The 30th Anniversary edition of the PEARL Awards Nite lit up Lagos on Sunday as top corporate leaders, policymakers, governors, and royalty gathered to celebrate three decades of promoting excellence, transparency, and performance in Nigeria’s capital market. The event, themed “Celebrating a Legacy of Corporate Excellence,” featured presentations, new award categories, and the unveiling of the 2026 Nigerian Stock Market Annals.
Among the dignitaries present were the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Kwairanga; industry captains; and the governors of Lagos and Enugu States—Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Peter Mbah, both of whom received special recognition under the newly introduced Public Governance Award category.
President of PEARL Awards Nigeria, Mr. Tayo Orekoya, opened the ceremony with a reflection on the Awards’ three-decade journey. He said the initiative was founded on principles of integrity, merit, and measurable performance, and has grown into one of Nigeria’s most respected platforms for rewarding corporate excellence. Orekoya noted that this year’s ceremony marked a milestone with the introduction of the PEARL Excellence in Public Governance Award, designed to celebrate public officials whose leadership reflects accountability, innovation, and impact. There was also the public presentation and launch of the 2026 Nigerian Stock Market Annals, a publication detailing market insights, methodologies, and key economic perspectives of the Nigerian and global economies.
As awards were presented across various categories, companies including Prescott Plc, BUA Foods Plc, Transnational Corporation Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Seplat Energies, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Champion Breweries, and NEM Insurance Plc, among others, emerged as winners for their outstanding performance in the 2024 financial year while the PEARL Awards CEO of the year award was presented to Dr Owen Omogaifo, Group CEO, Transnational Corporation Plc.
In his goodwill message, Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, represented by his Deputy, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai commended the organisers for sustaining a credible performance-driven platform for three decades. He, however, stressed the need for Nigeria to rethink how development is financed at the sub-national level. Mbah highlighted the difficulties states encounter in securing affordable financing for infrastructure, noting that development finance is often mistaken for commercial financing, even though both serve different purposes. He called for a dedicated capital-market-backed development finance portfolio that offers flexible and lower interest rates to enable states fund essential infrastructure that drives private sector growth.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), Mr. Jude Chiemeka, also addressed the gathering, noting that the Exchange has evolved into a multi-asset platform with 147 listed companies and 102 Federal Government bonds. He said NGX remains committed to supporting national economic objectives, including the Federal Government’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy. Chiemeka urged the government to continue strengthening policies that encourage more companies to list, stressing that listed firms tend to be more transparent, responsible and tax-compliant.
The keynote address of the night was delivered by former Minister of Budget and National Planning and immediate past Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma. He reaffirmed the pivotal role of a transparent and well-governed capital market in fostering sustainable economic development. Now serving as Chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, Udoma praised the transformation of Nigeria’s capital market from manual trading floors to fully digital platforms with diverse investment instruments.
According to him, strong market governance boosts investor confidence, enhances capital flows, drives corporate expansion and supports job creation. “A vibrant capital market is essential for channeling funds into productive enterprises. When governance is strong, confidence rises and growth becomes inevitable,” he said. Udoma described the evolution of the market as one of Nigeria’s most compelling success stories and commended the founders of the PEARL Awards for promoting discipline and transparency through verifiable performance metrics.
The colourful ceremony closed with expressions of appreciation to participating organisations, corporate leaders, and distinguished guests as the PEARL Awards reaffirmed its commitment to advancing transparency, excellence, and innovation across Nigeria’s capital market for decades to come.