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

NNPC Foundation Dominates the Awards

NNPC Foundation dominated the night and emerged Overall Winner as it reaffirmed its leadership in social investment across Africa. The foundation clinched Best in Poverty Reduction, Best in Stakeholder Management, and Best Organization in Decent Work and Economic Growth, thereby cementing its position as a trailblazer in national development and community resilience.

Zenith Bank Records Outstanding Wins

Zenith Bank Plc delivered an exceptional performance as it secured Best in Reporting and Transparency as well as Best in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.

The bank’s Group Managing Director and CEO, Dame Adaora Umeoji, also carted home the coveted CEO of the Year Award, which recognized her groundbreaking leadership in sustainable finance and inclusive transformation.

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She clinched this award from a pool of CEOs representing the 325 organizations that participated in the 2025 edition, and she made history as the first female CEO to win the honours in the 19-year history of the awards.

Bank of Industry Strengthens Its Position

The Bank of Industry also stood out as it won Best in Infrastructure Development and Best in Financial Inclusion, thereby underscoring its strategic role in strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base and expanding access to finance for underserved communities.

Spotlight on Top Performing Organizations

The ceremony further spotlighted a diverse 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, each recognized for exemplary contributions to sustainability, innovation, and community impact.

Celebrating Individual Excellence

On the individual honours platform, celebrated Nollywood star Stephanie Linus received the African Outstanding Achievement Award in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment for her groundbreaking advocacy and creative influence through her internationally acclaimed movie Dry, which touched on the challenges of early girl child marriages.
Dr. Emmanuella Arukwe, CEO of NNPC Foundation, was named African Sustainability Professional of the Year, while Nzan Ogbe received honours as African Sustainability Man of the Year for his transformative contributions to clean energy manufacturing.

SERAS Founder’s Call for Bold Innovation

In his welcome address, Ken Egbas, Founder of The SERAS, highlighted the evolution of the awards over nearly two decades as he noted their ascent to becoming the gold standard for sustainability recognition in Africa and a benchmark for organizations worldwide.

Egbas explained that the 2025 theme, Sustainability 2.0: Innovating for Impact and Inclusive Growth, signals a decisive shift toward bold, future focused action. He stated that Africa cannot afford business as usual and must innovate relentlessly, boldly, and audaciously, while connecting growth to inclusion and profit to purpose. He added that this year’s organizations have shown that this future is attainable.

He highlighted inspiring efforts across sectors, ranging from financial inclusion breakthroughs to telecommunications driven digital empowerment, deeper climate commitments in the energy industry, circular economy advances in manufacturing, and community transformation led by foundations.

Egbas also emphasized the integrity of the adjudication process as he revealed that 32 organizations were disqualified for false claims, underscoring the awards’ uncompromising commitment to transparency and credibility.

A Powerful Call for the Future

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