ZULUM: GREATNESS TOILED FROM CRADLE
On Monday, August 25, 1969, Babagana Umara Zulum was born to a hard working farming family in Loskuri village of Mafa Local Government Area in central-Borno State. At a tender age, Zulum joined his late father in tilling the ground in Loskuri, trekking seven kilometers from home to farm every day.
Zulum combined child-farming with primary education in Mafa from 1975 to 1980, before proceeding to Government Secondary School, Monguno, from 1980 to 1985. On graduating from Secondary School at 16 years old, Zulum began to fully cater for his education while at the same time, supporting his younger ones.
In 1986, Zulum entered Ramat Polytechnic in Maiduguri, for National Diploma in Irrigation Engineering. As student, he trekked eight kilometers from Kofa Biyu ward, where he stayed with relations, to school and back, because he could not afford daily transport fares.
After graduating with National Diploma in 1988, Zulum joined Borno State Civil Service in 1989 as an Assistant Technical Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1990, Zulum began his Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Maiduguri and graduated in 1994. Between 1984 to 1999, covering the periods Zulum was student both the Polytechnic, the University, and afterwards, Zulum eked out a living as a commercial taxi driver, intermittently driving buses, moving later, to a commercial pickup, ferrying firewood. In these 16 years, Zulum learnt how to fix vehicles he drove, and he combined driving with operating a commercial grinding machine while spending weekends in Mafa, where he was born.
In 1997, Zulum proceeded to the University of Ibadan and graduated in 1998 with MSc in Agricultural Engineering. In 1998, Zulum joined the University of Maiduguri as an Assistant Lecturer. In 2005, he bagan his PhD in Soil and Water Engineering, graduating in 2009, Zulum was now a complete academic, rising through the ranks, at some point becoming Deputy Dean, and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering. In 2011, then Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, who had known Zulum’s potentials for years, appointed Zulum as Rector of Ramat Polytechnic, which Zulum knew well as student.
However, even as rector, Zulum preferred to retain lower salary as lecturer in University of Maiduguri. In other words, he served for free as Rector. That wise and selfless decision enabled Zulum to continue lecturing at the university while overseeing the polytechnic. At some point, Zulum studied at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, in four years, Zulum brought impressive changes at the Ramat Polytechnic so much that in 2015, Governor Kashim Shettima, stunned by Zulum’s rare incorruptibility and competence, appointed Zulum as Borno’s pioneer Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement. Despite controlling billions of naira for Reconstruction works, Zulum, neither bought a personal house nor a personal car for himself, as testified by Governor Shettima. Zulum oversaw the reconstruction of over 30,000 re settlement homes, schools, hospitals and other vital public-services which facilitated the gradual restoration of civil authority in local government areas and continued return of IDPs to communities in 14 LGAs. While rebuilding communities, Zulum sustained his teaching and research at the University of Maiduguri, and his passion was crowned in 2016, when the University moved Dr Zulum, to become Professor Zulum, specialized in Soil and Water Engineering. In October 2018, the time came to choose who was best positioned to become candidate of the ruling APC ahead of the 2019 governorship.
Then Governor Kashim Shettima came up with what became a nationally referenced article, which comprehensively advocated the choice of Professor Zulum as Borno’s natural Governor in the midst of daunting challenges. In Shettima’s article, he predicted so honestly, humbly and generously unusual, that Zulum was going to outperform his achievements, for the benefit of Borno people.
Zulum, who was a best seller to Borno’s electorates, won the 2019 governorship with more than one million votes. It was a rare feat! Since his swearing-in on May 29, 2019, Zulum wasted no time, in confronting the many challenges facing Borno State.
Combining approaches to tackling Boko Haram and humanitarian outcomes, Zulum allocated hundreds of vehicles and logistics to Nigerian armed forces, increased monthly allowances of volunteers like the Civilian JTF, recruited thousands of hunters and vigilantes. Zulum also became Borno’s chief humanitarian officer, touring communities to supervise livelihood support.
Zulum employed the style of undertaking numerous surprise visits to hospitals at midnight, schools early morning, and public establishments at any time, to get first-hand information. With that unusual approach, Professor Zulum in his first one hundred days, executed 120 projects. In his first year, Zulum delivered 326 physical projects which included more than 6,000 urban and low-cost houses for resettlement of internally displaced persons and refugees who fled from attacks by bokoharam.
In his second year, Zulum delivered over five hundred capital projects and amid these, he launched a 25-year recovery and development plan for Borno State. The 10-Year phase of that plan is being implemented. In his three and half years, Zulum has delivered over 600 capital projects across Borno State. In his fourth year, Zulum has executed about 700 capital projects delivered across the 27 local government areas. I mpressed by his astonishing achievements, Zulum has won different awards.
Zulum was among other recipients, conferred with Nigeria’s national honour as commander of the order of the Niger, by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022. Before that, President Mohammed Bazoum of the Republic of Niger in 2021, had decorated Zulum, with the country’s Second Order of National Honour, “de Grand Officer Dans I`Ordre”, which is the equivalent of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, in Nigeria’s ranking of national honours.
Zulum had won NUJ’s most promising first term governor in 2019.
Muslim personality of the year, 2019 Tell Magazine’s governor of the year, 2020 Vanguard Newspapers’ personality of the year, 2020
*Leadership Newspapers’ personality of the year 2020 Zik prize for leadership, 2020 Silverbird’s special award, 2020 Igbere TV’s Governor of the year, 2020 Community Development Pillar Award, 2020 * Blueprint Newspaper, Nigeria’s Person of the Year 2020
* BusinessDay Newspapers governor of the year, 2021
* Winner of the University of Ibadan’s alumni of the year and most distinguished alumni award 2020.
* Leadership Person of the Year Award 2021
* National Post Graduate College Fellowship Award 2021
*Niger Republic’s Second-Order National Honour, “de Grand Officer Dans I`Ordre”.
*Nigerian Institute of Agricultural Engineers Fellowship Award 2021
* Community Development Institute (CDI) 2020 Community Pillar Award.
*Fellowship Award, Nigerian Institute of Architects 2021.
* Vanguard Newspapers’ personality of the year, 2021
* New Telegraph Newspapers’ Governor of the Year, 2021.
* The Sun Newspaper’s Governor of the Year, 2022
*Human Rights Governor of the year, 2021 *National Honour Award of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), 2022.
*Anglican Church Leadership Award, 2022
*Hallmark of Labour Foundation Award of Excellence, 2022.
*The National Agricultural Land Development Authority, NALDA Governor of the year 2022. *The Exemplary Leadership Award 2023 by Naija Diaspora * Champion Newspaper Visionary Leader Award 2023
*Nigerian Medical Association 2023 Award of Honour.
*NUJ’s 2024 Good Governance Award on Education These are among other awards.
The Board and Organizing Committee of Humanitarian Service Diamond Awards hereby present His Excellency, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, Executive Governor Borno State as Life Time Humanitarian Hero 2024.
