Each year, the National Entrepreneurship Honors (NEH) recognizes individuals who are not only growing businesses but growing the economy itself. At the heart of that recognition is the Technology Entrepreneurship Visionary Award, a distinguished honor reserved for entrepreneurs who have shown that profit and purpose can co-exist, and that business, when done right, can be a true driver of national development.
This award is not about momentary success or viral innovation. It celebrates entrepreneurs who build with intent who identify structural gaps, respond with practical solutions, and scale with the community in mind. These are the leaders who focus on long-term value, especially in places where volatility, exclusion, or fragmentation often dominate the business environment.
Winners are selected through a comprehensive, multi-phase evaluation process conducted by industry experts, researchers, and policy advisors. The criteria go beyond originality, they focus on relevance, resilience, sustainability, and the measurable impact a business has on lives, livelihoods, and national systems.
From supporting underserved markets to reshaping access for micro and small enterprises, recipients of the Technology Entrepreneurship Visionary Award have helped to rebuild the middle of the economy where most Nigerians operate but few solutions reach.
Notable recipients of this award includes:
- Fatai Folorunsho (2024)
- Kelechi Akanmu (2023)
- Halima Oyedepo (2022)
- Richard Nwachukwu (2021)
- Funke Aladejana (2020)
- Olatunde Ayegbeni (2019)
- Blessing Ezeogu (2018)
With just one honoree selected each year, the Technology Entrepreneurship Visionary Award stands as a powerful signal, one that elevates the builders who remain grounded in service, clarity, and contribution. It affirms that business excellence is not just about scale or valuation, but about systems that last and leadership that lifts others.
For Nigeria’s enterprise future to be inclusive, consistent, and competitive, it must be shaped by leaders, those who understand that impact is not an afterthought, but the entire point.
