President Bola Tinubu has presented the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS) 2025 for Governance and Security Reform to Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal.
The award was handed over at a State House ceremony by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who represented the president at the NEAPS 2025 dinner.
The event was organised by The Best Strategic Media in partnership with the Office of the SGF, the governor’s spokesperson said.
A statement quoted by the Zamfara government said Governor Lawal was honoured “for the reforms his administration introduced across various sectors in Zamfara.”
It added, “The administration of Governor Lawal has brought sanity to the Zamfara State Civil Service, prioritising the welfare of civil servants and ensuring that retirees receive their retirement benefits.”
The NEAPS citation highlighted what it called the governor’s work to clear a long backlog of unpaid gratuities for retirees.
The statement said Lawal’s government settled “over 15 billion naira in a 13-year backlog of gratuities for Zamfara State retired civil servants,” and noted other steps, including raising the workers’ minimum wage from N7,000 to N70,000 and giving a 13th-month salary to workers.
Zamfara officials also listed projects in education and health, saying the state had reconstructed, renovated and equipped more than 500 public schools and upgraded general hospitals.
On security, the statement said the governor established Community Protection Guards and supplied vehicles and equipment to security personnel.
The governor’s office said the award will “motivate the governor to continue his relentless efforts to rescue and rebuild Zamfara State.”
For context, earlier state announcements show Lawal’s administration has been paying inherited gratuity debts and reported clearing about N13.6 billion in previous instalments this year.
