Maiduguri, Nigeria – Babagana Umara Zulum, Governor of Borno State, has been recognised as one of the top-performing governors in Nigeria in the 2025 Governance Accountability and Transparency Index.
Okay News reports that the ranking was announced during the unveiling of the 2025 GATI Report at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, where the Borno governor was listed among ten state leaders praised for advancing transparency reforms and citizen-focused development initiatives.
The annual report was produced by Guild of Online Media Editors and Publishers (GOMEP) Nigeria, a coalition of more than 75 online media editors and publishers. According to the organisation, the index evaluates how Nigeria’s 36 state governments manage public resources and conduct governance in a transparent and accountable manner, while reinforcing the role of the media in promoting public interest and democratic oversight.
Presenting the report, the group’s national president, Dozie Nwankodu, explained that five internationally recognised evaluation methodologies were applied in assessing state governments.
The report noted that Borno State had already placed in the “Exceptional Performance” category in 2024 with an average score of 86.3 points. In the latest assessment, the state improved its rating to 89.7 points, representing a 3.4-point increase and a 3.94 percent improvement.
Among the initiatives highlighted was the early implementation of local government financial autonomy under Zulum’s administration, a policy move aimed at strengthening grassroots governance and accountability.
The report also credited the governor with overseeing more than 1,500 major development projects across the state’s 27 local government areas over the past seven years. These projects span sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, security, agriculture, and water resources.
The administration has also been widely recognised for facilitating the voluntary return of more than one million internally displaced persons to their communities under a strategy popularly referred to as the “Borno Model.”
In the education sector, the government has built over 104 mega schools, rehabilitated numerous classrooms, and expanded scholarship opportunities locally and internationally. These efforts earned the governor the Education-Friendly Governor Award from the Nigeria Union of Teachers in 2024.
Zulum’s leadership has also attracted international recognition. In recent years, he has received honours including the African Leadership Award from Forbes, the Iconic Award from a German international NGO, the African Governor of the Year Award, and the African Public Service Excellence Award.
The governor also holds the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger and a high national decoration from the Republic of Niger.
