Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
A group, 100 Achievers, yesterday urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bestow a National Honour on High Chief (Dr.) Sir Darlington Nwabunike, a renowned philanthropist and leader for his outstanding contributions to education, healthcare, and empowerment.
The group, disclosed that Nwabunike’s leadership has been a beacon of hope in Nigeria, inspiring a new generation of leaders to prioritise service and purpose.
The Chairman, 100 Achievers Group, Mr. Chinedu Okafor, stated that through the De Imperial Philanthropic Family (DIPF), a coalition of over 250 Igbo billionaires and accomplished entrepreneurs, Nwabunike has redefined the concept of social clubs in Nigeria, turning it into a movement of human development, compassion, and nation-building.
Okafor, in a statement noted that under Nwabunike’s guidance, DIPF has launched several transformative initiatives, including:
“A N400 million scholarship programme for 250 students across the South East. A N50 million national scholarship to reward academic excellence in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), A N500 million medical intervention project across the Southeast, providing medical aid to indigent patients.”
He further explained that the 100 Achievers group believes that Nwabunike’s contributions to Nigerian society make him an ideal candidate for a National Honour, even as they urged President Tinubu to recognise this outstanding leader and bestow upon him the honour he so rightly deserves.
According to him, Nwabunike’s outstanding leadership has been recognised with several awards, including: “Champion News’ Most Outstanding Philanthropic Organisation in Nigeria (2024). Most Inspiring Leader of the Year at the AMTY Awards. Humanitarian Lifetime Impact Award at the Nigerian Humanitarian Awards.”
“His capacity to inspire and mobilise is legendary. In one of the group’s landmark fundraisers at Acropolis Gardens, Okija, 207 Igbo billionaires under his leadership raised N495 million in just thirty minutes — money that was immediately channelled into scholarships, hospital bills, and infrastructure projects. That unprecedented show of unity proved that philanthropy, when well-led, could achieve what politics and policy often fail to deliver.”
The group chair further stressed that through his strategic vision, Nwabunike has restored meaning to wealth, dignity to leadership, and purpose to social engagement, noting: “His De Imperial Philanthropic Family has become a movement and a brotherhood of conscience, showing that when the privileged rise with purpose, society flourishes.
“Nwabunike’s vision, compassion, and commitment to service have inspired a nation. His legacy reminds us that greatness is not measured by wealth or possessions, but by the lives transformed through purposeful leadership. It is time for Nigeria to recognise and honour this true leader,” Okafor stated.
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