All is now set for the 2025 edition of the First Daily Public Lecture and Excellence Awards, billed to hold in November at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

This was revealed in a statement yesterday by the Publisher of First Daily, Dr Daniel Iworiso-Markson.   According to him, the event will bring together top government officials, business leaders, civil society actors, and media practitioners to celebrate excellence, innovation, and transformational leadership across Nigeria; and the ceremony will be preceded by a public lecture themed, “How Can We Make Our Votes Count,” designed “to provoke national reflection on the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral system and the civic responsibility of citizens in shaping governance outcomes.”

He said: “Among the major awardees for this year’s event are eminent Nigerians whose leadership footprints have left indelible marks on national development.

“Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, will be decorated with the Governor of the Year (Infrastructure Development) award in recognition of his administration’s massive investment in road infrastructure, urban renewal, and projects that have bridged the connectivity gap between the capital city and rural communities.

“His Rivers counterpart Siminalayi Fubara will receive the Governor of the Year (Civil Service Welfare and Development) award for his outstanding contributions in the development and empowerment of civil servants in the state, which have enhanced productivity and efficiency in the delivery of government’s policies and programmes,” the statement added, among others.