NAFCO CEO receives double recognitions

It was simply a fantastic weekend for the Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Mr. Hanan Abdul-Wahab as he received two separate recognitions within a space of two days.

Mr. Abdul-Wahab was a recipient of one of the topmost honours during the 2019 prestigious Ghana Business Awards held on Friday night in Accra when he emerged winner of the coveted business ‘Personality of the Year Award’.

He also earned nomination in the CEO of the Year (Public Sector), while the company he heads, NAFCO was nominated in the contested ‘Company of the Year (Public Sector)’ category, which was won by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

The Awards, in its second year, recognises and rewards excellence across all sectors in Ghana. It provides a platform to recognise individuals and companies that play a significant role in the growth and development of their business sector, while recognising the key functions within the sector that promotes growth and sustainability.

This year’s edition which will focus on “Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Ghana," is informed by the need to encourage businesses in the country to think innovation and create the necessary platforms that breed entrepreneurship and ultimately help their businesses become competitive internationally as well as improve on job creation in the economy.

Out of a total of 272 companies that submitted their nominations, 117 of them competed for various honors at the event attended by the business community, regulatory bodies, political leaders and the academia.

Mr. Abdul-Wahab’s award is in recognition of his sterling leadership and performance at the once almost defunct company into profit-making and repositioned to perform the core mandates of preserving state food security reserve, providing markets for farmers thereby reducing post-harvest loses and supplying food to state institutions.

Since 2017, NAFCO has been supplying food to state boarding High Schools under the Free Senior High School Programme and is seen to have contributed to the overall success of the programme since its inception, ensuring quality, quantity, safety and timely delivery of food in schools.

Through its Licensing Buyers and Licensing Suppliers schemes, NAFCO is said to have generated employment to over 2,000 people directly and countless others including; food processors, farmers and laborers indirectly.

The achievements of Hanan continues to attract local and international recognitions.

Earlier this year, he was recognized by the African Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and the West African Regional Magazine (TWRM) gave him the Business and Leadership Award in Agriculture during the 6th Africa-China Business Dialogue in Shanghai, China in August.

And just a day after the Accra event, the Mr. Abdul-Wahab was also given a special award by the Board, Management and students of Bawku Senior High School in the Upper East Region.

The occasion was the 55th Speech and Prize-Giving Day, which was on the theme “Academic success through discipline, co-operation and commitment of stakeholders”.

A citation read by Headmaster, Rev. Sylvester Agalga praised Mr. Hanan Abdul-Wahab for being supportive to the cause of the school through financial and material gestures.

“Your social responsibility to your community; Bawku has been outstanding. You are a very loving person who has humanity at heart. Your humanitarian gestures in Bawku and beyond is well known. Undeniably, you are an inspiration to the youth of Bawku”, the citation read.

The Northern Regional Manager of NAFCO, Mr. James Tieku-Apawu received the award on behalf of Mr. Abdul-Wahab.