By Our Correspondent
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has been nominated for the Leadership Newspaper Governor of the Year 2026 award in recognition of his administration’s reported interventions in security, education, healthcare and infrastructure development.
The award ceremony is scheduled to hold on December 1, 2026, at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele, the nomination was announced during a visit by a delegation from Leadership Newspaper to the Edo State Government House in Benin City.
The delegation comprised the newspaper’s Vice-Chairman, Michael Okpere; Director of Conferences and Awards, Abraham Nda-Isaiah; Director of Special Projects, Paul Agbo; and its Benin correspondent and Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Patrick Ochoga.
Speaking during the visit, Okpere said the newspaper’s annual awards featured 21 categories, including Person of the Year, Governor of the Year, Civil Servant of the Year and Banker of the Year.
He explained that a 54-member panel assessed public officials and their performances before selecting nominees for the awards.
According to him, the panel reviewed the performances of state governors for 2026 and shortlisted five nominees for the Governor of the Year category, compared with six in the previous edition.
“We’ve come to inform you of your nomination as Leadership Governor of the Year 2026. In the last 18 to 19 years, Leadership Newspaper sits down every year with about 54 persons to examine policies and happenings in Nigeria, with the intention to reward society and deserving people,” Okpere said.
He added that the delegation was in Edo State to formally notify the governor of his nomination and invite him to the award ceremony.
Also speaking, the newspaper’s Director of Conferences and Awards, Abraham Nda-Isaiah, said Okpebholo’s nomination was informed by what he described as his administration’s interventions across key sectors of the state’s economy.
He identified security as a critical component of effective governance and cited the administration’s investments in education, particularly at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, and Edo State University, Uzairue.
Nda-Isaiah highlighted the reported increase in the state government’s subvention to AAU from N41 million to more than N500 million, as well as an allocation of N250 million to Edo State University.
He also cited road construction projects across the state’s three senatorial districts, the flyover bridge at Ramat Park and healthcare initiatives, including the state health insurance scheme.
“Over 500 roads are being constructed, completed and ongoing across the three senatorial districts in the state, alongside the flyover bridge at Ramat Park and healthcare interventions, especially the health insurance scheme,” he said.
Nda-Isaiah added that the administration’s activities in various sectors contributed to the governor’s emergence as one of the five nominees for the award.
Responding, Okpebholo expressed appreciation to the newspaper for the recognition, saying his efforts to develop Edo State were driven by his commitment to public service.
“I see what I do as a way of life, and I am not doing something special. This is how I have been behaving before I contested. I am happy to continue to develop the state,” the governor said.
He described the nomination as encouraging and prayed for the strength to continue delivering on his administration’s commitments to the people of Edo State.
“I am delighted with the award and so grateful, and pray for more strength to continue to work and do more for Edo people. I will be physically present on that day,” he added.
The December 1 ceremony in Abuja is expected to bring together the nominees and other distinguished personalities from different sectors to celebrate achievements in public service and national development.
