CBN's Sidi-Ali Wins 2026 National Spokespersons Award, Completes 'Hat-Trick'

Hakama Sidi-Ali, the acting Director of Corporate Communications for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has achieved a significant milestone by winning the 2026 National Spokespersons Award. This recognition, announced at the 6th National Spokespersons Awards ceremony in Abuja, solidifies her position as a leading figure in Nigerian communications.

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With the latest honor, Sidi-Ali completed an unprecedented hat-trick at the National Spokespersons Awards, becoming the first communications professional to progress from winning a sector-specific award twice consecutively to claiming the overall Spokesperson of the Year title.

The award represents an unprecedented "hat-trick" for Sidi-Ali. She is the first communications professional in the National Spokespersons Awards' history to progress from winning a sector-specific award twice consecutively to claiming the overall Spokesperson of the Year title. This achievement follows another historic barrier she broke in 2023 when appointed by CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso as the first female spokesperson in the bank's 66-year history.

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Her achievement comes just three years after she broke another historic barrier when CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso appointed her in 2023 as the first female spokesperson in the Central Bank’s 66-year history.

Sidi-Ali previously won the Outstanding Spokesperson – Banking Sector award in 2024 and retained the title in 2025. The 2026 award elevates her status, acknowledging her influence beyond the banking industry. The jury recognized her role in shaping national economic communication, bolstering public confidence in the CBN, and promoting Nigeria's monetary policy on the international stage. Her efforts in building a proactive communications architecture at the apex bank, through regular Monetary Policy Committee briefings, stakeholder engagements, and media management, were particularly noted. These initiatives also earned international recognition, with the CBN's communications campaign becoming a finalist at the 2026 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards.

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The jury acknowledged her efforts in building a proactive communications architecture at the apex bank through regular Monetary Policy Committee briefings, stakeholder engagements, investor relations, media management and international advocacy.