MWD: NATIONAL HEROES OF YEAR 2014

The outgoing year has been a prominent one for some Nigerians. However,these selected Nigerians stood out diligently, carved out a niche and engraved their names in gold with their outstanding achievements. Without further ado, presented in no particular order are great personalities who had a spectacular 2014 and of course, pitched the glamorous name 'Nigeria' on the global map for all the good reasons with their beachhead. Below is a list compiled by your Mid Week Drive author, Lambe Olanrewaju:

1. Dr Ameyo Stella Adedevoh: Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, an experienced consultant physician

and endocrinologist, before her demise, was Lead Consultant with First Consultants Medical Centre, Obalende, Lagos. She came into the limelight shortly after the dramatic visit of Sawyer, and will be remembered for saving Nigeria from imminent Ebola epidemic. She is credited with having curbed a wider spread of the Ebola virus in Nigeria by placing the patient zero, Patrick Sawyer, in quarantine despite pressures from the Liberian Government. This singular action stopped the spread of EVD to thousands of unsuspecting Nigerians which we all know would have been catastrophic. On 4 August 2014, it was confirmed that she tested positive for the Ebola virus strain and was being treated. Adadevoh died in the afternoon of 19 August 2014. Unfortunately, she is yet to be duly rewarded for her sacrificial efforts and heroic deeds. Her ommision from list of Nigerians to be honoured by the federal government at the 2014 National Award ceremony triggered a fresh debate among Nigerians and stirred controversies. Only her family and NGO's had moved to immortalise her achievements. Dr. Ameyo Adedevoh deserve a national honor for her role in containing the Ebola virus in Nigeria. Had it not been for her thoughtfulness, the situation with the Ebola virus would have been far worse than what it is today. A posthumous honour should be awarded to commemorate her altruistic endeavour. She died a martyr.

2. Aruna Quadri: If everyone is going to forget 2014 in a hurry, definitely not Quadri. This

humble young table tennis king has risen to stardom within the twinkle of an eye. Ranked outside 200 before 2014, Aruna amassed enough points to be 30th best player in the world before the turn of the year. Amazing? You can say that again! In modern table tennis, Quadri has become the first black and African player to make it to number 30 in the world and this feat has received accolades across the globe. Quadri produced major world table tennis shocks by recording two stunning upsets on the opening day of the Liebherr 2014 ITTF Men’s World Cup in Dusseldorf, German,beating world number 27 Kenta Matsudaira of Japan and world number 37 Alexander Shibaev of Russia to progress to the final 16. He eventually bowed out in the quarterfinals. Still riding high, the U.S. named the 26 years old african champion the second best player at the 2014 North American Table Tennis Team Championship. He was adjudged Player of the Year by NTTF and won the Sports Personality of the Year at the the Nigeria Sports Awards in November. Quadri was also nominated in the male table tennis star team of the year for the 2nd ITTF Star Awards, alongside the world number one, China’s Xu Xin and his compatriot, Fan Zhendong, who is the 2014 Youth Olympic Games gold medalist. Aside being nominated in the male-star category, Quadri’s got a crucial point against Olympic and World Champion,China’s Jan Zhike at the World Cup, and was also picked in the star-point of the year category. The award ceremony is expected to hold in Dubai on Jan. 7, 2015, at the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

3. Blessing Okhagbare: This Sapele born delectable athlete also had an unforgettable 2014.

Asides breaking age-long records in track and field events, she walked down the aisle with her football heartrob, Igho Oteghiri in November. Okhagbare participated in both the 100m and 200m races of 2014 Commonwealth Games. She made it through to the finals of the 100m and won with a time of 10.85, breaking the games record of 10.91 seconds set by Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie 12 years earlier at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Okhagbare, Africa's fastest woman also won the gold medal in the 200m, with a time of 22.25 seconds. In doing so, she became the fourth woman to win the 100m and 200m double at the Commonwealth Games. In an online review of the world top 10 sprinters in 2014, Blessing Okhagbare, Nigeria’s and Africa’s Queen of the track was selected as the best ahead of Justin Gatlin, a five time Olympic medalist; Kaliese Spencer, Dafne Schippers and Kirani James . She had a good outing at the Diamond League, especially in Shanghai where she won a double with Meet Records in the Long jump (6.86m) and 200m. She ran also a PB of 22.23s in the 200m to come 2nd behind surprise winner Tori Bowie in Eugene. Okhagbare is now the most prolific athlete of the Diamond League since its inception in 2010, notching up her 38th appearance in the series. She participated in nine Diamond League meetings this season, winning four of them. She’s ranked second in the IAAF World rankings in the 100m this year, and fifth in the 200m. At the Nigerian Championships in Calabar, she became the first athlete in the Country’s Track and Field history to win a sixth consecutive title in the 100m in a CR of 11.06s, before going on to make it a sprint double in the 200m in 22.62s. Okhagbare’s finest moment of 2014 was undoubtedly the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she emerged as the outstanding athlete of the Games. She lived up to pre-championships expectations. Asides winning the 100m and 200m races, she also helped the women’s 4x100m relay team to a silver medal finish in 42.92s. At the African Championships in Morocco, she regained her 100m title lost in 2012 by winning with another CR of 11.00s flat before anchoring the 4x100m relay team to a fifth back-to-back title in 43.65s! She was honoured with the Sports Woman of the Year award by the  Nigeria Sports Award in November, 2014. The indelible marks set by this gifted sprinter in 2014 will sure be a a sign for exciting things to come in 2015. Without mincing words, the sky is just the beginning for Okhagbare.

4. Austin Okere: Mr. Austin Kwesi Okere is the Group CEO of Computer Warehouse Group (CWG), one of the fastest growing ICT companies in Africa. His company, Computer Warehouse Group has grown over the years from just a computer hardware supply company to an integrated ICT Group consisting of three companies, Computer Warehouse Ltd, providing hardware and infrastructure solutions; DCC Networks Systems, providing communications and networking solutions, and ExpertEdge Software -systems applications and deployment. From an initial annual turnover of $1.3 million, CWG now has a turnover of
about $120 million, and staff strength of about 650 professionals. His entry into the entrepreneurial world was accidental. But after starting off as a hardware vendor in 1992, Austin Kwesi Okere has transformed Computer Warehouse into an IT utility company with presence in Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda and an eye to capture 14 more by 2015. This co puter engineering graduate of University of Lagos, born to a Nigerian father and Ghanaian mother now run a company with an annual turnover of over $120 million as at 2011, 550 people, 85 per cent of which are IT experts on its pay roll with presence in three African countries and indirectly serving seventeen others with a vision to be the number one IT Utility Company in Africa by the year 2015. It has multiple top-rate industry certifications, including Cisco Certified Network Associates, Dell Certified Systems Experts, Systimax Certified Installers, Microsoft Certified Professionals, Microsoft Certified Engineers, Microsoft Certified Trainers, BICC Certified Installers, Accredited Compaq Technicians, Oracle Certified Professionals and Sun Certified Engineers among others. In the past 20 years, CWG has grown to become a fully integrated ICT firm offering systems integration of hardware and infrastructure solutions, communications and networking solutions and software applications and deployment across West Africa, and now Uganda. It currently runs partnerships with global ICT companies across the world, including DELL, CISCO, Infosys technologies, Oracle, NetApp, Gilat and many more world-class ICT brands. In 2012, Mr. Austin Kwesi Okere was honoured with the award‘Technology Africa Personality of the Year' while in November 2014, The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), organisers of National Information Technology Merit Award (NITMA) yesterday recognised him as IT Personality of the Year 2014 in Nigeria.

No doubt, 2014 has been a memorable year for lots of Nigerians as they set the world ablaze with their enviable achievements. Honourable mentions are Bunmi Otegbade, Lukman Jaji, Jake Okechukwu, Philip Obaji Jr., and Asisat Oshoala.

Remember, it takes only a soul to rev up the engine of change. Be that change you so clamor set stepping stones toward outstanding achievements in 2015. Remain positive and embrace the spirit of a better Nigeria. It begins with you!

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Have a fantastic and fruitful 2015! Happy New Year in advance!