LEADERSHIP Primary Healthcare Worker Model Of The Year 2025

For defying the Boko Haram insurgency and for continuing to offer health services to its victims for over 21 years, Mrs Mabel Ijeoma Duaka is…

Primary Healthcare Worker Model Of The Year 2025

Mrs Mabel Ijeoma Duaka’s life is a quiet testament to service, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to humanity. Born in 1964 into the family of the late Mr Obed Duaka and Mrs Catherine Duaka as the first of eight children, she began her working life as a Grade II teacher at Wulari II Primary School in Maiduguri. However, driven by a deep passion to heal the sick and respond more directly to the health needs of her community, she made a bold career switch, enrolling at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) School of Nursing in 1985. She graduated in 1990 and, after years of contract service, secured a permanent appointment in 2004 as a nursing midwife at the Mafa Primary Healthcare Centre, where she would go on to build a distinguished career spanning more than two decades.

Her dedication to professional growth matched her commitment to service. Determined to improve healthcare delivery, Mrs Duaka returned to the University of Maiduguri to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing through a Borno State government scholarship. When the Boko Haram insurgency displaced residents of Mafa to an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp near Maiduguri, she did not retreat to safety. Instead, she worked tirelessly in the camp, attending to the medical needs of displaced families until relative peace returned and the community was resettled in 2016. Since then, she has remained in Mafa, providing care not only at the primary healthcare centre but also in homes and temporary camps for returnees whose houses were destroyed by insurgents.

It was this rare dedication that caught the attention of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, who met Mrs Duaka on duty at the Mafa Primary Healthcare Centre at 8 pm during an official visit, long after others had closed for the day. Moved by her resilience, loyalty and selfless service—especially as a non-indigene who stayed through the worst of the insurgency—the Governor publicly commended her on several occasions. Her commitment was eventually rewarded when she was named among 72 teachers and health workers allocated housing units in Mafa, with her allocation converted to personal ownership, alongside the announcement of automatic employment for her son, Anthony, at Kashim Ibrahim University. Married with four children, Mrs Duaka stands as a powerful symbol of courage, compassion and the enduring impact of dedicated public service.

It would be recalled that LEADERSHIP, in November 2025, unveiled its 2025 awardees, with Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, emerging as the Person of the Year 2025.

According to the LEADERSHIP Board of Editors, despite the country being on the brink of another election year, there was no winner for the Politician of the Year award.

Six governors, comprising Uba Sani (Kaduna), Abiodun Oyebanji  (Ekiti), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Hope Uzodimma(Imo State), and Abdulahi Sule (Nasarawa), emerged as Governors of the Year.

The governors earned the award for “diligently focusing on the implementation of programmes and policies that transformed lives in their respective states.”

Governor Abiodun Oyebanji clinched the Governor of the Year 2025 award for his people-centred leadership that has transformed Ekiti State through inclusive governance.

Governor Dauda Lawal won the award for his unwavering commitment to restoring security, as well as his massive investment in education, healthcare, and infrastructure, which have repositioned Zamfara on the path of peace, progress, and sustainable development.

Governor Uba Sani emerged Governor of the Year 2025 for his inclusive and reconciliatory leadership that unites people across divides in Kaduna, while

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori clinched the award for his visionary ‘MORE Agenda’ that has redefined governance in Delta State through peace, inclusion, and pragmatic reform.

Governor Abdullahi Sule won the award for focusing on infrastructure and human capital development.

The Banker of the Year Award went to the Managing Director/CEO of Development Bank of Nigeria, Dr Tony Okpanachi, for pioneering inclusive finance through innovation and integrity, and for empowering over 700,000 MSMEs. Meanwhile, Providus Bank clinched the Bank of the Year award for its contributions to digital transformation and innovation in financial services.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) was named Government Agency of the Year for expanding Nigeria’s enforcement frontiers and recovering over N10 billion for consumers.

The LEADERSHIP Environmental Impact Agency of the Year award was presented to the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for championing sustainable industrialisation, renewable energy, and climate-friendly technologies that reduce carbon emissions and promote clean power solutions.

Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) won the Oil and Gas Local Content Champion of the Year 2025 for pioneering the development and operation of Nigeria’s first onshore crude export terminal.

Other winners include Fintech Company of the Year, won by OPay for revolutionising digital finance through inclusion; Product of the Year, Nestle’s Pure Life; and Company of the Year, Trade Modernisation Project.

Nafisa Abdullahi Aminu clinched the Young College Person of the Year 2025 for her outstanding achievement in elevating Nigeria’s presence on the international academic stage.

This year, the Artiste of the Year award was clinched by the duo of Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, better known as Skales and Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke.

The LEADERSHIP Sports Person of the Year award went to Justine Madugu for guiding the Super Falcons to their record-breaking 10th WAFCON title.

The awardees will be celebrated for their outstanding leadership, vision and commitment to national development at the LEADERSHIP Conference and Awards ceremony scheduled to take place on 12 February 2026  at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.