CBN’s Sidi-Ali wins 2026 National Spokespersons Award
The Acting Director of Corporate Communications at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Hakama Sidi-Ali, has been named the 2026 Spokesperson of the Year at the National Spokespersons Awards.
Sidi-Ali received the honour at the sixth edition of the National Spokespersons Awards and the fourth Economic Confidential Annual Lecture organised by Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria, Economic Confidential and Spokespersons Digest, in Abuja at the weekend.
The award marks a historic hat-trick for Sidi-Ali, making her the first communications professional to progress from winning a sector-specific award in two consecutive years to receiving the overall Spokesperson of the Year honour.
She first won the Outstanding Spokesperson – Banking Sector award in 2024, becoming the first female banking communicator to receive the recognition. She retained the award in 2025 before being elevated to the overall national title in 2026.
The organisers said her latest recognition reflected her growing influence beyond the banking sector and her contributions to economic communication, public confidence in the CBN and the projection of Nigeria’s monetary policy internationally.
According to IMPR, the jury assessed nominees based on impact, innovation and originality, campaign reach, and quality of evidence.
The jury particularly recognised Sidi-Ali’s role in developing a more proactive communications structure at the apex bank through regular Monetary Policy Committee briefings, stakeholder engagements, investor relations, media management and international advocacy.
The CBN’s communication efforts also received international recognition after its campaign was named a finalist at the 2026 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards.
Earlier in 2026, Sidi-Ali was also recognised as the African Iconic Female Spokesperson of the Year at the African International Women Recognition Awards, following a continent-wide public voting process.
Chairperson of the Awards Jury, Prof. Saudat Abdulbaqi, disclosed that the 2026 awards attracted 171 nominations from across Nigeria.
She said the entries underwent an initial screening, with only submissions that met the required standards of clarity, measurable impact and verifiable evidence advancing to subsequent stages.
The process eventually produced 30 finalists across 15 categories.
Speaking at the event, IMPR Chief Executive Officer, Yushau A. Shuaib, said the National Spokespersons Awards and the Economic Confidential Annual Lecture were established to promote informed national discourse, recognise professional excellence and strengthen strategic communication in Nigeria.
