The African Bar Association has named Alliance for Economic Research and Ethics Chairman Dele Oye a recipient of its 2026 Medal of Merit, recognising his leadership across various roles in Nigeria’s organised private sector, particularly as President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture and Chairman of the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria.
In a letter conveying the honour, the association said Oye’s tenure was marked by transparent, accountable leadership that kept the organised private sector free of financial mismanagement while still delivering sustained growth, calling his record a benchmark worth emulating across the continent. The letter praised his management of Nigeria’s organised private sector as devoid of financial mismanagement and instead marked by remarkable growth that benefited members and partner organisations, describing the award as an enduring recognition of his inspirational leadership and selfless service to Nigeria and Africa.
The medal will be presented at the opening of AFBA’s 2026 Annual Conference, running September 20 to 24 at the Hilton Cabo Verde Dos Hotels in Sal, Cape Verde. Past recipients of the honour include former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo Addo, former OPEC President Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwo, former South African Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, former Sierra Leonean Chief Justice Desmond Edwards, former South African judge Navanethem Pillay, the benches of the Supreme Courts of Malawi and Kenya, and former Togolese Prime Minister Joseph Kokou Koffigoh. The association said it is confident Oye will accept the honour and attend the ceremony in Cape Verde.
