By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
The 7th edition of the Africa Illustrious Award is set for tomorrow, Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos. The event, designed to celebrate African excellence, has a culture of bringing Africa’s finest in various fields of human endeavours to pause, take stock, recognize, and celebrate African excellence.
According to Dr. Madueke, who spoke on behalf of the organizers, “ we were worried that excellence is often counted as an exception, not the rule in Africa, so My Media Africa and Africa Illustrious Award teamed up to change the narrative through constant celebration of worthy contributions by Africans in various walks of life. If people become aware of the amount of good works around them, there will be many more good works which will make our communities better,” he said. Over the years, this idea has continued to inspire organizers as the search goes deeper in seeking out deserving Africans who are honoured for being a source of pride to the continent in their own corner.
Some of the award categories include: business and entrepreneurship, agriculture, academia, scientific innovation and invention, the arts, medicine, public leadership, community service and philanthropy, Sports, among other categories. The award’s past recipients include Nigeria’s former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, former Governor of Machakos County in Kenya, Dr. Alfred Mutua, Professor Patrick Lumumba, renowned Nigerian police woman and sprinter, Chioma Ajunwa, as well as the late Nigerian midfielder, Sam Okwaraji, among other distinguished recipients, over the years.
This year’s edition promises nothing less than the same quality recognition accorded by the Africa Illustrious Award to all Africans making an impact in their locality. Diplomats, exceptional businessmen and women, public servants, administrators, corporate brands, as well as innovators, are expected to take the lead in this year’s Africa Illustrious Award on Saturday.
