A total of 62 finalists have been shortlisted for recognition across 21 competitive categories in the 2025 edition of the ?National Spokespersons? Awards? (NSAwards), as announced by the adjudication committee led by Dr. Shuaibu Husseini.

Now in its fifth edition, the awards?previously held as the Spokespersons? Communication Awards (SCA)?recognise excellence and professionalism in public communications across Nigeria?s public and private sectors.

The NSAwards serve as a prestigious platform celebrating excellence, innovation, and professionalism in public communication across Nigeria?s public and private sectors.

This year?s ceremony?doubling as the grand finale of the 2025 ?National Spokespersons? Summit??will be held on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at the Abuja Continental Hotel.

The event is a product of a strategic partnership between the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of ?PRNigeria? and ?Spokespersons? Digest?.

Finalists emerged from a broad spectrum of institutions, agencies, and private sector organisations.

In the headline category of ?Spokesperson of the Year,? five leading professionals will contest the top prize: ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi of the Nigeria Police Force, Igo Weli of Shell Petroleum, Olufemi Soneye of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Olumuyiwa Akande of Sifax Group, and Osagie Edward Omoruyi of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

The ?Outstanding Government Spokesperson (Federal)? category features Bayo Onanuga of the Presidency, Dele Oyewale of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Josephine Adokuru Mudasiru of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

At the state level, ?Outstanding Government Spokesperson (State)? nominees include Abdullah Abdulkadir of Edo State, Ismail Isah of Kogi State, and Ismaila Uba Misili of Gombe State.

For ?Outstanding Corporate Spokesperson,? the finalists are Dr. Jossy Nkwocha of Indorama Eleme Petrochemical, Rafiat Gawat of Tropical General Investment, and Sade Morgan of Nigerian Breweries.

In the ?Outstanding Spokesperson (Security Services)? category, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi is joined by DCC Abubakar Danlami of the Nigerian Correctional Service and Femi Babafemi of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Igo Weli of Shell Petroleum, Stanley Olisa of Helpster US Inc., and Viola Graham Douglas of Lafarge will compete for the award of ?Most Innovative Spokesperson (Multilateral/Multinational).?

The ?Outstanding Spokesperson (Banking Sector)? category features Amaechi Okobi of Access Holdings, Hakama Sidi-Ali of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Mabel Adeteye of Wema Bank. At the same time, in the Insurance Sector, Olusakin Labeodan of Leadway Assurance and Rotimi Aleshinloye of AIICO Insurance are the two finalists.

In the field of crisis communication, ?Outstanding Spokesperson (Crisis Management ? Public Sector)? will see a contest between ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Manzo Ezekiel of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Osagie Edward Omoruyi of NIMASA. For the private sector version of the same category, Chief Yomi Badejo-Okusanya of CMC Connect and Emmanuel Osedebamen of Julius Berger are the contenders.

In the Health Sector, nominees include Chief Moji Makanjuola of Ranlal Global Services, Cyril Monye of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and Remi Adeleke of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

The Education Sector category includes Dr. Habib Yakoob of the University of Abuja, Dr. Fabian Benjamin of JAMB, and Lukman Temitope Omoniyi of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).

Hadiza Umar of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Olusegun Ayeoyenikan of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), and Reuben Mouka of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will compete in the Digital Economy category.

In the growing Marine and Blue Economy sector, finalists include Ikechukwu Onyemekaara of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Olumuyiwa Akande of Sifax Group, and Osagie Edward Omoruyi of NIMASA.

For ?Distinguished Spokesperson (Power Sector),? Babatunde Lasaki of Eko Disco, Hajiya Nusrat Wali of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and Ndidi Mbah of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) will battle for recognition.

Christoph Schleissing of Lagos Continental Hotel and Niyi Aderibigbe of Transcorp Hotels will vie for honours in the Hospitality Sector category, while Chinedu Ukadike of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Igo Weli of Shell Petroleum, and Olufemi Soneye of NNPCL are shortlisted under ?Distinguished Spokesperson (Oil and Gas).?

In the ?Most Influential Corporate Voice? category, industry giants Air Peace, Dangote, and Julius Berger are set to compete.

Team excellence is also recognised, with the ?Best Corporate Spokesperson Team? category featuring the Conference of PR Professionals in Tertiary Institutions, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Customs Service.

In leadership categories, ?Most Supportive CEO to Spokespersons (Public Sector)? includes Kashifu Inuwa of NITDA, Khalil Suleiman Halilu of NASENI, and Mohammed Buba Marwa of NDLEA. Their private sector counterparts are Ayodeji Razak of Red Media Africa, Lolu Adebiyi-Akinyemi of Lafarge, and Allen Onyema of Air Peace. (By PRNigeria)

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