By Abdullahi Alhassan
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Quintessence Award, a major Pan-African leadership recognition presented in North America.
The award organisers said Zulum was chosen in recognition of his contributions to education, scholarship and public administration, as well as his record in rebuilding Borno State amid the challenges left by years of insurgency.
The announcement was contained in a letter signed by Dr. Ugorji O. Ugorji, Executive Director of the New Jersey-based African Writers Endowment (AWE).
According to the organisers, Zulum’s selection also reflects his administration’s efforts to address insecurity, rebuild infrastructure and support the restoration of communities and livelihoods across Borno.
The award is scheduled to be presented on Friday, September 25, 2026, during the Quintessence Ball: A Celebration of African People in World History, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in New Jersey, United States.
The annual event brings together Africans from the continent, North America and the Caribbean.
This year’s conference will be chaired by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, CFR, former Chief of Staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General. Gambari was the inaugural recipient of the Quintessence Award in 1998.
Zulum is currently in the United States as part of the Nigerian delegation attending the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The delegation is led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement during the General Debate and participate in other engagements, including the Nigeria Investment Forum.
Before his trip to the United States, Zulum undertook 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 as part of efforts to strengthen human capital and support Borno’s post-insurgency recovery.
The New Jersey programme will also feature a symposium titled “Investment Opportunities in Borno State: Doorway to the Chad Region.”
The session is expected to examine investment prospects in agriculture, trade and other sectors, while highlighting efforts by the Borno administration to rebuild communities, restore livelihoods and expand economic opportunities across the state and the wider Lake Chad Basin.
Dr. Ugorji said the Quintessence Award is presented annually to at least one African leader and one African-American leader for distinguished achievements in their respective fields and contributions to African history and heritage.
Zulum’s selection places him among previous recipients that include the late literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe; Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong’o; the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN; Prof. Toyin Falola; Prof. Molefi Kete Asante; former United States Congressman Donald Payne; and former Nigerian governors Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Kayode Fayemi.
The organisers said the recognition is traditionally accompanied by a proclamation from the Governor of New Jersey and a joint resolution of the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly.
The award will be another international recognition for Zulum, who previously received the Forbes Magazine African Leadership Award in 2024.
Reacting to the development, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, said the recognition further demonstrated what he described as Borno’s emergence from years of conflict towards attracting international partnerships for reconstruction and development.
