NGX names Israel Ovirih among Nigeria’s top 25 CEOs

President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Critical Minerals Financing Corporation (CMFC) Plc, Dr Israel Ovirih, has been named among Nigeria’s Top 25 CEOs, following the company’s emergence as a specialised financing institution for the critical minerals and metals sector.

Ovirih received the recognition at the 2026 BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs Awards, organised in collaboration with Nigerian Exchange (NGX), with the selection based on corporate performance and records of listed companies during the 2025 financial year.

His recognition followed the restructuring and recapitalisation of Deap Capital Management & Trust Plc after Banklink Africa Private Equity acquired a majority equity stake in the company. The company was subsequently repositioned as CMFC, with a focus on financing activities in the critical minerals and metals sector.

Chief Executive Officer of NGX, Jude Chiemeka, said the recipients were selected using scientific parameters for measuring corporate governance and performance.

“Your achievement represents what’s possible when enterprise and leadership come together,” Chiemeka said.

He said publicly quoted companies contribute meaningfully to the economy, noting that listed companies have been found to perform better in areas including tax compliance, corporate governance and disclosures.

Chiemeka also highlighted the role of CMFC in expanding the capital market’s reach into the minerals sector and unlocking resources for its development.

Chief Executive Officer of BusinessDay Media, Frank Aigbogun, said the 2026 awards recognised performance during the 2025 financial year and were based on evidential research and assessable data.

“We look beyond the personality of the chief executive to the quality of the enterprise the leader is building. The Top 25 CEOs represent established businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and performance,” Aigbogun said.

He added, “Our economy is not built only by policy. It is built every day by companies making decisions about capital, people, technology, markets and risks.” Aigbogun said CMFC had been established as a specialised financing group focused on a growing segment of Africa’s economy.

In his remarks, Ovirih said CMFC would remain focused on providing structured financing and expertise for the critical minerals and metals sector in Nigeria and Africa.

Other CEOs recognised included the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame Adaora Umeoji; the Managing Director of Jaiz Bank Plc, Dr Haruna Musa; and the Group Managing Director of HBM Nigeria Plc, formerly Lafarge Africa, Mr Lolu Alade-Akinyemi.

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