By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
When Mrs. Hakama Sidi-Ali, aacting Director of Corporate Communications and investors Relations at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), stepped onto the stage at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, to receive the Spokesperson of the Year award at the 6th National Spokespersons Awards (NSA) 2026, it marked more than a personal triumph. It crowned a remarkable three-year journey that has redefined strategic communication at Nigeria’s apex bank and earned her a place in the history of the country’s communications profession.
With the latest honour, Sidi-Ali completed an unprecedented hat-trick at the National Spokespersons Awards, becoming the first communications professional to progress from winning a sector-specific award twice consecutively to claiming the overall Spokesperson of the Year title.
Her achievement comes just three years after she broke another historic barrier when CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso appointed her in 2023 as the first female spokesperson in the Central Bank’s 66-year history.
The recognition was announced during the 6th National Spokespersons Awards and the 4th Economic Confidential Annual Lecture, organised by Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria, Economic Confidential and Spokespersons Digest.
Sidi-Ali’s rise through Nigeria’s premier communications awards has been defined by consistency and measurable impact.
In 2024, she won the Outstanding Spokesperson – Banking Sector award, becoming the first female banking communicator to receive the honour and retained the same title in 2025.
The climax came in 2026, when the awards jury elevated her to Spokesperson of the Year, recognising her influence beyond the banking industry and acknowledging her role in shaping national economic communication, strengthening public confidence in the Central Bank and projecting Nigeria’s monetary policy on the global stage.
The award followed a rigorous evaluation process based on four key criteria: impact, innovation and originality, campaign reach, and quality of evidence.
The jury acknowledged her efforts in building a proactive communications architecture at the apex bank through regular Monetary Policy Committee briefings, stakeholder engagements, investor relations, media management and international advocacy.
These initiatives also earned international recognition, with the CBN’s communications campaign emerging as a finalist at the 2026 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards.
Earlier in the year, Sidi-Ali was honoured as the African Iconic Female Spokesperson of the Year at the African International Women Recognition Awards (AIWRA) 2026, following a continent-wide public voting process.
Chairperson of the Awards Jury, Professor Saudat Abdulbaqi, disclosed that the 2026 edition attracted 171 nominations from across the country.
She explained that after an initial screening, only entries meeting the required standards of clarity, measurable impact and verifiable evidence progressed to subsequent stages of evaluation, eventually producing 30 finalists across 15 categories.
According to Abdulbaqi, the adjudication process was transparent, evidence-driven and designed to ensure that recognition reflected demonstrable professional excellence rather than popularity.
Speaking at the event, Alhaji Yushau A. Shuaib, Chief Executive Officer of IMPR, said the National Spokespersons Awards and the Economic Confidential Annual Lecture were established to promote informed national discourse, celebrate professional excellence and strengthen strategic communication in Nigeria.
He also announced that the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) had granted the National Spokespersons Awards Conference Status, significantly enhancing the programme’s international profile and positioning it among globally recognised professional communication platforms.
The 2026 edition honoured outstanding communication professionals and organisations across government, corporate and non-profit sectors.
The Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu who delivered the keynote address received an award for championing anti-corruption reforms.
Among the award recipients was Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, who won the Crisis Communicator of the Year award. Abdurrahman Ahmed Bundi, Senior Technical Assistant on Print and Digital Communications to Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, emerged winner in the Digital Communication category, while Assistant Comptroller of Customs (ASC) Folusho Adeogun of the Nigeria Customs Service was named Young Communicator of the Year.
Other winners included Celestine Achi, who received the Author/Scholar award for his pioneering work on artificial intelligence and public relations; Andy Odeh of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), who won the Corporate Communication category; and Basheer Luqman Olarewaju, who was honoured in the Social Media category. The FRSC emerged winner in the Public Affairs category, while Integrated Indigo Limited was named PR Agency of the Year.
The MAAUN won the Knowledge Hub award, while the NITDA–CCC was recognised in the Crisis Management category. Nigerian Women in PR received the Publication award, the TETFund won the Media Relations category, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation was honoured for Employee Relations, and the NIPR Kaduna Chapter received the Event Management award.
The ceremony was chaired by NIPR President Dr. Ike Neliaku and attended by prominent public officials and communication experts, including the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace, representing the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; Chairman of the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) and former Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade (rtd.); Professor Sule Ya’u Sule; diplomats, security chiefs, senior public relations practitioners and academics.
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As the curtains fell on what organisers described as the most competitive edition of the National Spokespersons Awards since its inception, one story stood above all others—the rise of Hakama Sidi-Ali from the first female spokesperson in the history of the Central Bank of Nigeria to Nigeria’s Spokesperson of the Year.
Her journey has not only shattered institutional barriers but also demonstrated that excellence in strategic communication is ultimately measured by professionalism, credibility, consistency and impact. For many in Nigeria’s public relations and corporate communications community, her latest recognition represents both a personal milestone and a defining moment for the profession.
