Heirs Energies’ Chief Financial Officer and Heirs Holdings Group Chief Investment Officer, Samuel Nwanze, was recently named Chief Financial Officer of the Year at the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) in partnership with CNBC Africa.
His latest accolade caps a year where Nwanze has emerged as one of Africa’s most influential voices on sustainable finance, responsible energy development, and the evolution of the modern finance function.
Nwanze said the recognition “validates the belief that African financial expertise is truly world-class,” and reflects a larger movement. “This award is a testament to the Heirs Holdings ecosystem, and our Chairman, Tony O Elumelu CFR, Africapitalism philosophy,” he said. “It reinforces our responsibility to deliver both commercial returns and transformative societal impact.”
Finance as Strategy: The Dual Mandate Driving Heirs Energies
A key differentiator of Nwanze’s leadership is his dual role as CFO and CIO—positions he describes 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 said. “As CIO, I am the compass—identifying transformative opportunities and allocating capital to create long-term value.”
This integrated approach has been pivotal in Heirs Energies’ rapid growth, particularly in its strategy of acquiring and optimising undervalued assets in Nigeria’s energy sector. According to Nwanze, the goal is never aggressive expansion for its own sake, but “responsible scaling built on financial discipline, innovation, and sustainability.”
Where Sustainability Meets Profitability
Nwanze is part of a new generation of African financial leaders who are positioning sustainability not as a cost, but as a central driver of enterprise value. Under his financial leadership, Heirs Energies has integrated ESG performance into capital allocation frameworks and operational dashboards, linking long-term profitability with environmental responsibility.
“Sustainability is no longer optional—it is fundamental to risk management,” Nwanze said. “Our work on reducing gas flaring, for instance, goes beyond environmental goals. 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.
Nwanze has also championed the use of technology—AI-driven analytics, predictive modelling, and real-time reporting—to reposition the finance function as a proactive strategic unit rather than a retrospective one. “We are moving from a function that records history to one that predicts the future,” he explained.
Preparing Africa’s Next Financial Stewards
Beyond boardroom strategy, Nwanze is widely regarded as a mentor as he takes shaping the continent’s future finance leaders as a personal responsibility.
“I benefited immensely from mentorship,” he said. “Now I create demanding but supportive environments where young professionals are trusted with high-stakes, meaningful work.”
He emphasises grounding talent in the realities of African markets while connecting them to global networks. “Africa has the capital and the opportunities,” he said. “What we need now is the talent to steward that capital wisely. Developing that pipeline is the most important investment we can make.”
A Vision for African Business Leadership
For Nwanze, the AABLA recognition is not an end but a catalyst. “It reinforces a vision where African business leadership stands for excellence, ambition, and integrity,” he said. “Where we are not just participants in the global economy but architects of our own future.”
With Heirs Energies expanding and Heirs Holdings scaling investments across strategic sectors, Nwanze’s finance leadership will play an increasingly important role as Africa’s energy industry pushes toward lower-carbon, more efficient operations.
Posted by Africa.com
