The President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Critical Minerals Financing Corporation (CMFC) Plc, Dr Israel Ovirih, has been recognised among Nigeria’s Top 25 CEOs for his leadership and role in transforming the financial services company.
Ovirih received the recognition at the 2026 BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs Awards, organised by BusinessDay in partnership with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).
The organisers said the awardees were selected primarily on the basis of corporate performance data and records of listed companies, with emphasis placed on measurable business results, governance and institutional performance.
An investment banker and development economist, Ovirih was recognised for his leadership in repositioning CMFC as a specialised investment bank focused on Africa’s minerals and metals industry.
His recognition comes against the backdrop of efforts to deepen financing for Nigeria’s critical minerals sector and attract greater investment into an industry regarded as having significant economic potential.
Ovirih’s corporate leadership experience includes the acquisition by Banklink Africa Private Equity of a majority stake in Deap Capital Management & Trust Plc.
The acquisition was followed by a restructuring programme involving corporate reassessment, recapitalisation, repositioning and business expansion, ultimately supporting the company’s transformation into a specialised financial institution serving the minerals and metals sector.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of NGX, Jude Chiemeka, said the recognition reflected the contribution of the awardees to enterprise development and economic growth.
“Your achievement represents what’s possible when enterprise and leadership come together,” Chiemeka said.
He also highlighted the importance of companies such as CMFC in extending the reach of Nigeria’s capital market into the minerals sector and creating financing channels capable of supporting broader economic development.
According to Chiemeka, the growth of specialised financial institutions could help connect businesses in emerging sectors with the capital and expertise required to expand their operations.
BusinessDay Media Chief Executive Officer, Frank Aigbogun, said the awards were designed to recognise business leaders who delivered measurable results despite the difficult operating environment faced by companies during the period under review.
He explained that the 2026 awards assessed corporate performance during the 2025 financial year, with the selection process deliberately focused on measurable indicators rather than the public profile or popularity of individual executives.
“We look beyond the personality of the chief executive to the quality of the enterprise the leader is building,” Aigbogun said.
He said Ovirih’s selection reflected both the institutional transformation of CMFC and his contribution to developing a specialised financing platform for the minerals and metals segment of the African economy.
The recognition comes as Nigeria seeks to deepen the development of its critical minerals value chain and attract investment beyond the country’s traditional dependence on the oil and gas sector.
For CMFC, the company’s stated focus is on providing financial solutions and specialist expertise to businesses operating across the critical minerals and metals ecosystem.
In his remarks after receiving the award, Ovirih reaffirmed the company’s commitment to providing structured financing and industry expertise to unlock opportunities in Nigeria and across Africa’s critical minerals and metals industries.
He dedicated the recognition to CMFC’s shareholders, directors, employees and other stakeholders, acknowledging their contributions to the company’s transformation and growth.
Other recipients of the 2026 BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs recognition included Zenith Bank Group Managing Director, Dame Adaora Umeoji; Jaiz Bank Managing Director, Dr Haruna Musa; Stanbic IBTC Holdings CEO, Chuma Nwokocha; Seplat Energy CEO, Effiong Okon; Transnational Corporation of Nigeria President and Group CEO, Owen Omogiafo; and Transcorp Power Managing Director, Peter Ikenga.
The awards brought together business leaders and stakeholders from across Nigeria’s corporate and financial sectors, with the organisers using the platform to highlight corporate performance, leadership and institutional value creation.