NIGERIAN chef and former Guinness World Records (GWR) holder Hilda Baci, and Big Brother Naija season 8 winner Ilebaye Odiniya have been nominated for the Under-30 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) awards.

The 5th anniversary of the award, organised by the CEOs Network Africa (CNA), will be held later this year.

CEOs awards celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and tell the stories of young Africans breaking barriers across different walks of life.

The awards recognise Nigerians in different categories, including start-ups, creativity and arts, prize for education, entrepreneur of the year, food and catering, social impact, and online personality.

A statement by the chairperson of the awards committee, Mina Obetan, on Saturday, November 25, said the awards had been committed to fostering the growth of young African talents, highlighting the nominees’ accomplishments.

While calling on the public to participate in the voting process, Obetan stated that the nominees were thoughtfully selected for their contributions as creators and business owners.

“As a devoted platform fostering the growth and recognition of exceptional talent, CEOs Network Africa (CNA) invites the public to actively participate in the voting process

“Nominees, including Prada Uzodinma, Hilda Baci, Bright Shekoni, and others, have been thoughtfully selected for their outstanding contributions as creators and business owners who exemplify unparalleled leadership, innovation, and creativity,” she stated.

Also speaking on behalf of CNA, the awards committee co-chair, Abass Oroh, emphasised the awards’ impact on the African business landscape over the last five years.

“The Under 30 CEOs awards have served as a beacon, illuminating the remarkable work of businesses and business owners across the continent. Seeing the transformative influence these awards have had on the lives of young entrepreneurs has been nothing short of inspiring.

“The success stories that have emerged from past award recipients are a testament to the resilience and innovation inherent in Africa’s youth. It is this impact, this tangible result, that fuels our team’s unwavering dedication to organizing this event annually,” he said. 

Furthermore, he encouraged the public to join the organisers in their quest to showcase African talent and hard work by voting for businesses and people they believe deserve the awards.