Dr. Owen Omogiafo, President of Nigeria’s Transcorp Group, was just named Africa’s Businesswoman of the Year. The award was presented to her at a grand finale ceremony held at the King’s Ballroom in Sun City, South Africa, by the All African Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) in collaboration with CNBC Africa.
The AABLA is Africa’s largest single-business award, “telling an African story of perseverance, success, innovation, and accountability for the past ten years, and has become synonymous with recognizing the best in business leadership on the African continent, and continues to grow in boldness and stature,” AABLA stated on its website.
Trancorp Group is Nigeria’s largest publicly traded diversified conglomerate, with strategic stakes in the African hotel, oil and gas, and power industries.
Dr. Omogiafo was the MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels PLC before becoming President/Group CEO of Transcorp. She oversaw the $132 million refurbishment of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, Nigeria. She is the first woman and the youngest person in either role.
The award-winning corporate leader has more than two decades of expertise in organizational development, human resource management, financial services, change management, hospitality, energy, business transformation, and strategic planning.
Dr. Omogiafo has been crucial in promoting inclusive corporate practices, elevating women executives, cultivating entrepreneurial talent in Africa, and broadening the Transcorp Group’s portfolio across many African sectors.
She has held a number of high-profile positions, including Director of Resources at Heirs Holdings, a pan-African investment firm; HR Advisor to the Group Managing Director at United Bank of Africa PLC; and Organization and Human Performance Consultant at Accenture.
Dr. Omogiafo received a B.Sc. (double honors) in Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Benin, an M.Sc. in Human Resource Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Engineering from the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun. She also attended Lagos Business School and IESE Business School in Spain.
The business executive and strategist is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in the United Kingdom; a certified Change Manager with the Prosci Institute in the United States; a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management in Nigeria; a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria; and a member of the boards of Afriland Properties Ltd, Transcorp Power Ltd, TransAfam Power Ltd, Transcorp Hotels Plc, and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.
She is a member of Heirs Academy’s Advisory Board and the Vice President of the Lagos Business School Alumni Association.
Dr. Omogiafo has received numerous awards and recognitions, including Africa’s Top 100 Women in Leadership, 100 Most Influential African Women, 50 Most Inspiring Nigerian Women, and 50 Leading Ladies in Corporate Nigeria, in addition to the 2023 AABLA (All African Business Leaders Awards) Businesswoman of the Year Award.
Transcorp Group said in a statement to The Star that the prize was presented by Absa Group Limited, an African financial services business, during the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA), in cooperation with CNBC Africa.
The Group further stated that the All Africa Businesswoman of the Year award “is a testament to Dr. Omogiafo’s exceptional leadership, unwavering commitment to excellence, and significant contributions to the African business landscape.
“Her visionary approach and strategic acumen have propelled Transcorp Group to new heights, cementing its position as a leading conglomerate in Africa,” it noted.
