Order of the Niger

The Order of the Niger (OON) is the second highest national award in Nigeria.^[1] It was instituted in 1963 and is junior to the Order of the Federal Republic, the highest order of merit in the country.

Order of the Niger
Star and ribbon of the 2 divisions
Awarded by Nigeria
Type	Order
Awarded for	Services to the nation
Status	Currently constituted
Sovereign	President of Nigeria
Grades	Grand Commander (GCON) Commander (CON) Officer (OON) Member (MON)
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of the Federal Republic
(civil division) (military division) Ribbon bar of the order

The order takes its name from the Niger River

Award

The two highest honours, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic and Grand Commander in the Order of the Niger, are awarded to the president and vice-president respectively. The presiding judge in the Supreme Court and the chairman of the Senate are qualitative and ex officio Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger.

Grades

Nigeria followed the British example in the form and structure of the order. Similarly, there are post-nominal letters for members of the Order of the Niger.

• Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON)
• Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON)
• Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON)
• Member of the Order of the Niger (MON)

The order has a Civil Division and a Military Division. The ribbon of the latter division has a small red line in the middle.

Notable recipients

Notable recipients of the award include:^[2][3][4]

S/NO	NAMES	STATUS	Sector	Class of medal
1	Muhammad Sani Ahmed	Chairman Jamesh Company Limited	Private	MFR
2	Aliko Dangote	Chairman of Dangote Group	Private	GCON
3	Wole Soyinka	Recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature	Academia	GCON
4	Bello Maitama Yusuf	Former Internal Affairs Minister	Public	GCON
5	Dahiru Musdapher	Former Justice of the Supreme Court	Public	GCON
6	Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN	Attorney General of the Federation	Public	CFR
7	Oluseyi Petinrin	Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)	Public	CFR
8	Muhammadu Dikko	Chief of Air Staff (CAS)	Public	CFR
9	Azubuike Ihejirika	Chief of Army Staff (COAS)	Public	CFR
10	Hafiz Ringim	Former Inspector General of Police (IGP)	Public	CFR
11	Abdullahi Dikko	Former Comptroller General of Customs (CGC)	Public	OFR
12	Aloma Mariam Mukhtar	Former Justice of the Supreme Court	Public	GCON
13	Victoria Gowon	Former First Lady of Nigeria	Public	CFR
14	Bolaji Akinyemi	Professor of Political Science, and Former Minister, External Affairs	Public	CFR
15	Chinua Achebe	Scholar, and a eminent figure of modern African literature.	Private	CFR
16	Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi III	The Olowo of Owo, Ondo State	Public	CFR
17	Tony Elumelu	Philanthropist	Private	CON
18	Ahmed Idris Wase	Former Deputy Speaker House of Representatives	Public	CON
19	Oba Otudeko	Founder and chairman of the Honeywell Group and Oba Otudeko Foundation	Private	CON
20	Akin Mabogunje	Geographer Consultant and First African President of the International Geographical Union.	Private and Public	CON
21	Peter Gregory Obi	Former Governor, Anambra State and 2023 Labor Party Presidential Candidate	Public	CON
22	Liyel Imoke	Former Governor, Cross River State	Public	CON
23	John Odigie Oyegun	Former Governor, Edo State	Public	CON
24	Adams Oshiomhole	Former Governor, Edo State and Senator, Edo North Central	Public	CON
25	Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa	Former Governor of Kaduna State	Public	CON
26	Ibrahim Shehu Shema	Former Governor of Katsina Staff	Public	CON
27	Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu	Former Governor of Niger State	Public	CON
28	Rotimi Amaechi	Former Governor of Rivers State and Former Minister of Transportation	Public	CON
29	Godswill Akpabio	President of the 10th Nigerian Senate	Public	CON
30	Sule Lamido	Former Governor, Jigawa State	Public	CON
31	Abba Kyari	Former Governor North Central State	Public	CON
32	Chukwuemeka Ezeife	Former Governor Anambra State	Public	CON
33	Olusegun Agagu	Former Governor of Ondo State, and renowned Geologist	Public	CON
34	Isiaka Adeleke	Former Governor, Osun State, and former Senator, Osun West	Public	CON
35	Lam Adesina	Former Governor of Oyo State	Public	CON
36	Bukar Abba Ibrahim	Former Governor of Yobe State	Public	CON
37	Rufus Ada George	Former Governor, Rivers State	Public	CON
38	Atedo Peterside	Founder, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Anap Business Jets Limited, and The Atedo N. A. Peterside Foundation.	Private	CON
39	Sam Ohuabunwa	Founder and Former CEO of Neimeth Pharmaceutical, and Former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria.	Private	OFR
40	Tony Ezenna	Founder, Orange Drugs Nigeria Limited	Private	OFR
41	Iyorwuese Hagher	Former Minister of State for Health/Power and Steel, and Ambassador to Mexico and High Commissioner to Canada[5]	Public	OON
42	Victor Olaiya	Renowned Musician, and Trumpeter	Private[6][7]	OON
43	Francesca Yetunde Emanuel	Former Permanent Secretary, Public Service Department of the Cabinet Office	Public	CON
44	Stella Oduah	Former Minister of Aviation	Public	OON
45	Tobi Amusan	World, Commonwealth and African champion of the 100 meters hurdles	Private	OON
46	Iyin Aboyeji	Former CEO, Flutterwave & Co-founder, Andela	Private	OON
47	Teni	Singer, Songwriter and Entertainer.	Private	MON
48	Emeka Okwuosa	Chairman/GCEO, OilServ Limited	Private	CON
49	Habeeb Okunola	CEO, TILT Group	Private	MON
50	Abike Dabiri	Chairman/CEO of Nigerian Diaspora Commission	Public	OON
51	Joseph Oqua Ansa	Former Senator, Cross River South	Public	MON
52	Asisat Oshoala	Athlete	Sport	MON
53	Gabriel Ogbechie	Founder GMD, Rainoil Limited	Private	OON
54	Nimi Briggs	Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and, Former Vice Chancellor, University of Port- Harcourt, Rivers State	Public	OON
55	Kayode Ajulo	Lawyer, arbitrator & civil rights activist	Private	OON
56	Davido	Singer, songwriter, record producer	Entertainment	OON
57	Charles Okpaleke	Nigerian businessman and film producer	Private	OON
58	Ado Bayero	Emir of Kano	Public	CFR
59	Owen Omogiafo	President/GCEO, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp)	Private	OON
60	Dr. F.B.A. Coker	Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, businessman and Chairman of Victoria Island Consultancy and Hospital Services	Private	OON
61	Chief H.T.O. Coker	Private Attorney in Admiralty, Energy and Aviation Law	Private	OON
62	Chief Erhabor Ogieva Emokpae	Former National Artist of Nigeria	Public	OON
63	Sani Umar Rijiyar Lemo, Bashir Aliyu Umar	Salafism Preacher in Nigeria	Private	OON
64	Francis Uzoho, Ola Aina, Zaidu Sanusi, Alhassan Yusuf, William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi, Ahmed Musa, Frank Onyeka, Victor Osimhen, Joe Aribo, Samuel Chukwueze, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Olorunleke Ojo, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Paul Onuachu, Chidozie Awaziem, Calvin Bassey, Kenneth Omeruo, Stanley Nwabali, Terem Moffi, Raphael Onyedika, as 2023 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up	Footballers	Sport	MON
65	Dosu Joseph	Footballer	Sport	MON
66	Efe Ambrose	Footballer	Sport	MON
67	Narendra Modi	Prime Minister of India	Public	GCON
68	Vincent Enyeama, Elderson Echiéjilé ,Nwankwo Obiora ,Efe Ambrose, Ahmed Musa, Brown Ideye Azubuike Egwuekwe, Emmanuel Emenike, Mikel John Obi, Victor Moses , Reuben Gabriel , Fegor Ogude , Godfrey Oboabona , Austin Ejide, Ikechukwu Uche, Ogenyi Onazi, Ejike Uzoenyi, Sunday Mba, Nosa Igiebor, Juwon Oshaniwa, Kenneth Omeruo, Chigozie Agbim as2013 Africa Cup of Nations final winners[8]	Footballers	Sport	MON
69	Stephen Keshi as 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final winner[8]	Football coach	Sport	CON
70	captain Joseph Yobo as 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final winner[8]	Footballer	Sport	OON
71	Da. John Putmang Hirse	Traditional Ruler, Miskaham Mwaghavul	Public	CON
72	Afe Babalola, SAN	Founder of Afe Babalola University, Senior Advocate of Nigeria.	Private	CON, OFR
73	Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN	Former Senate Leader, Senior Advocate of Nigeria.	Public	CON, OFR