The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has been named Public Servant of the Year by The Nation Newspaper, in recognition of his leadership and performance in the fight against economic and financial crimes.
The award was announced on Sunday, December 14, 2025, as part of the newspaper’s annual honours celebrating outstanding achievements by Nigerians across various sectors. Olukoyede was listed alongside other prominent personalities, including billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote, who emerged Person of the Year.
In an assessment of Olukoyede’s leadership, The Nation columnist, Femi Macaulay, described the EFCC chairman’s tenure as marked by a strong sense of duty and a clear understanding of the demands of public office. According to him, the Commission under Olukoyede has demonstrated a renewed sense of responsibility, institutional reform and self-renewal.
Macaulay noted that the EFCC boss has set an exemplary standard for public service and governance, adding that his leadership has strengthened the Commission’s role in driving social progress through accountability and integrity.
Highlighting the Commission’s achievements within two years under Olukoyede’s watch, Macaulay disclosed that the EFCC recovered over ₦566.3 billion, $411.5 million, £71,306 and €182,887. He further stated that the Commission secured the final forfeiture of 1,502 real estate assets, including a large estate of 753 duplexes in Abuja and the former Nok University, which has since been converted to a federal university.
The EFCC, according to the report, also secured 7,503 convictions and filed 10,525 cases in court from over 19,000 petitions received and about 29,000 cases investigated during the period under review.
Recalling public commendation for Olukoyede’s performance, Macaulay referenced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s congratulatory message to the EFCC chairman on his birthday on October 14. In the message, the President reportedly praised Olukoyede’s professionalism and courage in the discharge of his duties, noting that his leadership had reinforced the EFCC’s mandate to rid Nigeria of economic and financial crimes. The President also acknowledged his commitment to transparency, anti-corruption efforts and institutional reforms within the nation’s anti-graft framework.
Other award recipients on The Nation Newspaper’s honours list include Aliko Dangote as Person of the Year; Abdul Samad Rabiu and Femi Otedola as Business Persons of the Year; REMA as Entertainer of the Year; and Victor Osimhen as Sports Person of the Year. Also recognised were the Super Falcons as Team of the Year, the Mokwa Flood as Disaster of the Year, Wike vs. Fubara as Conflict of the Year, and Akpabio vs. Akpoti-Uduaghan as Controversy of the Year, among others.
Olukoyede’s latest recognition adds to a growing list of honours from various segments of the country. On December 7, 2025, he was conferred with the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Dele Oyewale, dated December 14, 2025.
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