Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has emerged as one of the top performers in the 2025 Governance Accountability and Transparency Index (GATI) Report.
The recognition places Zulum among a select group of Nigerian governors whose transparency reforms and people-centred projects are redefining governance standards across the country.
The report, unveiled at a press conference in Abuja, the Nigerian capital territory, on Friday, March 13, 2026, marks the second edition of the annual GATI Report developed by the GOMEP Nigeria, an umbrella body of more than 75 online media editors and publishers across Nigeria.
According to the organisers, the annual report seeks to strengthen democratic governance by assessing how transparently and responsibly Nigeria’s 36 state governments conduct public affairs, while also reinforcing the media’s role as an impartial watchdog on governance, social justice and public interest.
Presenting the report, the national president of the GOMEP Nigeria, Dr Dozie Nwankodu, stated that the group adopted five internationally recognised methodologies in evaluating the states.
Dozie noted that Borno State, which already occupied the Exceptional Performance category in 2024 with an Average Index Point of 86.3, further strengthened its standing in 2025. The state achieved 89.7 points, reflecting a 3.4-point increase and a 3.94% improvement, thereby consolidating its position among the leading performers.
Part of the defining features of Zulum’s governance legacy was his bold implementation of local government financial autonomy early this year.
Similarly, over the past seven years, Zulum’s administration has executed over 1,500 capital-intensive projects across Borno’s 27 local government areas and overseen the voluntary return of over one million internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes through what is now known as the “Borno Model”.
Human capital development, through education, is one of Zulum’s top priorities, with billions disbursed in foreign and local scholarships.
Zulum’s administration has constructed over 104 new mega schools, rehabilitated countless dilapidated classrooms, and procured sports and teaching facilities leading to the Nigeria Union of Teachers recognising these efforts with the Education-Friendly Governor Award in 2024.
In healthcare, Governor Zulum has delivered several mega projects, alongside sustained investments in primary healthcare delivery across remote communities.
Across transportation, infrastructure, economic revival, energy, security, water resources, and agriculture, Zulum’s administration has delivered hundreds of projects that have directly touched the lives of the Borno people.
Zulum’s governance model has attracted commendations beyond Nigeria’s borders. In 2024 alone, he received the “Forbes Magazine African Leadership Award” for outstanding leadership qualities, integrity, innovation, and impact-driven projects, the German international NGO Iconic Award 2025, the African Governor of the Year Award 2023, and the African Public Service Excellence Award, 2026.
Zulum holds Nigeria’s national honour as Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and the Republic of Niger’s Second Order of National Honour—’ de Grand Officer Dans I`Ordre’—equivalent to Nigeria’s Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).
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