December 29, (THEWILL) – As the nation ushers in the New Year, 2025 and possibly the dawn of a new era, this week, many Nigerians have presumably cast aside the outgoing year with its accompanying trials and ups and downs as they prepare to forge ahead in the hope for better prospects.
Even so, many Nigerians from different walks of life have either by dint of hard work or sheer providence found themselves in positions where they are able to influence many others through their leadership, creativity, lifestyle, knowledge and coaching: They will shape 2025 in many fields of human endeavour in the country. In THEWILL’s usual tradition, our editors have meticulously chosen persons from a wide field of human endeavour to make our picks as representational as possible. We are betting that these men and women will significantly make a mark in 2025.
In politics and governance, President Bola Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi made the cut, both of whom share the same commitment to drive the country’s fiscal restructuring amongst others with doggedness. The other pair are Alex Otti of Abia and his Borno counterpart, Babagana Zulum, chosen for understanding their job descriptions as State Governors.
In the creative arts and entertainment, filmmaker and actress, Funke Akindele, was selected. In academics, we picked the founder and Chairman of Geometric Power Plant, Barth Nnaji and Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board, JAMB, for using their academic brilliance to shine the light in a dark system.
In the business world, we chose outstanding achievers like the CEO of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Chairman of AITEO Group and Bravura Holdings, Benedict Peters; Chairman of Transcorp and Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu; Allen Onyema, CEO of Air Peace Limited; Chairman of Geregu and FBN Holdings, Femi Otedola; CEO of Innoson Group, Innocent Chukwuma; Chairman of Chagoury Group, Gilbert Chagoury and Ayo Amusan, CEO of Persianas Retail Limited, a retail sports company and, Massad Boulos, CEO of SCOA Plc and President Donald Trump’s adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs in the incoming administration and in-law.
In Sports, Tobi Amusan and Victor Osimhen were chosen for their tenacity and focus while Governor of the Central Bank, Olayemi Cardoso, Zaach Adedeji, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue, FIRS; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi and MD/CEO of Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, NIBSS, Premier Oiwoh were selected courtesy of their critical and strategic roles in the country today.
LATEEF FAGBEMI, SAN
2025 will be a brighter year for the country’s local governments with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN’s insistence on implementing the July 11,2024 Supreme Court ruling which settled the contentious issue of financial and administrative autonomy in favour of the third tier of government to the dismay of state governor.
Despite efforts to undermine the ruling of the highest court by some governors like Monday Okpebholo of Edo State who declared that “The Supreme Court cannot amend the Constitution, which places local governments under state control,” before proceeding to suspend all 18 Chairmen of local governments and their deputies through the Edo State House of Assembly, Fagbemi remains defiant.
“One thing that I know and can say without fear is that under the present dispensation, the Governor has no right to remove any local government chairman. That much I know. If I did not know before, since July 11, 2024, I became aware of it that removal of any local government chairman or official would be the prerogative of that local government, through their legislative house,” Fagbemi had said with a sense of independence and non- partisanship that will enable him, and the implementing committee enforce the apex court’s ruling next year.
OLUREMI TINUBU
With her N1.8 billion Renewed Hope Economic Empowerment Programme targeting 1,000 women in each state and the Federal Capital Territory, First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has initiated a strategic nationwide initiative that empowers women petty traders with N50,000 each to recapitalise and grow their businesses.
With the launch of the programme in all states and the FCT, she is giving wives of state governors a blueprint to initiate similar programmes that targets and empowers women at the local level.
PROFESSOR BARTH NNAJI
The former Minister of Power and Professor of Industrial/Mechanical Engineering is the founder and chairman of the Geometric Power group, Nigeria’s only integrated electricity organisation, generating 188 megawatt of electricity for nine out of 17 Local Government Areas in Abia State within the Aba ringed fence zone. The $800 million investment, which was commissioned by Vice President Kashim Shettima in February after 20 years of delays and setbacks, speaks of Professor Barth Nnaji’s commitment to provide uninterrupted power supply to its customers in Abia. It is an inspiration to the country’s quest for steady power supply to drive businesses, tech development and sustained sundry activities.
Financed by big banks, and as the second phase of the project is set to begin, the success story of the power plant is an example of the impact on society that the private and public sectors can achieve by working together.
PROFESSOR ISHAQ OLOYEDE
The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB has consistently and relentlessly pursued academic excellence in the process of admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country. He has worked tirelessly to checkmate examination fraud. The recent Computer Based-Test for the pre and post JAMB examinations has reduced exam fraud to its barest minimum, if not entirely.
In addition, Professor Ishaq Oloyede has also demonstrated accountability which is scarce in public service by remitting significant sums in unused funds earned by his agency into the national treasury. JAMB has announced dates and guidelines for the 2025 higher institutions entrance examination.
MOHAMMED UMAR BAGO
The Niger State governor’s resolve to initiate and support mechanised farming in the state by providing farmers with free services, as regards the preparation of the land, tilling, preparing it for irrigation and planting, providing the inputs, fertilisers and chemicals, will boost agriculture in the state.
Mechanised farming looks bright with the government’s confirmed receipt of the first batch of 300 tractors from a US-based firm, John Deere, while 700 more tractors are being expected. These incentives will boost agriculture output in the state and position it as the nation’s food basket while also giving agriculture its once functional pride of place in the country, where due to its neglect, the bill on food import has risen to N.78 trillion over the past six years. Hopefully Mohammed Umar Bago’s projected harvests in 2025 will ease food shortages and cut inflation.
PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU
During his first Media Chat held last week, President Bola Tinubu restated his commitment to his reform policies, especially the new tax bills before the National Assembly, the removal of subsidy and floating of the Naira, arguing that while they will take ample time to yield results, the government will pursue interventionist policies that will ease the present burden on Nigerians.
Next year, Nigerians will be looking up to the President to significantly improve the bad economy and strengthen the local currency to ease the pain brought by his reforms.
The president’s success in tackling banditry, terrorism and insecurity in the coming year is critical for the return of farmers to farmlands to boost food production and transport.
PROFESSOR BABAGANA ZULUM
Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum, is one governor who many are hoping will make a serious impact in 2025, given his reform-driven and inclusive policies that are endearing him to millions of citizens in his state and the northeastern political zone.
Despite the long-drawn fight against Boko Haram terrorists in his territory, Zulum has continued to execute policies aimed at changing the narrative of the state.
The governor’s remarkable policy on education, as shown by the disbursement of over ₦9 billion to sponsor 32,000 indigenes under its scholarship scheme in 2024, as well as the plan for regional integration through an intra-city rail network, is a testament to his plan to rebrand Borno State and provide the enabling environment for its people to live and thrive. His government’s ambitious plan to construct an intra-city rail network to connect Maiduguri and its surrounding areas, the first of its kind in the North, speaks volumes about his people-centred governance model.
FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development has remained focused in his quest to reposition the aviation industry amid years of financial and infrastructural challenges plaguing the sector.
Keyamo’s strategic approach to resolving some of the critical issues has helped record improvements in aviation safety, support for local operators, human capacity development and revenue generation.
As a result of these developments, 2025 already looks promising for local airline operators with international lessors and financiers said to be eager to do deals with airline operators in Nigeria on dry leasing and other financial arrangements. When concluded, local operators will record increased capacity and could then expand their operations locally and take on regional, continental and international routes. It will also mark the return of more affordable fares for flyers.
FUNKE AKINDELE
Award winning actress, filmmaker, producer and director, Funke Akindele is not called the box office queen for nothing. She is one of the highest-grossing movie directors and the second to gross over a billion naira at the Nigeria box office, heading into 2025 with a big bang.
Prior to her directorial debut in 2019 and the production of hit movies which have grossed millions at the box office- ‘Battle on Buka Street’ which grossed ₦668,423,056, ‘Omo Ghetto: The Saga’ which grossed N636,129,120, co-directed with Tobi Makinde, her most recent movie, ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ has equally achieved a feat no other Nigerian movie has ever achieved. The movie is now the first Nollywood film to reach $100,000 in diaspora sales and the numbers are still counting. Back home, the movie has surpassed over N500,000,000 in sales and still counting, just less than three weeks after its release.
Akindele’s strategy on how movies should be marketed would redefine the industry in 2025 in many inspiring and captivating ways.
AYO AMUSAN
Ayo Amusan is the CEO of Persianas Retail Limited (PRL), a leading retail company and the official partner of the PUMA and Lacoste brands in Nigeria. She has also on-boarded international brands like Hugo Boss, Hackett, Armani, and Paul Smith, among others, making these international brands accessible to Nigerian consumers, while also promoting local brands and ensuring global-standard shopping experiences in Nigeria’s emerging premium retail sector. The company has a significant representation of women following in her footsteps in leadership roles, brand building, community building, partnerships, integrations and consolidation for 2025.
TOBI AMUSAN
Tobi Amusan is poised to make a significant impact in the world of sports in 2025, particularly after her unexpected early exit at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This setback, where she failed to reach the final in the women’s 100m hurdles, has only fuelled her determination to reclaim her status as a top-tier athlete.
Now training under the renowned coach Glen Mills, who has a storied history of guiding sprinters like Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake to world dominance, Amusan’s ambition is set on redemption. She aims to leverage her world record form from past achievements to prove that her performance in Paris was merely a blip in an otherwise stellar track record, thus potentially reshaping the narrative around Nigerian athletes on the global stage.
With the 2025 season on the horizon, Amusan is not just looking to recover but to excel, setting her sights on reclaiming her world title. Her story is one of resilience and ambition, making her a central figure in the narrative of Nigerian sports in 2025.
VICTOR OSIMHEN
Victor Osimhen is set to be a defining figure in Nigerian sports for 2025, following his intriguing loan move from Napoli to Galatasaray. This transfer, which came after a public fallout leading to his exclusion from Napoli’s Serie A squad, includes a strategic clause that could facilitate a move in January if certain top-tier clubs come calling. His performances in the Turkish Super Lig have been equally exceptional, establishing him as a key player for Galatasaray and reigniting interest from major European clubs. Osimhen’s ability to adapt and excel in a new league environment is testament to his versatility and scoring abilities, making him a prime candidate for a significant transfer, whether mid-season or in the summer of 2025.
Osimhen’s narrative in 2025 will be one to watch, as he could very well dictate transfer market trends and inspire a new generation of Nigerian footballers aiming for success in Europe’s top leagues.
MASSAD BOULOS
Boulos, Lebanese by origin with American, Nigerian and French citizenship, is a Nigerian businessman and CEO of SCOA Plc, who helped convince Arab American groups to encourage their members to vote for President Donald Trump in November’s election. Their votes helped propel Trump to victory.
In recognition of his efforts, Trump tapped him as his Adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs. Trump’s daughter, Tiffany married Michael, Massad’s son at a ceremony in Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida in November 2022.
With his company, SCOA, a member of the FADOUL Group still very active across West Africa and in Lagos, Nigeria, where his automotive assembly plants assemble and distributes M.A.N trucks, tractors and electric generation plants, Boulos will be a much-desired business and diplomatic link between the Trump administration and Nigeria.
BENEDICT PETERS
As Chairman and founder of AITEO and Bravura Holdings, African billionaire Benedict Peters has shown deft business strategy and operational efficiency in the extractive industry, such that AITEO was able to grow production significantly after acquiring OML 29, one of the most lucrative blocks in the Niger-Delta from Shell in 2016. From a mere 20,000 BPD at acquisition, the company has averaged production at 50,000 BPD with recorded crude sales of $325m, about N500 billion ($1 – N1540) in the first half of this year. A new production facility just acquired by AITEO is expected to boost crude production to about 100, 000BPD in 2025.
Apart from involvement in extraction, the company boasts some of the largest private petroleum storage facilities in sub-Saharan Africa, with a capacity exceeding 320 million litres in strategic locations in Port Harcourt and Apapa.
As Nigeria seeks higher production in the New year, AITEO’s efforts to ramp up crude production in Bayelsa will be closely followed across several sectors.
ZACCH ADEDEJI
Zacch Adedeji, Chairman, FIRS will be the cynosure in the implementation of the Tax Reform Bills when they are passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu next year. How he executes the policy to liberate Nigerians from the pangs of the notorious multiple taxes syndrome, an anomaly that illegally enriches both state and non-state actors, will mark a turning point in the lives of Nigerians. Both the urban and rural dwellers will be impacted.
TONY ELUMELU
Besides his commitment to youth financial empowerment across Africa under the Tony Elemelu Foundation, TEF, Elemelu who chairs Transcorp Power, has repositioned the company as Nigeria’s leading power generation company. Expectedly, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who has since launched an ambitious plan for increased power supply in the country can hope to rely on Transcorp Power, located in Ughelli Delta State for support in 2025.
In the same vein, TEF, Entrepreneurship Programme, which has distributed over $4,100 in direct funds to 20,000 youths, who, in turn, have created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs, will continue to benefit from his philanthropic gesture in 2025.
FEMI OTEDOLA
As Chairman of Geregu Power, billionaire Otedola will play a significant role in Nigeria’s quest to maintain and expand power generation in 2025. Another area likely to benefit from his philanthropic gesture in the coming year is education, given his recent donation of a whopping N3.7 billion to Augustine University in Ilara, Epe, Lagos State and his multiple donations to humanitarian endeavours.
ALEX OTTI
Since assuming the reins of power in Abia State on the platform of Labour Party, Governor Alex Otti has made a huge difference in governance from the preceding Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, though transparent budgeting process, planned technologically driven civil service and enhancement of Abia’s business environment in the past 14 months for full private -sector participation through provision of power, road infrastructure, security, among other basic needs. With these innovations and a new international airport set for commissioning in 2026, Abia state is poised to reclaim its lost glory as hub of business in the southeast in 2025.
INNOCENT CHUKWUMA
Chief Innocent Chukwuma, the Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, IVM, is the first automaker in Nigeria to commence manufacturing of hybrid Compressed National Gas, CNG, vehicles in Nigeria as far back as 2022. It was thus easy for the company to cease the initiative of a new government policy on CNG and deliver 25 per cent of the CNG powered buses ordered by the Federal Government as part of the Presidential CNG Initiative designed to cushion the effect of the withdrawal of fuel subsidy on the masses.
The company has promised to manufacture and deliver more buses as part of the Presidential CNG, thus contributing to a key government policy on transportation and service delivery.
GILBERT CHAGOURY
The Lebanese Nigerian billionaire, Gilbert Chagoury is the chairman of Hitech Construction Company Limited chosen by the Federal Government to construct the 700km Lagos-Calabar coastal highway as well as the 1, 068km Sokoto-Badagry coastal highway for about $24bn.
Construction of the roads have already started with completion scheduled for around 2031. The roads are expected to boost GDP, increase trade and ease transportation of people, goods and services.
OLAYEMI CARDOSO
As Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso’s efforts to tame inflation, stabilise prices of goods and services and the local currency as well as boost foreign inflow of capital into the country will be closely watched in 2025.
Cardoso has urged the public and private sector to synergise so that the modest achievements of 2024 can be consolidated next year as he bids to unify the exchange rate, deliver a stronger naira and set the economy on a path to recovery from the deep injury inflicted by the devaluation of the domestic currency.
ALIKO DANGOTE
The recent downward review in price of petrol to N935 per litre by the Dangote Refinery, owned by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is likely to generate further adjustments and impact social and economic activities in the country in 2025 as the price war between it, the NNPC and importers of refined petroleum products continue.
The 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day refinery – the largest single-train refinery in the world with a 435-megawatt power station, deep seaport and fertilizer unit expected to exceed all local needs in the coming year, started production this year after several delays.
ALLEN ONYEMA
Air Peace airlines founded in 2013 by businessman and lawyer, Allen Onyema is the pride of Nigeria. It is West Africa’s largest airline by fleet size and passenger traffic having airlifted about 60 million persons since its inception. The airline is ambitious and intends to add daily flights into the United States of America with new plane acquisitions through dry lease in 2025 and consolidate its operations into the UAE, England, China, South Africa and other regional routes with competitive fares.
Onyema says he intends to continue to make travelling and connectivity easier for fliers in Nigeria in the new year.
PREMIER OIWOH
Oiwoh is MD/CEO, Nigeria Interbank Settlement System, NIBSS, the firm silently driving the nation’s financial inclusion and cashless initiative to an exceptionally high level. Premier’s NIBSS processes over 80 percent of electronic financial transactions done in the country.
This silent revolution has made payment systems seamless with services expected to continue to improve in 2025. NIBSS is classified as a critical national asset by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Amos Esele is the Acting Editor of THEWILL Newspaper. He has over two decades of experience on the job.
Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
