Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and six others are among finalists for the Daily Times @ 100 Heroes Awards in the Governor of the Decade and Outstanding Governor categories.
The winners will be announced on Wednesday.
Other nominees in the governor categories are Governors Hope Uzodimma (Imo State), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Babagana Zulum (Borno State), Uba Sani (Kaduna State), Peter Mbah (Enugu State) and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State).
The announcement will follow the completion of public voting and final collation of results by the awards council.
The organisers said the awards are part of activities marking the centenary celebration of Daily Times. It includes 25 competitive categories and 10 Trailblazer Awards to recognise individuals and organisations for their contributions to Nigeria and Africa.
The Chairman of the Awards Council, Engr. Bolaji Okusaga, and Secretary, Bonaventure Phillips Melah, said voting, which began on July 1, had closed as scheduled.
It said thousands of Nigerians and other Africans participated in the process, and that officials were conducting the final collation of votes alongside other assessment criteria before the winners would be announced.
Otti’s nomination comes after two years in office during which his administration has focused on infrastructure, healthcare, education, fiscal reforms and urban renewal.
The Abia governor’s administration has completed 414 road projects covering more than 800 kilometres by May 2026, while 82 other roads are at different stages of completion. He also recently said the state has reduced its debt burden by more than 70 per cent by March 2026.
His administration also reported reforms in the health sector, including the recruitment of healthcare workers and renovation of health centres, as well as increased budgetary attention to education, teacher recruitment and smart school projects.
Otti has received commendations from the National Pension Commission (PenCom) for clearing pension arrears, signing the Abia State Pension Reform Law 2024 and supporting a contributory pension structure.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has also praised the governor’s infrastructure projects, particularly road reconstruction efforts and cooperation with the federal government.
Meanwhile, other major award categories include Business Icon of the Century, Government Agency of the Year, Energy Company of the Year, Impactful Minister of the Decade, Politician of the Year, Democrat of the Century, Public Servant of the Decade and Project of the Year.
Nominees across the categories include Ghanaian President John Mahama, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, business leaders Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga, former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Commonwealth Secretary General Emeka Anyaoku and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
Also nominated are ministers including Festus Keyamo, Nyesom Wike, David Umahi, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and Dele Alake, alongside organisations such as the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Revenue Service, NELFUND, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Shoreline International Energy, Seplat, Aiteo, the Bank of Industry and the National Climate Innovation Centre.
