A DAY OF EXCELLENCE: NELA 0326 HONOURSNIGERIA’S FINEST LEADERS

Dr. Ambrose Okpaleke Among other Trailblazers Conferred with Prestigious National Award

The grandeur of Abuja’s STP Apartments Congress Hall on Friday, March 27, 2026 was a fitting backdrop for one of Nigeria’s most inspiring evenings of recognition. The National Excellent Leadership Award (NELA 0326) brought together achievers from across industries, as outstanding Nigerians were formally conferred with awards celebrating their extraordinary contributions to society, governance, and national development.

A collaborative initiative between the Professional Public Speaking and Leadership Academy (PPSLA Africa) and the African Award Group (AAG), NELA 0326 was established to identify, screen, and celebrate individuals whose impact elevates communities and drives institutional excellence across Africa.
The event was presided over by Dr. Lotanna Okoye, Director-General of PPSLA Africa, who declared the evening open with a compelling vision statement on Africa’s urgent need for transformational leadership. “Africa needs more impactful leaders now more than ever,” he charged, urging all awardees to deepen their commitment to societal service.

“His blueprint for business formalisation and governance compliance continues to provide emerging enterprises with scalable models for long-term value creation.”

SPOTLIGHT AWARDEE: Among the celebrated honorees, few stories resonated as powerfully as that of Dr. Okpaleke Ifechukwu Ambrose, who was conferred with the Excellent Leadership Award in Innovation and Creative Economy. Currently serving as General Manager at Ascellon Nigeria, a subsidiary of Ascellon Corporation USA. Dr. Ambrose has built a sterling reputation as a strategic corporate-governance leader and operational-excellence advocate whose footprint continues to elevate standards across Nigeria’s commercial landscape.

A defining hallmark of his career is the successful transition of consultancy firms toward global best practices through attainment of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification—a rigorous achievement that significantly enhanced service reliability, operational efficiency, and stakeholder confidence. As a strong advocate of regulatory integrity, Dr. Ambrose has championed strict adherence to Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) guidelines, contributing meaningfully to corporate accountability across the Nigerian private sector. His influence also extends into logistics and hospitality within the Abuja business environment, where he has restructured service delivery and driven sustainable growth.
The intellectual depth of the evening was frther elevated by a stirring keynote delivered by Dr. Aloefuna Ekenechukwu, President of the Information Management and Commodity Grading Institute, Abuja. His lecture, titled “Restoring Institutional Confidence: The Leadership Mandate for Transparency and Accountability,” was a clarion call for corporate professionals, CEOs, and entrepreneurs to embrace high-impact, results-driven leadership.

Among the other distinguished recipients were: Celestine Obi, Dr. Nwadiuto Ojielo, Hon. Obiajulu Princess Ugwu, and Nze Ifeanyi Darlington Okenwa—each a testament to the calibre of impact-makers NELA 0326 is committed to honouring.