GAH Awards 2025: Unveiling the Future of Africa's Leadership and Innovation

BY JUMOKE OWOOLA  The highly anticipated 2025 Global African Honours (GAH) Awards & Business Summit is set to make history once again as...

BY JUMOKE OWOOLA 

The highly anticipated 2025 Global African Honours (GAH) Awards & Business Summit is set to make history once again as it takes a major leap toward redefining leadership and enterprise on the continent. 

This year's edition is marked by the official unveiling of the GAH Elite Club Black Card , an exclusive, high-influence access card powered by Mastercard, in partnership with Wema Bank.

The Mastercard-backed Black Card signals the beginning of a new era of connectivity, economic empowerment, and executive access across Africa. Designed as more than a premium financial tool, the GAH Elite Black Card serves as a gateway into a high-impact network of CEOs, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and innovators across Africa and the global business landscape.

Holders will enjoy top-tier financial and hospitality privileges, as well as complimentary access to all flagship GAH events. 

The 13th edition of the GAH Awards & Business Summit, themed “Africa Reimagined: Innovation, Inclusion & Sustainable Growth,” will hold on Thursday, December 12, 2025, at Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos, Nigeria.

The event will feature eminent leaders, including Dikko Umar Radda, Governor of Katsina State, Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation, Dr. Allen Onyema, Chairman, Air Peace, The Ooni of Ife, Oba  Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), Nigerian Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Femi Falana, Human Rights Activist, Dr. Joe Okie- Odumakin, among other distinguished figures from across the continent.

Dr. Princess Kelechi Oghene, Convener of GAH and Group Managing Director of GMYT Group, described the Black Card as “a new course for Africa”—one that unites influential leaders and entrepreneurs behind a common mission of transformation.

“The partnership with Mastercard and Wema Bank represents a strategic leap toward building a powerful continental ecosystem where innovators, policymakers, and industry titans converge to shape Africa’s economic future,” she enthused.

Key Benefits of the GAH Elite Black Card include global financial and hospitality privileges, complimentary access to all flagship GAH events, and membership in a high-influence continental network of CEOs, policymakers, and innovators.

Dr. Oghene described the upcoming summit as “a continental movement,” aimed at renewing Africa’s commitment to innovation, inclusion, and sustainable growth. She highlighted her longstanding contributions as a leading entrepreneurial and philanthropic voice, noting that through the GMYT Group, she has empowered over 5,000 women through skills training, scholarships, and mentorship.

The 2025 GAH Awards & Business Summit promises to be a transformative platform for dialogue, collaboration, and visionary leadership—setting the stage for Africa’s next chapter of global influence.

Emphatically, she added that the Black Card embodies GAH’s broader mission to foster industry growth, empower communities, and amplify African voices on the global stage. “This isn’t just an elite membership; it’s a gateway to influence, visibility, and opportunities that will accelerate Africa’s journey toward sustainable development,” she declared during a press conference.