Nigeria’s Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, will join a host of global leaders, diplomats, and innovators at the 2025 edition of the Global Excellence Summit and Awards, an event set to amplify Africa’s role as a global force for excellence.

GESA 2025, scheduled for May 23–24 in Lagos, is being positioned not just as a summit but as a continental movement aimed at celebrating excellence, promoting leadership, and shaping Africa’s global narrative, organisers said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the event, Convener of GESA 2025 and Vice Chairperson of the AU Agenda 2063 Women and Gender Committee, Ambassador Fatoumatta Gaye, described the summit as a platform for transformative conversations.

“This is not just an event; it’s a movement to position Africa as a global force for excellence. We are honouring those who are transforming systems and inspiring progress across the continent,” said Gaye, who also serves as CEO of Top3 Solutions.

Themed “Global Excellence in Diplomacy and Leadership: Africa’s Path to Prosperity,” the summit will explore diplomacy, governance, trade, innovation, gender equity and sustainable development, with support from partners including the African Union Agenda 2063 Ambassadorial Assembly, the United Nations International Peace and Governance Council, Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Inc., and the International Society of Diplomats.

The two-day programme will open with keynote speeches from global and regional leaders and will feature exhibitions, masterclasses on leadership and diplomacy, and panel discussions.

The second day will culminate in an awards gala, where honorees will receive the Global Excellence Awards, AU Women Impact Awards, and the He-for-She Honours for male allies championing gender inclusion.

Dignitaries expected include Justice Mainasara Ibrahim Kogo Umar, Chairman of Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Tribunal; High Commissioners from The Gambia, Zambia, and Sierra Leone; as well as prominent business and policy leaders from across Africa and the diaspora.