Ayomide Erhabor
The Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos State came alive on Friday night as Next Money, a leading financial journalism group, hosted the 2025 Top 100 Companies Awards.
The Next Money awards night was to celebrate Nigeria’s most outstanding publicly listed firms for their performance, innovation, and impact.
The event brought together some of the country’s most influential business leaders, policymakers, and financial executives.
Among the dignitaries were Dr. Ije Jidenma, Chairman of the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Leading Edge Consulting; Olufemi Modupe Awoyemi, Chairman of Proshare Awards and keynote speaker; Daniel Oboe of Business Day; and Dotun Oladipo, Managing Editor and CEO of Premium Eagle Media, owners of the The Eagle Online and The Eagle Online Nigeria.
In his opening address delivered on his behalf by Ernest Ebi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Centre for Financial Journalism, Professor Akpan Ekpo explained that the Next Money Top 100 ranking was based on a rigorous analysis of audited financial statements from all companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange.
Ekpo noted that analysts assessed each firm’s revenue, profit after tax, market capitalisation, tax contributions, and number of employees before compiling the final list.
Longevity Is Not a Game — Awoyemi
Delivering the keynote, Awoyemi called for a shift from short-term corporate gains to sustainable, generational business models.
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“Most managers in Nigeria think in terms of seasons rather than decades,” he said, adding: “Behind any process of corporate decline lies an infinite strain of deception.”
He reflected on the decline of once-dominant corporations like Unilever and PZ Cussons, using them as cautionary examples for leaders who failed to adapt.
He said the next phase of Nigeria’s corporate evolution would be defined by companies that embrace technology, ethical governance, and are forward thinking.
Awoyemi said: “We’ve produced many leaders whose legacies vanished with their tenure. Longevity is not a game, it’s the product of consistent strategy and truth.”
In the global awards category, Access Holdings emerged as both Nigeria’s largest company and the largest by revenue, while Zenith Bank Plc clinched the title of most profitable company in Nigeria.
Dangote Group was recognised as the largest employer of labour nationwide.
Across sectors, the awards showcased excellence and resilience:
Banking Sector
Access Holdings — Largest Bank in Nigeria; Largest by Revenue
Zenith Bank Plc — Most Profitable Bank; Highest Tax-Paying Bank
GTCO Plc — Most Valuable Bank
First HoldCo Plc — Largest by Number of Employees.
Insurance Sector
AIICO Insurance Plc — Largest Insurance Company in Nigeria; Largest by Revenue; Largest by Employees
Manufacturing Sector
Dangote Cement Plc — Swept all six categories including Largest, Most Profitable, Most Valuable, Largest by Revenue, Largest by Employees, and Highest Tax-Paying Manufacturing Company
The Editor-in-Chief of Next Money, Dr. Ray Echeberi, led the award presentations, highlighting the publication’s commitment to factual, data-backed recognition.
According to Echebiri, the Next Money Top 100 awards were designed to “recognise and celebrate high-performing companies that demonstrate excellence through measurable performance indicators”.
The ceremony ended on a reflective note with the national anthem, leaving guests inspired by the evening’s emphasis on integrity, sustainability, and corporate endurance.
The Next Money Top 100 Companies Awards is an annual initiative by Next Money to spotlight Nigeria’s most successful publicly listed firms based on financial transparency, performance, and impact.
The full list of the 2025 Top 100 Companies has been scheduled to appear in Next Money’s latest publication.
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