Former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote and Ghanaian President John Mahama are among 90 individuals and organisations nominated for the Times Heroes Awards, organised as part of the centenary celebration of The Daily Times.

The nominees were unveiled on Thursday at a press conference held at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, with award categories including DTN @100 Man of the Century, Woman of the Century, Africa Rising Award, Global Icon, Climate Responsibility, Social Impact, Community Development, Bank of the Year, Manufacturing Company of the Year, and Outstanding Governors and Ministers, among others.

Chairman of the Times Heroes Awards Council, Bolaji Okusaga, said the awards were established to recognise Nigerians and institutions whose contributions have shaped the country’s development over the past century.

According to him, the awards reflect The Daily Times’ legacy of documenting Nigeria’s evolution since its establishment and its commitment to recognising excellence in governance, business, media, public service, gender advocacy and other sectors.

“Daily Times has been in the business of not just news gathering, but also serving as the conscience of the nation,” Okusaga said.

He noted that the newspaper played a significant role in Nigeria’s transition from colonial rule to independence and has continued to chronicle the country’s development.

Okusaga stressed that the awards would be guided by an independent selection process based on global best practices.

“We believe that the Times Heroes Awards will be worthy of its name. This is set to be different. It will ensure independence, conform with global best practices and recognise those who truly deserve the honour, not serve as a platform for monetisation,” he said.

He also disclosed that the centenary celebrations would feature the unveiling of The Nigerian Grand Book, a commemorative publication documenting Nigeria’s history through the archives of The Daily Times while celebrating notable personalities who have positively projected the country’s image.

Earlier, Executive Secretary of the Awards Council, Bonaventure Melah, said the awards ceremony, scheduled for September 3, would honour individuals, institutions, companies and organisations that have made significant contributions to society through leadership and community service.

Melah said the awards were being organised with transparency to ensure they become one of the most credible honours in the country.

He revealed that the DTN @100 Journalist of the Year category carries a cash prize of N10 million, with the winner to be determined through voting by journalists.

According to him, the winner will receive the cheque at the awards ceremony, while journalists have been encouraged to participate in the voting process through the dedicated awards website.

Melah described the centenary celebration as a milestone that would reconnect Nigerians with their shared history, values and democratic ideals.

He added that the awards would feature 35 categories and honour veteran Daily Times journalists, including Babatunde Jose, Segun Osoba and Onyema Ugochukwu.

He announced that nominations had closed and public voting had commenced, with the exercise expected to last three weeks before winners are announced.

Among the nominees are President John Mahama of Ghana, former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Aliko Dangote, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Senator Ali Ndume, as well as several serving and former public office holders.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Melah commended the management of Folio Africa, publishers of The Daily Times, for preserving the newspaper’s legacy following its acquisition during the 2006 privatisation exercise.

He said the publication had faced years of legal disputes after the acquisition but credited Folio Africa and its owner, Fidelis Anosike, with sustaining the newspaper and making its centenary celebration possible.