By Esther Onyegbula

Twelve young Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in diverse fields were on Saturday honoured at the 7th edition of the Lord’s Achievers Awards (LAA) held at The Monarch Events Centre, Lekki, Lagos.

The awards, themed “Icons of Impact”, recognised achievers in finance, media, literature, entertainment, sports, technology, agriculture, fashion, health, and other sectors, in a ceremony attended by industry leaders and cultural figures.

Those honoured include Jennifer Awirigwe (Finance), Debbie Larry-Izamoje (Media & Journalism), Victory Ashaka (Literature), Kaliné Njoku (Film & Entertainment), Damilola Onafuwa (Visual Arts), Ifeoluwa Dare Johnson (Health & Wellness), Tunde Onakoya (Societal Development), Samson Ogbole (Agriculture), Tosin Eniolorunda (Innovation & Technology), Temilade Tolulope “T.T Dalk” (Fashion & Lifestyle), and Tobi Ayeni “Miss Techy” (Content Creation).

Football star Asisat Oshoala, who was recognised in the Sports category, was represented at the event by Lanre Vigo, Chairman of Inter Lagos Football Club and her manager.

In a landmark moment, Ife Durosinmi-Etti, founder of Herconomy and past honouree, received the inaugural “Lord of the City” Award after becoming the first Nigerian to win three Silver Lions at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity earlier this year.

The credibility of the selection process, organisers said, was reinforced by a jury of respected professionals including Stephanie Busari, Senior Editor (Africa) at CNN; Chuka Obi, Director of Creativity & Innovations at Globacom; Titilope Adesanya, Director of Operations, EMPIRE Africa; Wole Odetayo, CEO of Southwest Innovation & Tech Co. Ltd; Femi Taiwo, Managing Partner at F.I.T Africa; Ladun Awobokun, Chief Content Officer at FilmOne Ltd; and Chinyere Inya, Partner at Accelerate Africa & Future Africa.

The evening featured musical and cultural performances from Seeing Through the Arts (STAR), Loud Urban Choir, Band Tronic, hypeman Do2dtun, Afro-soul singer Qing Madi, Shoday, and Fido.

Since its inception in 2019, the Lord’s Achievers Awards has honoured more than 70 young achievers, among them comedian Layi Wasabi, eco-entrepreneur Adejoke Lasisi, and chess advocate Tunde Onakoya, who returned this year as a recipient.