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Zacch Adedeji @ 47: Celebrating a Man of Exceptional Grace, Excellence

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Zacch Adedeji @ 47: Celebrating a Man of Exceptional Grace, Excellence By Dare Adekanmbi Ecclesiastical evidence abounds to affirm that God does not look at people or issues through the same prism from which human beings perceive matters. As mortals, we give primacy to mundane parameters as appearance or outward adornments, height or whether the person is oozing opulence or simply look at nobility of a person’s birth before ascribing value or judgment to such a person. The story of David’s ascension to the throne of Israel summarises how God make His choices. Prophet Samuel beheld the firstborn of Jesse named Eliab and, looking at his outward qualities, concluded “here comes the Lord’s anointed king who will govern over Israel.” But just before that thought could settle in the prophet’s mind, God told him that is not the man for the job. The story of Zacch Adedeji, executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is the story of a young, wise and brilliant man who has enjoyed exceptional grace of God. His father (of blessed memory) was a cocoa farmer from the mainly agrarian Iwo Ate town, in Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State. His mother is a trader-cum-farmer. It was thanks to Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s matchless leadership and quality governance that the town at that time boasted some basic municipal amenities like school and a dispensary. I can imagine the joy on his father’s face when the news was broken to him that his wife was delivered of a bouncing bonny baby boy later christened Zacchaeus Adelabu Adedeji. While his father desired functional education for Zacch, the first child of the family, the greater joy for the cocoa farmer would be that the birth of Baby Zacch means an extra hand on the farm, heir apparent to the cocoa farming business. This perception perhaps prevented Zacch’s father from noticing the unique stars in the sky that heralded the arrival of a special child to the family, the humble background notwithstanding. The family did not realise they have been gifted a global talent whose brilliance and expertise will be acknowledged beyond the shores of Nigeria. While his father was looking at a child who will grow to become a helping hand on the farms, God was looking at a precious gift that will bring honour to the family name. Growing up for Zacch was not easy as there was no silver spoon in his mouth at birth. But with the grace of God upon his life, he was determined never to allow the circumstance of his birth dictate how far he could go in life. While going to school, he was also assisting his father in his cocoa farming. Zacch could not have chosen any other course in his post-secondary educational pursuit other than accountancy. He was his father’s book-keeper for the sale of cocoa produce. At the Federal Polytechnic in Ede, Osun State, where he studied Accountancy for his Ordinary National Diploma, Zacch came out flying with a distinction. Rather than return for his HND, he opted to further his studies at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, where he read management and accounting and finished with First Class honours. He did not allow the death of his father at about the time he was starting at Ife to extinguish his hope of having functional university education. Zacch’s special talent as a brilliant accountant quickly singled out from the new recruits at P&G. He saved the company hundreds of millions of dollars in needless expenditure and deploys his financial wizardry to catapult the company’s profit to new heights. For this exceptional display, the company dispatched him to one of the best business schools in Switzerland to share his experience with them. This feat earned him a seat at the management cadre of the American goods company earlier than any young recruit by the firm. He rose to become the Corporate Finance Manager for West Africa. It was while making his mark at the firm that he met a great leader, Senator Abiola Ajimobi (of blessed memory), sometime in 2009. He was just attending to what he would ordinarily consider a routine payment query when they met. Ajimobi was happy to meet a young chap from Oyo State making waves at such a company. From that time, a journey of mentoring, love and support that would remain with Zacch for a lifetime started. It was a meeting that also changed his trajectory from the private sector to the public sector. Ajimobi appointed him Finance Commissioner for Oyo State at age 33. Notable among his achievements include: raising Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from about N600m monthly to about N2bn in a short period, blocking leakages by streamlining government bank accounts through which a lot of money was haemorrhaged from about 100 to about 10. As executive secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Zacch left an indelible mark, raising standards and re-engineering processes to deliver better quality service and increased productivity. When tapped as Special Adviser on Revenue by President Bola Tinubu, a lot of people speculated he would ultimately head the country’s tax agency, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). As an evangelist in the Anglican Communion, Zacch believes in the scripture that the power of life and death is the tongue. As the one whose duty it was to interface with FIRS tax officers while at P&G, he had said during one of his frequent visits to the Agidingbi office of the agency that “someday, I would like to work in this organisation and contribute to its transformation.” Today, not only is Zacch the executive chairman of FIRS, he has brought unprecedented transformation to the agency within a short period. FIRS, under Zacch, surpassed tax revenue target in 2023, leading to a higher revenue benchmark of N19.4 trillion set by government for 2024. Later this month, Adedeji will announce to Nigerians what the agency was able to collect in the year just ended. The agency has done well again and has exceeded the target from available information. To all who know Zacch and have had interactions with him, one special attribute stands him out: his humility. He relates with the young and the old quite well and the big success that God has given him does not get into his head. Many people have spoken so glowingly about this character trait in Zacch. In 2017, he and I returned to Nigeria from a trip to the US. He had gone on holiday and I had gone to cover the annual meetings of the World Bank/IMF. We were to lodge at a popular hotel in Ikeja on arrival. After dinner, the receptionist said only one room was left. “Give it to us. Dare and I will share it,” said Zacch. That was how we slept on the same bed that night. If there are so many positive things to say about Zacch who is 47 years today, then the future holds even a brighter future for the number one tax man in the country today. Our boss believes in Simon Sinek’s submission that leadership is not just about being in charge, but also about taking care of those in your charge. I join admirers and well-wishers to wish ZA many more happy years of his trademark brilliance and wisdom. May God continue to strengthen him in good health. .Adekanmbi is the Special Adviser on Media to the chairman, FIRS, Zacch Adedeji.

Zacch Adedeji @ 47: Celebrating a Man of Exceptional Grace, Excellence

By Dare Adekanmbi

 

 

Ecclesiastical evidence abounds to affirm that God does not look at people or issues through the same prism from which human beings perceive matters. As mortals, we give primacy to mundane parameters as appearance or outward adornments, height or whether the person is oozing opulence or simply look at nobility of a person’s birth before ascribing value or judgment to such a person.

 

The story of David’s ascension to the throne of Israel summarises how God make His choices. Prophet Samuel beheld the firstborn of Jesse named Eliab and, looking at his outward qualities, concluded “here comes the Lord’s anointed king who will govern over Israel.” But just before that thought could settle in the prophet’s mind, God told him that is not the man for the job.

Zacch Adedeji @ 47: Celebrating a Man of Exceptional Grace, Excellence 
By Dare Adekanmbi
Ecclesiastical evidence abounds to affirm that God does not look at people or issues through the same prism from which human beings perceive matters. As mortals, we give primacy to mundane parameters as appearance or outward adornments, height or whether the person is oozing opulence or simply look at nobility of a person’s birth before ascribing value or judgment to such a person. 
The story of David’s ascension to the throne of Israel summarises how God make His choices. Prophet Samuel beheld the firstborn of Jesse named Eliab and, looking at his outward qualities, concluded “here comes the Lord’s anointed king who will govern over Israel.” But just before that thought could settle in the prophet’s mind, God told him that is not the man for the job.  
The story of Zacch Adedeji, executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is the story of a young, wise and brilliant man who has enjoyed exceptional grace of God. His father (of blessed memory) was a cocoa farmer from the mainly agrarian Iwo Ate town, in Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State. His mother is a trader-cum-farmer. It was thanks to Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s matchless leadership and quality governance that the town at that time boasted some basic municipal amenities like school and a dispensary.  
I can imagine the joy on his father’s face when the news was broken to him that his wife was delivered of a bouncing bonny baby boy later christened Zacchaeus Adelabu Adedeji. While his father desired functional education for Zacch, the first child of the family, the greater joy for the cocoa farmer would be that the birth of Baby Zacch means an extra hand on the farm, heir apparent to the cocoa farming business. This perception perhaps prevented Zacch’s father from noticing the unique stars in the sky that heralded the arrival of a special child to the family, the humble background notwithstanding. The family did not realise they have been gifted a global talent whose brilliance and expertise will be acknowledged beyond the shores of Nigeria. While his father was looking at a child who will grow to become a helping hand on the farms, God was looking at a precious gift that will bring honour to the family name. 
Growing up for Zacch was not easy as there was no silver spoon in his mouth at birth. But with the grace of God upon his life, he was determined never to allow the circumstance of his birth dictate how far he could go in life. While going to school, he was also assisting his father in his cocoa farming. Zacch could not have chosen any other course in his post-secondary educational pursuit other than accountancy. He was his father’s book-keeper for the sale of cocoa produce. 
At the Federal Polytechnic in Ede, Osun State, where he studied Accountancy for his Ordinary National Diploma, Zacch came out flying with a distinction. Rather than return for his HND, he opted to further his studies at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, where he read management and accounting and finished with First Class honours. He did not allow the death of his father at about the time he was starting at Ife to extinguish his hope of having functional university education.  
Zacch’s special talent as a brilliant accountant quickly singled out from the new recruits at P&G. He saved the company hundreds of millions of dollars in needless expenditure and deploys his financial wizardry to catapult the company’s profit to new heights. For this exceptional display, the company dispatched him to one of the best business schools in Switzerland to share his experience with them. This feat earned him a seat at the management cadre of the American goods company earlier than any young recruit by the firm. He rose to become the Corporate Finance Manager for West Africa. 
It was while making his mark at the firm that he met a great leader, Senator Abiola Ajimobi (of blessed memory), sometime in 2009. He was just attending to what he would ordinarily consider a routine payment query when they met. Ajimobi was happy to meet a young chap from Oyo State making waves at such a company. From that time, a journey of mentoring, love and support that would remain with Zacch for a lifetime started. It was a meeting that also changed his trajectory from the private sector to the public sector. Ajimobi appointed him Finance Commissioner for Oyo State at age 33. Notable among his achievements include: raising Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from about N600m monthly to about N2bn in a short period, blocking leakages by streamlining government bank accounts through which a lot of money was haemorrhaged from about 100 to about 10. 
As executive secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Zacch left an indelible mark, raising standards and re-engineering processes to deliver better quality service and increased productivity. When tapped as Special Adviser on Revenue by President Bola Tinubu, a lot of people speculated he would ultimately head the country’s tax agency, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). 
As an evangelist in the Anglican Communion, Zacch believes in the scripture that the power of life and death is the tongue. As the one whose duty it was to interface with FIRS tax officers while at P&G, he had said during one of his frequent visits to the Agidingbi office of the agency that “someday, I would like to work in this organisation and contribute to its transformation.” Today, not only is Zacch the executive chairman of FIRS, he has brought unprecedented transformation to the agency within a short period. FIRS, under Zacch, surpassed tax revenue target in 2023, leading to a higher revenue benchmark of N19.4 trillion set by government for 2024. Later this month, Adedeji will announce to Nigerians what the agency was able to collect in the year just ended. The agency has done well again and has exceeded the target from available information. 
To all who know Zacch and have had interactions with him, one special attribute stands him out: his humility. He relates with the young and the old quite well and the big success that God has given him does not get into his head. Many people have spoken so glowingly about this character trait in Zacch. In 2017, he and I returned to Nigeria from a trip to the US. He had gone on holiday and I had gone to cover the annual meetings of the World Bank/IMF. We were to lodge at a popular hotel in Ikeja on arrival. After dinner, the receptionist said only one room was left. “Give it to us. Dare and I will share it,” said Zacch. That was how we slept on the same bed that night. 
If there are so many positive things to say about Zacch who is 47 years today, then the future holds even a brighter future for the number one tax man in the country today. Our boss believes in Simon Sinek’s submission that leadership is not just about being in charge, but also about taking care of those in your charge. I join admirers and well-wishers to wish ZA many more happy years of his trademark brilliance and wisdom. May God continue to strengthen him in good health. 

.Adekanmbi is the Special Adviser on Media to the chairman, FIRS, Zacch Adedeji.

The story of Zacch Adedeji, executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is the story of a young, wise and brilliant man who has enjoyed exceptional grace of God. His father (of blessed memory) was a cocoa farmer from the mainly agrarian Iwo Ate town, in Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State. His mother is a trader-cum-farmer. It was thanks to Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s matchless leadership and quality governance that the town at that time boasted some basic municipal amenities like school and a dispensary.
I can imagine the joy on his father’s face when the news was broken to him that his wife was delivered of a bouncing bonny baby boy later christened Zacchaeus Adelabu Adedeji. While his father desired functional education for Zacch, the first child of the family, the greater joy for the cocoa farmer would be that the birth of Baby Zacch means an extra hand on the farm, heir apparent to the cocoa farming business. This perception perhaps prevented Zacch’s father from noticing the unique stars in the sky that heralded the arrival of a special child to the family, the humble background notwithstanding. The family did not realise they have been gifted a global talent whose brilliance and expertise will be acknowledged beyond the shores of Nigeria. While his father was looking at a child who will grow to become a helping hand on the farms, God was looking at a precious gift that will bring honour to the family name.
Growing up for Zacch was not easy as there was no silver spoon in his mouth at birth. But with the grace of God upon his life, he was determined never to allow the circumstance of his birth dictate how far he could go in life. While going to school, he was also assisting his father in his cocoa farming. Zacch could not have chosen any other course in his post-secondary educational pursuit other than accountancy. He was his father’s book-keeper for the sale of cocoa produce.

 

At the Federal Polytechnic in Ede, Osun State, where he studied Accountancy for his Ordinary National Diploma, Zacch came out flying with a distinction. Rather than return for his HND, he opted to further his studies at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, where he read management and accounting and finished with First Class honours. He did not allow the death of his father at about the time he was starting at Ife to extinguish his hope of having functional university education.
Zacch’s special talent as a brilliant accountant quickly singled out from the new recruits at P&G. He saved the company hundreds of millions of dollars in needless expenditure and deploys his financial wizardry to catapult the company’s profit to new heights. For this exceptional display, the company dispatched him to one of the best business schools in Switzerland to share his experience with them. This feat earned him a seat at the management cadre of the American goods company earlier than any young recruit by the firm. He rose to become the Corporate Finance Manager for West Africa.
It was while making his mark at the firm that he met a great leader, Senator Abiola Ajimobi (of blessed memory), sometime in 2009. He was just attending to what he would ordinarily consider a routine payment query when they met. Ajimobi was happy to meet a young chap from Oyo State making waves at such a company. From that time, a journey of mentoring, love and support that would remain with Zacch for a lifetime started.

 

It was a meeting that also changed his trajectory from the private sector to the public sector. Ajimobi appointed him Finance Commissioner for Oyo State at age 33. Notable among his achievements include: raising Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from about N600m monthly to about N2bn in a short period, blocking leakages by streamlining government bank accounts through which a lot of money was haemorrhaged from about 100 to about 10.

 

As executive secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Zacch left an indelible mark, raising standards and re-engineering processes to deliver better quality service and increased productivity. When tapped as Special Adviser on Revenue by President Bola Tinubu, a lot of people speculated he would ultimately head the country’s tax agency, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

 

As an evangelist in the Anglican Communion, Zacch believes in the scripture that the power of life and death is the tongue. As the one whose duty it was to interface with FIRS tax officers while at P&G, he had said during one of his frequent visits to the Agidingbi office of the agency that “someday, I would like to work in this organisation and contribute to its transformation.” Today, not only is Zacch the executive chairman of FIRS, he has brought unprecedented transformation to the agency within a short period. FIRS, under Zacch, surpassed tax revenue target in 2023, leading to a higher revenue benchmark of N19.4 trillion set by government for 2024. Later this month, Adedeji will announce to Nigerians what the agency was able to collect in the year just ended. The agency has done well again and has exceeded the target from available information.

 

To all who know Zacch and have had interactions with him, one special attribute stands him out: his humility. He relates with the young and the old quite well and the big success that God has given him does not get into his head. Many people have spoken so glowingly about this character trait in Zacch. In 2017, he and I returned to Nigeria from a trip to the US. He had gone on holiday and I had gone to cover the annual meetings of the World Bank/IMF. We were to lodge at a popular hotel in Ikeja on arrival. After dinner, the receptionist said only one room was left. “Give it to us. Dare and I will share it,” said Zacch. That was how we slept on the same bed that night.

 

If there are so many positive things to say about Zacch who is 47 years today, then the future holds even a brighter future for the number one tax man in the country today. Our boss believes in Simon Sinek’s submission that leadership is not just about being in charge, but also about taking care of those in your charge. I join admirers and well-wishers to wish ZA many more happy years of his trademark brilliance and wisdom. May God continue to strengthen him in good health.

.Adekanmbi is the Special Adviser on Media to the chairman, FIRS, Zacch Adedeji.

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Tinubu Isn’t Nigeria’s Problem — He’s the Symptom of a Rotting System

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Budget Constraints, Infrastructure Woes Stall Diplomatic Deployment

from military rule to mismanaged democracy, Nigeria’s crisis runs deeper than any one president.

By Femi Oyewale

In the flurry of discontent sweeping across Nigeria today—rising costs, worsening insecurity, and public distrust—many fingers are pointing at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But in our desperation to find a scapegoat, we risk missing the bigger picture. Tinubu is not the architect of Nigeria’s ruin; he is the latest occupant of a broken system built on decades of policy failure, corruption, and elite impunity.
Tinubu Isn’t Nigeria’s Problem — He’s the Symptom of a Rotting System
Let’s be clear: Tinubu’s administration deserves critique—no leader is above accountability. But it is intellectually lazy and politically shortsighted to isolate him as the root cause of Nigeria’s dysfunction. Our real enemy is the structure—a web of systemic errors that has entangled Nigeria for over 60 years.
A Brief History of Institutional Collapse
Since independence: Nigeria has struggled with the ghosts of colonial division, regional distrust, and leadership that prioritized personal gain over national development. From military dictatorships to flawed democratic transitions, every administration contributed bricks to the wall of dysfunction we now face. Policies came and went, but accountability remained a myth. The oil boom brought riches, yet poverty deepened. Institutions became shells of power, riddled with incompetence and fueled by patronage.
Democracy Hijacked: Nigeria Under Tinubu and APC's Reign of Suppression By George Omagbemi Sylvester
By the time democracy “returned” in 1999, the nation had already normalized bad governance. Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari—all had chances to reverse the rot. Instead, they either sustained it or worsened it. Now Tinubu inherits a house built on sand, and we expect him to walk on water.
Structural Injustice and a Culture of Rot
The real crisis lies in how our political, judicial, and economic systems are wired. We run a federal system that behaves like a unitary state. Governors act as emperors. Elections are transactional. Justice is for sale. And our security architecture is outdated and overwhelmed.
Fueling Uncertainty: Investigating Nigeria's Subsidy Removal And Dangote Refinery Debacle* By Sylvester Audu
Tinubu did not invent fuel subsidy scams. He didn’t start the tradition of bloated governance or underfunded education. The poverty and infrastructural decay tormenting Nigerians today are the cumulative results of 60+ years of elite failure. If not him, the system would have found another operator.
A People Conditioned to Tolerate Failure
Nigerians have also been conditioned—through survivalism and repression—to accept bad leadership as fate. We cheer tribalism over merit, and we normalize inefficiency as long as it wears our ethnic or religious label. This collective silence is what emboldens political actors, not just at the top but across all tiers of government.
Nigeria: Achebe’s Warning Ignored, A Nation in Relapse By George Omagbemi Sylvester
TIME TO FIX THE FOUNDATION
Removing Tinubu won’t fix Nigeria. Electing a messiah won’t work if the system crushes reformers. What Nigeria needs is institutional restructuring, civic awakening, and a hard reboot of its political culture. We must de-emphasize personalities and focus on process. We need less of “who’s in power” and more of “how power works.”
The Architect of Renewal: The Bola Ahmed Tinubu Story Reviewed by Sunday Dare,
Blaming Tinubu alone is like blaming the final domino in a long-fallen chain. He is a reflection, not the cause. If Nigerians want a better future, we must stop hacking at branches and start digging out roots. This is not just Tinubu’s mess—it is ours too. And until we fix the system, no president, saint or sinner, will save us.

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MC Richman Dazzles as Olu of Warri, African Icons Honoured at 100 Most Reputable Africans Awards

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MC Richman Dazzles as Olu of Warri, African Icons Honoured at 100 Most Reputable Africans Awards

Johannesburg, South Africa – South Africa’s top Nigerian comedian, MC Richman, lit up the stage with charisma and cultural flair as he thrilled audiences at the prestigious 100 Most Reputable Africans Awards, where the revered Olu of Warri and several African dignitaries were among the honoured guests.
Held in Johannesburg, the star-studded ceremony celebrated a diverse lineup of Africa’s most impactful leaders, trailblazers, and cultural icons. The event brought together royalty, business moguls, media personalities, and influencers under one roof — united by excellence and African pride.
MC Richman, a crowd favourite in the South African entertainment scene, brought laughter and energy to the night with a performance that blended sharp wit and pan-African pride. Richman’s vibrant set left the audience roaring with laughter while also honouring African heritage.
MC Richman Dazzles as Olu of Warri, African Icons Honoured at 100 Most Reputable Africans Awards
“To stand before kings, queens, and changemakers with comedy is an honour. Tonight, we laugh, we celebrate, and we remind the world what African greatness looks like,” said Richman during his set.
MC Richman Dazzles as Olu of Warri, African Icons Honoured at 100 Most Reputable Africans Awards
Among the evening’s most notable recognitions was the Olu of Warri, whose presence underscored the importance of African tradition and leadership in shaping the continent’s future. Other honourees included politicians, philanthropists, artists, and educators recognized for their remarkable contributions to their fields.
Organisers of the event hailed it as a night of unity and celebration, highlighting the continent’s brightest and most reputable figures from across sectors and regions.
The 100 Most Reputable Africans Awards continue to stand as a beacon of African excellence — and thanks to performers like MC Richman, they shine just a little brighter.

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HRH Dennis A. Iseghohhimen Steps Out in Style to Celebrate with Olu of Warri at Prestigious 100 Most Reputable Africans Awards

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HRH Dennis A. Iseghohhimen Steps Out in Style to Celebrate with Olu of Warri at Prestigious 100 Most Reputable Africans Awards

In a powerful convergence of royalty, culture, and continental excellence, His
HRH Dennis A. Iseghohhimen fondly known as King Butrus, made a grand appearance at the 100 Most Reputable Africans Awards held in South Africa. The event, hosted by Reputation Poll International in partnership with the Global Reputation Forum, celebrated Africa’s finest leaders, thinkers, and philanthropists shaping the continent’s future.
King Butrus, the distinguished Royalty from Edo State, Nigeria, stood out not only for his regal presence but also for his commitment to service. As the Chief Executive Officer of Nicholas Auto Solution NAS, and founder of a philanthropic foundation, Illeh Community, Repair Of The Broken Wall, focused on elderly welfare in the IBILE community, King Butrus has become a beacon of compassion and leadership. His foundation’s unique initiative—placing senior citizens on a monthly salary while offering them free healthcare—has drawn widespread commendation and set a precedent for grassroots empowerment in Nigeria.
The awards ceremony was graced by numerous dignitaries, but the spotlight also shone brightly on His Imperial Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the Olu of Warri, whose attendance underscored the deep cultural and traditional roots that continue to enrich Africa’s modern identity. King Butrus, resplendent in traditional regalia, was seen celebrating warmly with the Olu of Warri, exemplifying a unity of purpose among African royalty and a shared commitment to upliftment and legacy.
The 100 Most Reputable Africans Awards recognizes individuals across governance, business, philanthropy, academia, and the arts who are actively redefining Africa’s narrative on the global stage. The 2025 edition highlighted not just the achievements but also the character and cultural stewardship of its honorees.
In King Butrus, many see a modern monarch whose strides in business and philanthropy represent the evolving face of African leadership—one rooted in tradition, yet dynamically engaged with the continent’s present and future.

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