whose lives, careers and contributions occupy an important place in the nation’s history.

Also receiving Prestige Honours are Ambassador Dele Cole, former Managing Director of The Daily Times and Nigerian Ambassador; Aremo Segun Osoba, former Managing Director of The Daily Times and former Governor of Ogun State; Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, former Managing Director of The Daily Times and Director, Tanus Communications Limited; Chief Tola Adeniyi, former Chairman/Chief Executive of The Daily Times and author; Mr. Onyema Ugochukwu, former Editor of The Daily Times and pioneer Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission; Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu, former Editor of The Daily Times and founder of The Vanguard Newspaper; and Chief Mrs. Grace Oyelude, the first Miss Nigeria, crowned in 1957.

Other eminent Nigerians are in the list.