Femi Otedola, CON, Chairman of First HoldCo Plc and Geregu Power Plc, has been named Activist Investor and Market Maker of the Year at the Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards, taking place on May 23, 2025, at the Civic Centre in Lagos.
The award celebrates Otedola’s bold and transformative role in shaping investor confidence, promoting shareholder rights, and catalyzing value creation in Nigeria’s capital market. His high-impact investments, corporate interventions, and public stance on ensuring good corporate governance values have positioned him as a force for accountability and market transparency.
The Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Market Maker award category is reserved for individuals, institutions, NGOs, or organisations, excluding market operators or listed companies, who have made a measurable impact on the Nigerian capital market through advocacy, leadership, or strategic actions that influence corporate behavior and investor sentiment.
“Your commitment to promoting sound corporate governance, demanding performance, and championing shareholder value has helped catalyze capital market growth, investor enthusiasm, and sustained value creation,” the award citation reads.
Otedola’s influence came into sharp focus following his strategic acquisition of a major stake in FBN Holdings Plc, which led to his eventual emergence as Chairman in 2024.
His entry into the boardroom reset expectations around shareholder rights and performance accountability, reigniting public interest in one of Nigeria’s oldest financial institutions. Since then, FBN Holdings has posted record earnings and restored market confidence under his stewardship.
Otedola’s strategic acquisition of a significant stake in FBN Holdings Plc, now renamed First Holdings Plc, culminated in his appointment as Chairman in 2024. His boardroom entry reshaped expectations on shareholder rights and performance. Under his leadership, the institution has delivered record earnings and renewed investor confidence, marking a new chapter for one of Nigeria’s oldest financial giants.
As Chairman of Geregu Power Plc, Otedola also oversaw the company’s historic listing on the Nigerian Exchange, making it the first power generation company to go public. Since its debut, Geregu has seen over a 1,000% rise in share price and entered the elite category of SWOOTs (Stocks Worth Over One Trillion Naira), becoming a benchmark for value creation in the utilities sector.
Outside his boardroom presence, Otedola holds several notable roles: Chancellor of Augustine University, Chairman of the Cuppy Foundation Board of Trustees, and Vice President of Save the Children UK. These positions reflect his broader commitment to nation-building, contribution to ESG & SDG standards, philanthropy, and global advocacy for child welfare and education.
The Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards is a platform designed to recognize institutions and individuals who have made lasting contributions to Nigeria’s capital market through reform, innovation, leadership, and public accountability.
Otedola’s win highlights how investors with courage and clarity of purpose can shape the narrative, performance, and future of Nigerian-listed companies even without holding a regulatory role.
