The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has been named the Public Servant of the Year by The Nation Newspaper, in a significant recognition of his success in the fight against economic and financial crimes and corruption.
The prestigious award was announced on Sunday, December 14, 2025, positioning Olukoyede alongside other distinguished Nigerians, including billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote, who were honoured across various high-profile categories.
Commenting on Olukoyede’s tenure, Femi Macaulay, a prominent columnist with the newspaper, highlighted the EFCC boss’s commitment and effectiveness.
“His performance underscores his sense of duty and grasp of the demands of his role,” Macaulay noted. “Under his leadership, the Commission exhibits a renewed sense of responsibility that is self-reforming, even self-inventing. He sets an exemplary standard for public service and institutional governance for social progress.”
Macaulay went on to reel out the Commission’s sterling records over two years under Olukoyede’s watch, painting a clear picture of the anti-graft agency’s renewed vigour. Over N566.3 billion, $411.5 million, £71,306, and €182,887 were recovered.
The EFCC secured the final forfeiture of 1,502 real estate assets, including a large estate of 753 duplexes in Abuja and Nok University, which has since been converted to a federal university. Furthermore, the Commission secured 7,503 convictions and filed 10,525 cases in court from over 19,000 petitions received and 29,000 cases investigated.
The newspaper’s recognition follows previous high praise from the highest office in the land. Recalling a remarkable applause for the EFCC boss, Macaulay stressed that President Bola Tinubu, in a congratulatory message on Olukoyede’s birthday on October 14, had said the Chairman “demonstrated professionalism and courage in the discharge of his duties, reinforcing the EFCC’s mission to rid the nation of economic and financial crimes.”
The President also acknowledged Olukoyede’s “commitment to the fight against corruption, transparency in governance, and institutional reforms within Nigeria’s anti-graft framework.”
Olukoyede joins a list of prominent figures honoured by The Nation in other categories:
| Category | Honouree/Subject |
| Person of the Year | Aliko Dangote |
| Business Person of the Year | Abdul Samad Rabiu, Femi Otedola |
| Entertainer of the Year | REMA |
| Sports Person of the Year | Victor Osimhen |
| Conflict of the Year | Wike vs Fubara |
| Disaster of the Year | The Mokwa Flood |
| Controversy of the Year | Akpabio vs Akpoti-Uduaghan |
| Team of the Year | The Super Falcons |
This latest honour adds to Olukoyede’s growing list of accolades. Just last week, on December 7, 2025, he was honoured with the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
