TheCable

The federal government has conferred the national productivity order of merit (NPOM) award on 48 Nigerians and organisations in both the public and private sectors, for their high productivity, hard work and excellence.

According to a statement by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, the individuals and organisations were awarded on Thursday during the 19th National Productivity Day (NPD) held at the banquet hall, Aso Rock villa, Abuja.

Some of the individuals who were awarded include Stella Adadevoh, who received a posthumous award for her performance in the fight against the spread of the Ebola virus in the country; and Babatunde Lawal, who received a posthumous award for his “thoroughness and paying keen attention to every detail’’ during his tenure as permanent secretary in the federal civil service.

Other recipients include Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation; Chike Ihekweazu, former director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); Akin Abayomi, Lagos commissioner for health; Abdul Samad Rabiu, chairman of BUA Group; Mike Adenuga, chairman of Globacom; Stanley Okolo, director-general of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO); and Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace.

Buhari congratulated the awardees for their various accomplishments and said they were carefully selected from a multitude of competitors.

“This award should spur you to greater heights,” he said.

The president also commended the  chairman and members of the national productivity order of merit award committee.

In his remarks, Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, said since the inception of the award in 1991, a total of 382 individuals and 97 organisations have been honoured with the NPOM.