Sam Nwanze of Nigeria’s Heirs Energies named CFO of the Year at All Africa Business Leaders Award

Samuel O. Nwanze, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Heirs Energies, one of Africa’s fastest-growing indigenous integrated energy companies and a subsidiary of Nigeria's privately held Heirs Holdings Group, has been named CFO of the Year at the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) in partnership with CNBC Africa.

This recent recognition rounds off a year in which Nwanze has become one of Africa’s most prominent voices on sustainable finance, responsible energy development, and the evolution of the modern finance function, Heirs Energies said in a press release.

Nwanze also holds a position of Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Heirs Holdings Group and describes both his roles as “two sides of the same coin.”

“As CFO, I am the anchor, driving rigour, risk management, and ensuring every naira and dollar is working effectively,” he says. “As CIO, I am the compass—identifying transformative opportunities and allocating capital to create long-term value.”

This integrated model has underpinned Heirs Energies’ rapid expansion, especially its focus on acquiring and improving undervalued Nigerian energy assets. Nwanze points out that the aim is not expansion for its own sake but “responsible scaling built on financial discipline, innovation, and sustainability.”

Nwanze spearheaded the acquisition of a 45% interest in Heirs Energies’ flagship asset, Oil Mining Licence 17 (OML 17) - one of Nigeria’s largest onshore oil and gas fields - operated as a joint venture (JV) with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

He represents a new wave of African finance leaders who see sustainability as a source of value rather than a cost. Under his leadership, Heirs Energies has built ESG measures into its investment decisions and day-to-day performance tracking, tying long-term profits to environmental responsibility.

According to Nwanze, sustainability is no longer optional - it is fundamental to risk management. “Our work on reducing gas flaring, for instance, goes beyond environmental goals,” he says. “It is a commercial, reputational, and strategic imperative that unlocks value and ensures sustainability. This holistic view is redefining leadership: today’s CFO and CIO must be stewards of all forms of capital – financial, human, natural, and social – to build truly future-proof enterprises.”

At Heirs Energies, Nwanze is promoting the use of AI tools, predictive modelling and real-time reporting to make the finance function forward-looking rather than reactive. He has also built a strong reputation as a mentor, saying he sees developing the next generation of African financial leaders as a core responsibility. Nwanze insists that Africa has both capital and opportunity, and that developing skilled financial talent is essential to managing it effectively.

“It reinforces a vision where African business leadership stands for excellence, ambition, and integrity,” he says, “where we are not just participants in the global economy but architects of our own future.”

In November, Heirs Energies won the Energy Company of the Year award at the 2025 Nigerian Business Leadership Awards.

The award recognised the company’s strong operational performance at OML 17, its full commitment to supplying gas to Nigeria’s domestic market, and its improvement of safety and security standards, including zero lost-time incidents and reduced pipeline losses. The company was also commended for helping expand electricity access for millions of people and for supporting youth development in its host communities.

“This is who we are; bold, committed, and transforming Africa’s energy story,” Heirs Energies said in a statement announcing the award.