JUST IN: Tinubu Awards GCON to Longtime Associate Gilbert Chagoury [PHOTO]
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on his longtime associate, Gilbert Chagoury, in recognition of his contributions to Nigeria.
In a letter obtained by Politics Nigeria, the president stated that Chagoury received the nation’s second-highest honour for his outstanding service to the country.
He wrote, “In exercise of the powers vested in me under section 1(4) of the National Honours Act, I, BOLA AHMED TINUBU, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in recognition of your outstanding virtues and in appreciation of your services to our country, Nigeria,
“HEREBY award to you to have, and enjoy title, dignity and all the privileges of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) GIVEN at Abuja under my Hand and the Public Seal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Responding to the award, billionaire businessman Femi Otedola described the honour as well-deserved and praised Chagoury’s legacy in business and national development.
“Your life is a masterclass in vision, discipline, and steady excellence,” Otedola wrote, highlighting Chagoury’s role in major real estate and infrastructure projects that have created jobs and left a lasting impact on Nigeria’s urban landscape.”
Otedola concluded by reaffirming his admiration for Chagoury: “This honour is truly well deserved. I celebrate you today and always.”
Chagoury, a Lebanese-Nigerian born to Lebanese immigrant parents in Lagos, co-founded the Chagoury Group in 1971 with his younger brother, Ronald Chagoury. The conglomerate has interests spanning construction, hotels, furniture, telecommunications, and others.
In 2000, Swiss prosecutors convicted Chagoury in connection with laundering funds tied to Abacha’s looting. He agreed to forfeit $66 million to the Nigerian government, a settlement that let him avoid prison. At the time, Swiss authorities described him as a key handler of illicit state funds.
In 2024, controversy arose when Tinubu awarded the $11 billion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to Chagoury’s Hitech, a move criticised for the absence of public bidding and the longtime association between the president and Chagoury.
