2025 SERAS Africa Sustainability Awards: NNPC Foundation, Zenith Bank, BOI Lead Africa’s Biggest Night for Impact

The 19th edition of The SERAS Africa Sustainability Awards—widely acclaimed as the Oscars of Sustainability—was held in grand style at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, on Saturday, November 29, 2025, celebrating the continent’s most influential organizations and leaders driving transformative sustainable development.

NNPC Foundation dominated the night, emerging as the Overall Winner and reaffirming its leadership in social investment across Africa. The foundation clinched three major awards: Best in Poverty Reduction, Best in Stakeholder Management, and Best Organization in Decent Work and Economic Growth, cementing its position as a trailblazer in national development and community resilience.

Zenith Bank Plc delivered an exceptional performance, securing Best in Reporting/Transparency and Best in Gender Equality & Women Empowerment. The bank’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Dame Adaora Umeoji, also carted home the coveted CEO of the Year Award, recognizing her groundbreaking leadership in sustainable finance and inclusive transformation. She clinched this award from a pool of CEOs representing the 325 organizations that participated in the 2025 edition.She as made history as the first female CEO to win the honours in the 19-yearhistory of the awards.

The Bank of Industry (BOI) also stood out, winning Best in Infrastructure Development andBest in Financial Inclusion,underscoring its strategic role in strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base andexpanding access to finance for underserved communities.The ceremony further spotlighted adiverse range of top-performing organizations—including Opay, IHS Towers, Airtel, Union Bank Plc, TotalEnergies, Nestlé,Coca-Cola, Shell, Seplat, Nigerian Bottling Company, Rite Foods, Stanbic IBTC,NASCO Allied, Building Practice, Lagos Free Zone, Lafarge Africa, News Central,and Integrated Indigo —eachrecognized for exemplary contributions to sustainability, innovation, andcommunity impact.

On the individual honours platform,celebrated Nollywood star StephanieLinus received the AfricanOutstanding Achievement Award in Gender Equality/Women Empowerment forher groundbreaking advocacy and creative influence through her internationallyacclaimed movie that touched on the challenges of early girl-child marriages- Dry. Dr. Emmanuella Arukwe, CEO of NNPC Foundation, was named African Sustainability Professional of theYear, while Nzan Ogbe washonoured as African Sustainability Manof the Year for his transformative contributions to clean energymanufacturing.

In his welcome address, Ken Egbas, Founder of The SERAS,highlighted the evolution of the awards over nearly two decades, noting theirascent to becoming the gold standardfor sustainability recognition in Africa and a benchmark for organizationsworldwide.Egbas explained that the 2025 theme—“Sustainability 2.0: Innovating for Impactand Inclusive Growth”—signals a decisive shift toward bold,future-focused action:“Africacannot afford business-as-usual. We must innovate—relentlessly, boldly,audaciously.

We must connect growth to inclusion, profit to purpose, ambitionto equity. This year’s organizations have shown that this future isattainable.”He highlighted inspiring effortsacross sectors, from financial inclusion breakthroughs totelecommunications-driven digital empowerment, deeper climate commitments inthe energy industry, circular economy advances in manufacturing, and communitytransformation led by foundations.Egbas also emphasized the integrityof the adjudication process, revealing that 32 organizations were disqualified for false claims, underscoringthe awards’ uncompromising commitment to transparency and credibility.

As The SERAS prepares for its milestone 20th anniversary in 2026, thisedition stands as a resounding testament to Africa’s progress—and a powerfulcall for even greater ambition in shaping a sustainable, inclusive future.