Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State is set to receive the Leadership Newspaper’s Governor of the Year Award (2025) in recognition of his leadership and achievements across key sectors in the state.
The award ceremony is scheduled to hold on Thursday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
According to the organisers, the governor was selected for his people-centred leadership style and the positive impact of his administration on the development of Ekiti State.
Leadership Newspaper, in its nomination letter, noted that Oyebanji’s policies and programmes have transformed critical sectors and improved the welfare of the people.
Since assuming office on Oct. 16, 2022, Oyebanji has implemented a six-pillar development agenda derived from the Ekiti State Development Plan (2020–2050), with a focus on shared prosperity.
The administration has recorded progress in sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, women and youth empowerment, digital economy and tourism.
The governor’s performance has attracted several recognitions. These include the Silverbird Man of the Year Award (2024), Vanguard Newspaper’s Good Governance Award (2024), Daily Independent Newspaper’s Governor of the Year Award (2023), The EDGE Award for Most Outstanding Leadership (2024) and the Energy Governor of the Year Award (2024) by Energy Times.
Ekiti State has also recorded notable social and economic milestones under his administration.
The state ranked first in the BudgIT State Fiscal Transparency League for five consecutive quarters (Q2, Q3 and Q4 2024; Q1 and Q2 2025). It also ranked second lowest among the 36 states in the out-of-school children index.
Enough-is-Enough (EiE) Nigeria rated Ekiti as the state with the lowest media-reported killings for Q2 2025, a development seen as reinforcing its status as one of the safest states in the country.
In the health sector, the state recorded a 57 per cent reduction in neonatal mortality, from 42 per 1,000 in 2019 to 18 per 1,000 in 2024. Infant mortality dropped by 53 per cent from 57 per 1,000 in 2010 to 27 per 1,000 in 2024, while under-five mortality reduced by 54 per cent from 95 per 1,000 in 2019 to 44 per 1,000 in 2024.
Oyebanji has continued to prioritise policies and programmes aimed at improving the wellbeing of the people.
The endorsement of the governor by key stakeholders in the state for a second term has also been described as a demonstration of confidence in his leadership.
