By Grandtowers
Today, we honour the courage, conviction and sacrifice of those who secured our nation’s freedom. We remember a generation that believed Nigerians deserved the right to determine their own future and worked to make that
Independence Day Address by Nze Chidi Duru, OON
Chairman, Grand Towers Limited
1 October 2026
Distinguished members of the Board, our valued shareholders and partners, members of management, dedicated colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, and fellow Nigerians,
On behalf of the Board and Management of Grand Towers Limited, I extend warm greetings to you and your families as we celebrate the 66th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence.
Today, we honour the courage, conviction and sacrifice of those who secured our nation’s freedom. We remember a generation that believed Nigerians deserved the right to determine their own future and worked to make that belief a reality.
We also recognise the generations who have sustained our country since independence: the teachers who have shaped young minds, the entrepreneurs who have built businesses, the professionals who have strengthened institutions, and the workers whose daily efforts keep our communities and economy moving.
Their contributions remind us that a nation is built through both historic achievements and ordinary acts of service.
As we mark this anniversary, we must consider what the freedom entrusted to us requires of us today. What opportunities are we creating? What standards are we upholding? What kind of country will the next generation inherit from the decisions we make?
These questions deserve our honest attention.
The Meaning of Independence Today
The achievement of independence in 1960 gave Nigeria the authority to govern itself. Each generation since then has carried the responsibility of giving that freedom greater meaning in the lives of our people.
For a young graduate, that meaning may be the opportunity to secure meaningful employment. For an entrepreneur, it may be the ability to build a business in an environment that rewards initiative. For a parent, it may be access to good education, reliable healthcare and a safe community in which to raise a family.
Our progress must ultimately be reflected in these everyday experiences.
At 66, Nigeria has much to be proud of. Across business, technology, the arts, academia and professional life, Nigerians continue to demonstrate talent, enterprise and determination. Our people have shown that they can compete, innovate and lead.
Yet we must also recognise the distance between the promise of our nation and the experience of many of its citizens.
Families face difficult choices. Businesses must navigate demanding operating conditions. Young people seek clearer pathways from education to opportunity. These concerns deserve practical responses, sustained effort and leadership that listens.
Our optimism must be honest enough to acknowledge these realities and purposeful enough to work towards improving them.
The Responsibility of Business
At Grand Towers, this anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between enterprise and national development.
Businesses depend on the societies in which they operate. We draw on the skills of our people, the trust of our customers, the strength of our communities and the institutions that support economic activity. Our responsibility, therefore, extends beyond the boundaries of our offices and the figures in our financial statements.
Commercial success matters. It sustains operations, attracts investment and rewards those who commit their resources. Lasting success also requires responsible conduct, dependable service and a clear understanding of the value a business brings to society.
Through our interests across hospitality, financial technology, real estate, telecommunications, media and information technology, Grand Towers participates in sectors that touch people’s daily lives.
These sectors offer practical ways to contribute to national progress: improving access to services, supporting commerce, connecting people, creating spaces for enterprise and encouraging the exchange of information and ideas.
For us, the enduring question is how to translate investment into useful, lasting value.
Every sound investment decision should be supported by disciplined execution. Every partnership should rest on mutual trust. Every business we help to strengthen should aspire to deliver services that people can depend on.
This is how enterprise earns its place in the national development story.
Integrity as a Standard of Leadership
Our corporate principle, “Steering Investment Innovation with Integrity,” expresses a responsibility that must be evident in how we work.
Integrity is reflected in the accuracy of our reporting, the fairness of our dealings, the promises we keep and the willingness to take responsibility when outcomes fall short.
It must guide us when decisions are difficult and when doing the right thing carries an immediate cost.
As business leaders, we have a duty to build organisations in which professional standards are clear and accountability is consistent. Our employees should understand what is expected of them and see those same standards demonstrated by leadership.
The institutions we build must be strong enough to endure beyond any individual. That requires effective governance, capable teams, sound processes and a culture that welcomes improvement.
The same principle applies to our wider national life. Trust grows when people see consistency between words and actions. Progress becomes more sustainable when institutions are dependable and responsibilities are taken seriously.
Making Room for the Next Generation
On this Independence Day, I wish to speak particularly to Nigeria’s young people.
Your ambitions are legitimate. Your desire for opportunity, dignity and a better quality of life deserves to be heard.
Nigeria needs your technical ability, creativity, curiosity and willingness to question familiar ways of doing things. It needs people who can identify problems and develop solutions that are useful, accessible and commercially sustainable.
Continue to invest in your knowledge. Develop skills that can withstand competition. Learn to work with others. Protect your reputation, and understand that competence becomes more valuable when it is accompanied by reliability and good judgement.
There is dignity in building steadily. Meaningful achievement often begins with the discipline to do a modest task exceptionally well.
Those of us in positions of leadership must also accept our part in this responsibility. Encouraging young people carries little weight if we are unwilling to make room for them.
We must take talent seriously, recognise merit, share experience and create environments in which capable people can contribute and grow.
A young person given a fair opportunity can strengthen a business, support a family and influence an entire community. The value of that opportunity extends far beyond the individual.
Unity in Our Daily Conduct
Nigeria’s diversity places a responsibility on all of us to practise fairness and mutual respect.
In our workplaces and business relationships, we have the opportunity to demonstrate what constructive national cooperation looks like. We can choose competence over prejudice, respectful dialogue over hostility, and shared purpose over unnecessary division.
The colleague beside us, the customer we serve and the supplier we depend on may come from a different community or hold different beliefs. Our ability to work together with trust is an essential part of our strength.
Unity becomes meaningful through these daily choices.
As we celebrate our national identity, let us remember that every Nigerian deserves dignity, a fair hearing and the opportunity to contribute.
A Shared Task for Government and Enterprise
National development requires responsible action across society.
Public institutions have an essential role in providing security, reliable infrastructure, clear rules and an environment in which productive enterprise can flourish.
The private sector must meet that effort with lawful conduct, responsible employment practices, investment discipline and respect for the communities in which it operates.
Constructive engagement between government and business should focus on practical outcomes: removing obstacles to productivity, developing skills, improving services and widening access to economic opportunity.
We should judge progress by what these efforts make possible for people and businesses over time.
The task requires patience, but it also requires urgency. For the person seeking work or struggling to keep a business open, the need for improvement is immediate.
A Message to the Grand Towers Family
To our shareholders and partners, thank you for your confidence and collaboration. Your trust carries a responsibility that we must continue to honour through diligence, sound judgement and accountability.
To our management and employees, thank you for the work you do each day. The reputation of Grand Towers is shaped by your conduct, the quality of your decisions and the care you bring to your responsibilities.
As we enter another year of our nation’s independence, I ask each of us to renew our commitment to excellence in practical terms.
Let us improve the processes within our control. Let us respond to customers with greater care. Let us use resources responsibly, support our colleagues and address problems before they become accepted habits.
Let us be willing to learn, willing to innovate and willing to take responsibility.
The contribution we make to Nigeria begins with the standards we uphold in our own organisation.
Looking Ahead with Purpose
Fellow Nigerians, the future of our country will be shaped by the choices we make long after today’s celebrations have ended.
We honour the sacrifices of the past by accepting the responsibilities of the present. We give the next generation reason for confidence when we build institutions, businesses and communities that work.
My hope for Nigeria is a country in which talent can find opportunity, honest work can support a dignified life, and enterprise can grow with confidence.
Achieving that future will demand more than goodwill. It will require competence, cooperation, sustained investment and the courage to uphold standards even when it is inconvenient.
At Grand Towers, let this anniversary renew our sense of purpose and our determination to contribute through the work entrusted to us.
May we measure our success by both the value we create and the trust we earn.
May we leave behind stronger institutions, wider opportunities and a country better prepared for those who will follow us.
On behalf of the Board and Management of Grand Towers Limited, I wish our employees, shareholders, partners, customers and all Nigerians a peaceful and memorable Independence Day.
Happy 66th Independence Anniversary, Nigeria.
God bless Grand Towers Limited.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you.
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