Governor Fintiri Wins Prestigious African Leadership Award On Food Security

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has been selected as the only serving governor in Nigeria to receive the prestigious African Association of Insect Scientists (AAIS) Award for Transformational Leadership in Food Security and Agricultural Resilience, a continental honour recognising outstanding leadership in advancing food security and sustainable agricultural development across Africa.

The award, approved by the leadership of the African Association of Insect Scientists (AAIS) ahead of its 26th Biennial International Conference, will be formally presented to Governor Fintiri during the opening ceremony of the conference on 19 October 2026 at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abuja.

According to the Association’s official letter of conferment, Governor Fintiri was selected in recognition of his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to strengthening food security, revitalising agriculture, restoring rural livelihoods in the post-insurgency period, and implementing policies that promote climate-resilient and sustainable agricultural development.

The Association also commended the Adamawa State Government’s sustained investments in rural infrastructure, agricultural value chains, farmer support programmes, and other strategic initiatives that have significantly enhanced agricultural resilience and improved food production across the state.

In announcing the award, AAIS described Governor Fintiri’s accomplishments as a demonstration of purposeful, people-centred leadership whose policies have improved the livelihoods of citizens while making meaningful contributions to agricultural transformation and food security in Africa.

The Association noted that the governor’s development agenda has positioned Adamawa State as a reference point for innovative agricultural policies, rural development, and sustainable economic growth, particularly in communities recovering from the effects of insurgency.

The recognition further strengthens Adamawa State’s growing reputation as one of Nigeria’s emerging centres for agricultural innovation and rural transformation. It also places Governor Fintiri among a distinguished group of African leaders whose policies and programmes have recorded measurable successes in promoting food security, environmental sustainability, and agricultural resilience across the continent.

The African Association of Insect Scientists (AAIS) is a leading continental professional organisation committed to advancing insect science as a tool for improving agricultural productivity, biodiversity conservation, environmental sustainability, and food security throughout Africa.

Its biennial international conference brings together scientists, researchers, policymakers, development partners, and agricultural stakeholders from across the continent to promote research, innovation, and evidence-based solutions to Africa’s food and agricultural challenges.

Governor Fintiri’s selection as the sole serving Nigerian governor for the prestigious continental award is widely seen as a recognition of the growing impact of his administration’s agricultural policies and its commitment to building a resilient, food-secure, and economically prosperous Adamawa State