Ten state governors from Borno, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Lagos, Katsina, Plateau, Anambra and Akwa Ibom have been honoured with the prestigious Nurses-Friendly Governors’ Award at the 2026 Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Conference (CNMC) held in Abuja.

The conference, themed “Towards Excellence: Nurses and Midwives working together towards excellence in practice, education and regulation,” brought together delegates from several Commonwealth countries.

Presenting the award to Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, the President of the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation (CNMF), Prof Kathleen McCourt, commended his outstanding service to humanity, particularly his large-scale housing interventions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and significant investments in health infrastructure.

She noted that the governor’s hands-on approach to restoring dignity to vulnerable populations has set a benchmark for leadership across Commonwealth member countries.

Zulum was represented at the event by the Chief Medical Director of the Borno State Hospital Management Board (BHMB), Prof Abubakar Kullima, accompanied by the Senior Technical Assistant on Print and Digital Communications to the Governor, Abdurrahman Bundi.

The President of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Haruna Mamman, explained that the governors were selected for the award following a rigorous assessment based on criteria approved by the association.

According to the organisers, Zulum was recognised not only for health sector investments but also for extensive infrastructure delivery across the state. He established two Colleges of Nursing in the northern and central senatorial zones of the state.

The organisers further disclosed that Zulum executed 120 projects within his first 100 days in office, 326 capital projects in his first year, over 500 in his second year, about 800 in his third year, and approximately 1,500 capital projects by his seventh year in office.