At the 19th Security Watch Africa Conference and Awards held in Banjul, The Gambia, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State was named African Leader in People-Centric Governance in 2025 while CP Baba Mohammed Azare received the Best Anti-Crime Bursting Police Chief in West & Central Africa in 2025; CSP Besta Sini John was honoured as the Best Close Protection Police Officer in West & Central Africa in 2025, and the Akwa Ibom State Police Command was recognised as the Most Proactive Police Command in Nigeria in 2025. Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that having emerged as the biggest winners of the night with four prestigious honours, it underscored the state’s growing reputation for people-centred governance, development and effective security management
When the curtains fell on the 19th Security Watch Africa Conference and Awards at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Banjul, The Gambia, on July 23, 2026, one Nigerian state stood head and shoulders above the rest.
Akwa Ibom State emerged as one of the biggest winners of the night, carting away four prestigious awards that reflected not just recognition, but a validation of a governance philosophy built around security, development and people-centred leadership.
