Tony Elumelu to Receive Silverbird Extraordinary Achievement Award
Renowned Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu, has been nominated to receive the Silverbird Extraordinary Achievement Award.
Organisers of the prestigious honour announced the nomination in a statement at the weekend, noting that the award will be presented at the grand finale of the 2025 Silverbird Man of the Year ceremony scheduled for March 1, 2026, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is widely recognised for advancing entrepreneurship and private-sector-driven development across Africa.
He rose to prominence in banking as former Chief Executive Officer of Standard Trust Bank, which merged with United Bank for Africa (UBA) in 2005. As Group Managing Director/CEO of UBA from 2005 to 2010, he led its transformation into a leading pan-African financial institution with operations across more than 20 African countries and international offices.
Beyond banking, Elumelu has built a diversified investment portfolio spanning power, energy, finance, hospitality, healthcare, and real estate through Heirs Holdings. He also chairs Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp), owners of Transcorp Hilton Abuja and Transcorp Power.
He is globally known for promoting “Africapitalism,” a philosophy advocating long-term private investment to drive Africa’s economic transformation and social prosperity. Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, he leads one of Africa’s largest entrepreneurship initiatives, the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, which has supported thousands of young African entrepreneurs.
Elumelu has served on major international advisory platforms, including the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All initiative and World Economic Forum regional leadership groups. He is also a recipient of Nigeria’s national honour, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
The Silverbird Extraordinary Achievement Award recognises individuals whose impact has significantly advanced national and continental development across sectors.
