Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Quintessence Award, a Pan-African leadership honour presented in North America.
Key Highlights
- Borno Governor Babagana Zulum has been named the 2026 recipient of the Quintessence Award, a Pan-African leadership honour presented in North America.
- Zulum is reportedly the first northern Nigerian governor to receive the award.
- The award is scheduled for Friday, September 25, 2026, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Newark, New Jersey.
- Organisers cited his academic and educational administration background, as well as his record as Borno governor, particularly in reconstruction and infrastructure.
- Zulum is currently in New York as part of Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st UN General Assembly.
Zulum, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Spokesperson, Dauda Iliya, becomes the first governor from the north to receive the award.
The governor is currently in New York as part of the Nigerian delegation to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, led by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Shettima is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement at the general debate and participate in several sideline engagements, including the Nigeria Investment Forum.
Before travelling to the United States, Zulum held strategic engagements in Canada, where he signed a memorandum of understanding on behalf of the Borno State government with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).
The agreement focuses on technical education, workforce development and skills transfer, among other areas aimed at strengthening human capital for Borno’s post-insurgency recovery.
The governor’s nomination was conveyed in a letter by the Executive Director of the African Writers Endowment, a New Jersey-based non-profit organisation, Ugorji Ugorji.
Ugorji said Zulum was selected in recognition of his accomplishments as an academic, scholar and educational administrator, as well as his tenure as governor, particularly his efforts in addressing insecurity and improving infrastructure across Borno State.
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The award is scheduled to be presented at the “Quintessence Ball: A Celebration of African People in World History” on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in New Jersey, United States.
According to the organisers, the Quintessence Award is presented annually to at least one continental African leader and one African-American leader for distinguished accomplishments in their respective fields and contributions to African history and heritage.
The 2026 Quintessence Conference and Awards will be chaired by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, a former chief of staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari and former United Nations Under-eecretary-general. Gambari was also the maiden recipient of the award in 1998.
A major feature of the conference will be a symposium titled, “Investment Opportunities in Borno State: Doorway to the Chad Region.”
The session is expected to highlight economic, agricultural and cross-border trade opportunities in Borno, as well as the state’s reconstruction efforts, restoration of livelihoods and strategic position within the Lake Chad Basin.
Zulum will join previous recipients of the award, including the late Professor Chinua Achebe, Professor Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Congressman Donald Payne, Professor Toyin Falola, Professor Molefi Kete Asante, and former governors Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Kayode Fayemi.
The organisers said the Quintessence Award is traditionally accompanied by a proclamation from the governor of New Jersey and a joint resolution of the New Jersey Senate and general assembly in honour of recipients.
