BREAKING: Tinubu honours longtime associate Gilbert Chagoury with GCON

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Nigeria’s second-highest national honour, on his longtime associate and industrialist, Gilbert Chagoury.

In a letter sighted by Daily Trust, the President said the honour was bestowed in recognition of Chagoury’s contributions to Nigeria’s development.

“In exercise of the powers vested in me under Section 1(4) of the National Honours Act, I, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in recognition of your outstanding virtues and in appreciation of your services to our country, Nigeria, hereby award to you the title, dignity and privileges of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON),” the letter read.

Reacting to the honour, billionaire businessman Femi Otedola described the award as well deserved, praising Chagoury’s long-standing impact on business and national development.

“Your life is a masterclass in vision, discipline and steady excellence,” Otedola wrote, highlighting Chagoury’s role in landmark real estate and infrastructure projects across the country.

He noted that developments such as Banana Island and Eko Atlantic City have generated employment and reshaped Nigeria’s urban landscape.

“From Banana Island to Eko Atlantic City, your work speaks in landmarks, jobs and lasting impact. Your leadership has inspired generations of Nigerians to think bigger and act bolder,” Otedola added.

Chagoury, a Lebanese-Nigerian businessman born in Lagos to immigrant parents, co-founded the Chagoury Group in 1971 alongside his younger brother, Ronald Chagoury. The conglomerate has since grown into a major industrial force with interests spanning construction, real estate, manufacturing, telecommunications, hospitality, insurance, and international finance.

The national honour, however, comes against the backdrop of past public scrutiny surrounding the award of the $11 billion Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project to Hitech Construction Company, a Chagoury-owned firm, in 2024. The project drew criticism over the absence of a public bidding process and the longstanding personal relationship between Tinubu and Chagoury.

Reports have also linked President Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, to the Chagoury business network, with claims that he sits on the board of one of the group’s companies and shares business interests abroad with Chagoury’s son, Ronald Chagoury Jr.

These reports have continued to generate public debate, though no official wrongdoing has been established.

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