USORO AKPABIO HONOURED WITH PRESTIGIOUS AEMA BLACK PRIZE AT NEW YORK SUMMIT

The Managing Director of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Ms. Usoro Akpabio, has been honoured with the AEMA Black Prize – Lifetime Achievement Award at the African Economic Global Convergence (AEGC) 2025 Summit held in New York.

The award celebrates Akpabio’s distinguished career and her transformative impact on Nigeria’s energy and economic sectors, culminating in her leadership at the SSDC, where she is driving sustainable development across the Niger Delta.

In her absence, the award was received by Mr. Emeka Ndichie, Managing Director of Atius Synergy Global Ltd.

Organizers of the event described Akpabio as “a visionary leader whose strategic contributions have reshaped Nigeria’s energy landscape and advanced inclusive development in the South-South region.”

The AEMA Black Prize is one of Africa’s highest honours, bestowed on individuals whose work fosters development, peace, and prosperity across borders.

Akpabio was celebrated alongside other global achievers including Lady Cherie Blair CBE, KC, founder of Omnia Strategy LLP and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women; H.E. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, CON, Executive Director at the World Bank Group and former Nigerian Minister of Finance; and H.E. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

This year’s AEGC Summit, themed “International Summit on Security, Economy, and Investment in the Global Space,” brought together heads of state, ministers, investors, and UN leaders to strengthen partnerships for sustainable prosperity across Africa and the global south.

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