Event
Col. Sani Bello honoured with lifetime achievement award at NACC gala
Col. Sani Bello (Rtd) received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NACC for his contributions to business, leadership, and philanthropy during their 65th anniversary gala.
Col. Sani Bello (Rtd) received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NACC for his contributions to business, leadership, and philanthropy during their 65th anniversary gala
Col. Sani Bello (Rtd), the Chairman of Mainstream Energy Solutions, has been honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in Business, Leadership & Philanthropy by the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC).
Also read: NACC celebrates 65th anniversary, inaugurates new president in Lagos grandeur
This significant recognition was bestowed upon him during the chamber’s grand 65th anniversary dinner, a high-profile event held at the Lagos Continental Hotel, situated on Victoria Island.
The celebratory evening, themed “The Power of Co-operation: 65 Years of Optimizing Nigerian-American Economic Relations”, served as a platform to acknowledge individuals who have made remarkable and lasting contributions to the realms of business, leadership, and humanitarian endeavours.
The event also marked the official inauguration of NACC’s 20th President, Alhaji Sheriff Balogun, ushering in a new chapter for the chamber.
During the award presentation, a citation read aloud at the event lauded Col. Bello as a respected elder statesman whose exemplary leadership, astute business acumen, and impactful philanthropic legacy have positively influenced countless lives across Nigeria.
The citation specifically recognised “your exemplary leadership and service as an elder statesman, your lasting impact on business and commerce in Nigeria, and your legacy as a philanthropist lifting countless lives and inspiring future generations.”
The esteemed business mogul also played a key role as the chief launcher of the NACC’s impressive 3-Dimensional multi-storey headquarters building, which was unveiled during the anniversary celebration.
Notably, a dedicated floor within this new edifice, named the Sani Bello International Entrepreneurship Centre, stands as a testament to his significant contributions.
Other distinguished personalities honoured during the evening included Chief Michael AdeOjo, Arthur Eze, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and the Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe, Americo D’Oliveira Dos Ramos.
The event also featured poignant posthumous tributes to the late Ambassador Walter Carrington, Mr. Richard Kramer, and the late Mayor of Houston, Texas, Sylvester Turner, acknowledging their significant impact.
Furthermore, the anniversary gala witnessed the official unveiling of the NACC’s new multi-storey headquarters building, a symbol of the chamber’s growth and enduring commitment, as well as the formal induction of 52 new members into the Chamber.
Representing the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Cooperatives, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, commended the Chamber for its pivotal role in fostering economic development within the state, reaffirming the government’s unwavering support for businesses and strong international trade relations.
The newly inaugurated President of NACC, Alhaji Sheriff Balogun, pledged to guide the Chamber through strategic initiatives focused on the crucial areas of SME growth, export promotion, and impactful trade missions, articulating his vision for the organisation:
“My vision for the Chamber is founded on three pillars – Expansion, Innovation & Impact.”
Established in 1960, the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce proudly stands as West Africa’s oldest bilateral chamber, steadfastly committed to strengthening the vital trade relationship between Nigeria and the United States through member-driven engagement, strategic dialogue, and high-level international missions.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has been announced as the Keynote Speaker for the Anniversary Public Lecture of Lagos-based online newspaper, thegazellenews’.com.
The lecture is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, 15 July, 2026 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lagos, by 10:00 a.m.
The event will focus on the theme: “Driving Grassroots Governance with Public-Private Partnership: The Pains, The Challenges, The Prospects
In a statement, the management of TheGazelleNews said the annual lecture series was established to provide a platform for intellectual discourse and policy conversations on critical national issues affecting Nigeria and its people.
The organisers noted that the lecture has, over the years, attracted eminent personalities, policymakers, academics, media practitioners, captains of industry and political stakeholders from across the country.
The management described Dare as a seasoned administrator, journalist and communications strategist whose extensive experience in governance and public service positions him to lead discussions on grassroots governance and the role of public-private partnerships in national development.
“The annual lecture series was created to provide a platform for intellectual discourse and policy conversations on critical national issues affecting the country and its people,” the statement noted.
It further disclosed that invited guests and participants are expected from government institutions, media organisations, civil society groups and the private sector.
Dare, a distinguished global communications and multimedia expert, author and public speaker, brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, governance, public policy and strategic communications.
He currently serves as Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, where he plays a central role in shaping and coordinating the administration’s public communication strategy.
Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for combining journalism, public policy and stakeholder management, while championing institutional reforms, digital innovation and youth empowerment initiatives.
Before his current role, Dare served as Minister of Youth and Sports Development from 2019 to 2023, where he introduced the Nigeria Sports Industry Policy (NSIP), widely known as the “Sports as Business” model.
He also spearheaded the implementation of a 10-year Football Master Plan designed to reposition Nigerian football and launched the Adopt-an-Athlete Initiative to strengthen sports development.
Under his leadership, Nigeria recorded one of its most successful outings at major international sporting competitions, including the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics, securing a combined 35 medals.
He also facilitated the establishment of the N75 billion Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to support youth entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
Earlier, Dare served as Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) between 2016 and 2019, overseeing stakeholder engagement and supervising key departments, including Licensing and Authorisation, Legal and Enforcement, and Zonal Operations.
He also previously served as Chief of Staff and Special Adviser on Media to Tinubu, managing media relations and political communications.
In the international media arena, Dare worked with the Independent Communication Network Limited (ICNL), publishers of The News/Tempo/PM News where he rose to become the General Editor of the flagship publication of the company, The News magazine. Dare was one of the leading lights in the media war against the military junta in the days of Babangida and late Sanni Abacha and was active in the guerilla journalism of that era.
He spent nearly a decade at Voice of America, rising to become Chief of the Hausa Service. In that capacity, he directed radio programming that reached an estimated audience of 28 million listeners daily across West Africa while introducing modern information technology tools into newsroom operations.
Academically, Dare attended Ahmadu Bello University, University of Jos, New York University, Harvard University and University of Oxford. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Intelligence and Global Security.
The management of TheGazelleNews expressed confidence that Dare’s experience in governance, media, public policy and strategic communications would enrich discussions at the anniversary lecture and stimulate meaningful conversations on strengthening grassroots governance through effective public-private partnerships.
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