Former Nigerian minister Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili has been named joint winner of the 2025 International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award in the Lifetime Achievement category.

The award was presented December 14 in Doha, Qatar, by the High-Level Award Committee chaired by Dr. Ali Bin Fetais Al Marri, United Nations Special Advocate for the Prevention of Corruption. It recognizes Ezekwesili’s decades-long commitment to transparency and good governance in Nigeria and across Africa.

Also known as “Madam Due Process,” she earned the nickname as pioneer head of Nigeria’s Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit, where she led reforms to clean up public procurement. She served twice as federal minister under former President Olusegun Obasanjo first, as Minister of Solid Minerals (2005-2006), then as Minister of Education (2006-2007).

However, from 2007 to 2012, Ezekwesili served as Vice President of the World Bank for Africa, overseeing operations in 48 Sub-Saharan African countries and managing a portfolio valued at over $40 billion.

She served as a co-founder of Transparency International, one of the world’s leading anti-corruption organizations, and has remained a prominent voice in global accountability movements.

In Nigeria, she gained widespread recognition as co-convener of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, following the 2014 abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State. The campaign drew sustained international attention to governance failures and security challenges.

Ezekwesili founded several governance-focused initiatives including; FixPolitics, the School of Politics, Policy and Governance, and Human Capital Africa, all aimed at leadership development and institutional reform across the continent.

The award committee said her nomination “exemplifies the values, expertise, and integrity that this Award represents.”

The International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award recognizes individuals whose efforts have made enduring contributions to advancing integrity, accountability, and the rule of law around the world.