Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Bassey Eno will be honored with the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize (LAAP) in Governance and Public Service at a ceremony in Ghana this weekend. The Millennium Excellence Foundation selected Eno for his transformative rural development programs and inclusive leadership style that have significantly improved living standards in Nigeria’s oil-rich state.
The award ceremony will take place May 10 at Kumasi’s historic Manhyia Palace under the patronage of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who praised Eno as “a model of sub-national leadership in Africa.” The governor joins an elite group of honorees including Ghana’s former President John Mahama and São Tomé’s President Carlos Vila Nova.
Founded in 1998, the biennial LAAP recognizes outstanding contributions to African development. Previous Nigerian recipients include Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and business magnate Aliko Dangote. The event will draw continental leaders, with Nigeria’s delegation led by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Eno’s administration has gained attention for its agricultural revolution, tourism development, and social welfare programs that have reduced poverty in Akwa Ibom. This marks the second major international recognition for the state after Senator Godswill Akpabio’s 2015 Millennium Excellence Award.
