Zulum receives Pan-African Leadership Award

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has received the 2026 Quintessence Pan-African Top Leadership Award.

The governor dedicated the honour to the resilient people of Borno and Nigerians working to restore dignity and opportunity to their communities.

The Quintessence Award is presented each year to one continental African leader and one African American leader for distinguished accomplishments in their fields of endeavour and outstanding contributions to the history and heritage of African people.

This year’s edition was chaired by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, and had in attendance the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; Emir of Kano, HRH Muhammad Sanusi II; Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia; the Consul General of Nigeria in Atlanta; and former Nigerian Minister of Finance, Dr Mansur Mukhtar.

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Speaking at the award ceremony in New Jersey, Governor 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 open doors 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, health 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 that in the first year alone, 326 projects were completed, including more than 6,000 houses for families affected by the conflict, while more than 1,000 capital projects had been delivered over the past six years.

Zulum described the projects as more than statistics, saying they represented shelter for displaced families, classrooms for children and health centres where mothers could receive care.

Zulum 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 fraction of those funds into factories, schools and clinics could generate wider benefits. He encouraged the diaspora and international partners to support start-ups, technology hubs, teacher training and stronger institutions.

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 an official title.

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

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, Kashim Ibrahim Teaching Hospital, Professor Ahmed Ahidjo.

Others included Dr Thameer Kezamal and Mr Huber Shaiyen, who also chaired the Borno Investment Roundtable, among other dignitaries.