President Bola Tinubu has conferred Nigeria’s second-highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, on Lebanese-Nigerian businessman Gilbert Chagoury. The award, given on January 8, was not publicly announced until Monday when billionaire Femi Otedola shared confirmation on social media, with presidency sources later verifying its authenticity.
Mr Chagoury, founder of the Chagoury Group, is a long-time associate of President Tinubu and has been involved in major infrastructure projects in Lagos, including Eko Atlantic City. His business interests span construction, real estate, hospitality, healthcare, and industrial services, with the group also linked to large-scale projects such as the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway and port renovations in Apapa and Tincan.
The honour has attracted attention due to Mr Chagoury’s past conviction for money laundering in Switzerland linked to the Abacha era, during which he paid fines and refunded funds to Nigeria. Despite this history, he has remained active in Nigeria’s business space and continues to maintain close ties with the current administration.
Leave feedback about this
You must be logged in to post a comment.