Zulum receives 2026 Quintessence Pan-African Top Leadership Award

Events-Festivals, News

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (NPA) — Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has received the 2026 Quintessence Pan-African Top Leadership Award, dedicating the honour to the resilient people of Borno and Nigerians working to restore dignity and opportunity in their communities.

According to a statement by Dauda Iliya, Spokesperson and Media Adviser to the governor, the Quintessence Award is presented annually to one African leader and one African-American leader for distinguished accomplishments in their fields and outstanding contributions to African history and heritage.

This year’s edition was chaired by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

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Among those who attended the ceremony were Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; Emir of Kano, HRH Muhammad Sanusi II; Nigeria’s ambassador to Ethiopia; the Consul General of Nigeria in Atlanta; and former Minister of Finance, Dr Mansur Mukhtar.

Speaking at the ceremony on Friday in New Jersey, Zulum said the recognition was “not for me alone”, but for everyone who had worked to turn ideas into action and improve people’s lives.

“This recognition is not for me alone, but for the resilient people of Borno, every Nigerian and African who has worked tirelessly to turn ideas into action, and to bring dignity to the lives of our people,” Zulum said.

The governor said his upbringing in a farming community in Mafa Local Government Area shaped his belief that leadership should create opportunities for others, particularly children whose potential might otherwise go unnoticed.

“Leadership is not about grand titles, but about building ladders of opportunity so everyone can climb,” he said.

Reflecting on Borno’s recovery from the Boko Haram insurgency, Zulum said his administration had focused on rebuilding homes, schools, healthcare facilities and other public infrastructure.

According to the governor, his administration has reconstructed more than 30,000 homes, schools, clinics and other public facilities since he assumed office in 2019.

He said 326 projects were completed in the administration’s first year, including more than 6,000 houses for families affected by the conflict, adding that more than 1,000 capital projects had been delivered over the past six years.

Zulum also urged Nigerians and other Africans in the diaspora to invest not only their money but also their skills and ideas in businesses, education and healthcare back home.

He described Africa’s greatest asset as its young people and called for greater investment in their education, health and creativity.

“I call on you to invest back home — not just your capital, but your skills and ideas,” he said. “Every factory you build, every school you help fund, is an investment in Africa’s greatest resource: our people.”

The governor said remittances provide vital support to families but argued that channeling even a portion of such funds into factories, schools and clinics could generate broader economic and social benefits.

He encouraged members of the diaspora and international partners to support start-ups, technology hubs, teacher training and stronger institutions across Africa.

Describing leadership as service rather than status, Zulum urged teachers, healthcare workers, business owners and others to make a difference in their communities without waiting for official titles.

“My message today is that leaders are enablers, not distant rulers,” Zulum said.

The governor was accompanied at the event by the First Lady of Borno State, Dr Falmata Babagana Zulum; Chief Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development, Partnership and Humanitarian Support, Dr Mairo Mandara; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Zuwaira Gambo; and Chairman, Governing Board of Kashim Ibrahim Teaching Hospital, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo.