Elumelu Reacts as Buhari Confers Nigeria’s High Ranking Honour on Him

Segun Atanda/

Top banker and philanthropist, Chief Anthony Onyemaechi Elumelu has expressed appreciation after receiving the second highest honour in Nigeria from President Muhammadu Buhari today.

Elumelu posted on his Twitter page: “I am humbled and honoured to have received Nigeria’s second highest national honour – Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) – conferred by H.E. President @MBuhari, today at the International Conference Centre Abuja.”

The 59-year-old Nigerian Economist chairs Heirs Holdings, Transcorp and he is the founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Speaking at the National Honours Awards ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Sen. George Akume, said 450 out of over 5, 000 nominees received the 2022 National Honours Awards for their various contributions to Nigeria’s development.

In 2020, Elumelu was named on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Elumelu had worked in the Union Bank as a member of the National Youth Service Corps in 1985 before starting his career as a salesman. Elumelu subsequently joined Allstates Trust Bank in 2005 and United Bank for Africa (UBA) was acquired afterwards.
In 1997, Elumelu led a small group of investors to take over a struggling Crystal Bank (later renamed Standard Trust Bank). He turned it profitable within a few years and in 2005 he led one of the largest mergers in the banking sector in Sub-Saharan Africa by acquiring United Bank for Africa (UBA).

Following the merger of Standard Trust Bank and United Bank for Africa in 2005, Elumelu led the company as Group Managing Director from a single-country banking group to a pan-African bank with subsidiaries in 20 African countries, France, the U.S and the U.K, eventually stepping down in 2010.

Elumelu currently chairs the board of the United Bank for Africa.

He is married to Dr. Awele Elumelu.