Dangote Cement, Zenith Bank, Access Holdings, Seplat Energy, AIICO Insurance, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), First HoldCo, NEM Insurance and Axa Mansard Insurance have been recognised as Nigeria’s high-performing companies in the 2024 financial year.
The recognition followed a performance analysis and ranking of publicly listed companies on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) by NextMoney Magazine, a publication of the Centre for Financial Journalism.
The awards were presented at the maiden edition of the NextMoney Top 100 Companies Awards held on Friday, at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The event, themed “Nigeria’s Top 100 Companies: Yesterday, Today and the Future,” was chaired by Ije Jidenma, chairman of the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce and featured a keynote address by Proshare Nigeria chairman, Olufemi Awoyemi.
Access Holdings won two awards, The Largest Company in Nigeria and The Largest Company in Nigeria by Revenue while Dangote Cement received The Most Valuable Company in Nigeria and The Largest Company in Nigeria by Number of Employees.
Zenith Bank was named The Most Profitable Company in Nigeria and Seplat Energy received The Highest Tax Paying Company in Nigeria award.
In the banking sector category, Access Holdings also won The Largest Bank in Nigeria and The Largest Bank in Nigeria by Revenue awards.
Zenith Bank received The Most Profitable Bank in Nigeria and The Highest Tax Paying Bank in Nigeria awards.
GTCO was named The Most Valuable Bank in Nigeria and First HoldCo won The Largest Bank in Nigeria by Number of Employees.
AIICO Insurance took home three awards in the insurance category, including The Largest Insurance Company in Nigeria, The Largest Insurance Company by Revenue and The Largest Insurance Company by Number of Employees.
Axa Mansard Insurance received The Most Valuable Insurance Company in Nigeria and The Highest Tax Paying Insurance Company in Nigeria awards, while NEM Insurance was recognised as The Most Profitable Insurance Company in Nigeria.
Dangote Cement dominated the manufacturing sector, winning all five awards, including The Largest Manufacturing Company in Nigeria, The Most Profitable Manufacturing Company in Nigeria, The Most Valuable Manufacturing Company in Nigeria, The Largest Manufacturing Company by Revenue and The Highest Tax Paying Manufacturing Company in Nigeria.
Chairman of the centre for financial journalism, Ernest Ebi, represented by Akpan Ekpo, said the awards were based strictly on audited financial statements of the companies, describing them as a transparent measure of corporate performance.
“This is not an award you can lobby for, embellish, or influence. It is earned. It is deserved”, he said.
“In a time when trust in institutions is paramount, we believe that celebrating companies that uphold financial discipline, good governance, and shareholder value is not just necessary, it is urgent. These companies are not only profitable; they are principled. They are not only growing; they are guiding. They are not only surviving; they are shaping the future of Nigeria’s economy.
In his keynote address, Mr Awoyemi urged companies to use the recognition as motivation to plan strategically for future challenges, noting that corporate success depends on preparedness for the needs of tomorrow.
“Indeed, corporate success is not about the certainty of today but the effort to meet the needs of tomorrow”, he said.
