Moments Dr. Godwin Umontuen was Honoured with the Zik Outstanding Professional Leader of the Year Award 2025

Moments Dr. Godwin Umontuen was Honoured with the Zik Outstanding Professional Leader of the Year Award 2025

By Dr. Tom FredFish

The 2025 Azikiwe Annual Lecture Award Ceremony delivered moments of national pride, but none shone brighter than the honour bestowed on Dr. Godwin Umontuen, distinguished entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Chairman of the Maurid Group of Schools. His conferment with the Zik Outstanding Professional Leader of the Year Award stood as a powerful affirmation of his monumental contributions to education, healthcare development, and nation-building.

A visionary builder of institutions, Dr. Umontuen has devoted his career to strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare and tertiary education systems through the establishment of frontline training centres. Among these are the Maurid College of Nursing Sciences, Mbiaso, Akwa Ibom State, the College of Nursing Sciences, Obohia Ndoki, Abia State, and the flagship Maurid Polytechnic, Mbiaso, Akwa Ibom State – all under the reputable Maurid Group of Schools. These institutions have become pillars of excellence, grooming competent, ethical, and highly skilled professionals who now serve across Nigeria and beyond.

Named after the legendary Zik of Africa, the Azikiwe Annual Lecture Award is reserved for individuals whose work embodies the ideals of national development, intellectual advancement, and patriotic service. Dr. Umontuen’s recognition this year was therefore nothing short of fitting. His initiatives have directly addressed Nigeria’s urgent need for trained healthcare workers while providing thousands of young people with quality education and sustainable career paths. As he stepped forward to receive the award, the hall erupted in a standing ovation, a tribute to the thousands of lives shaped through his institutions and the enduring legacy he continues to build. His leadership has strengthened human capital development and expanded access to education in ways that reflect deep national impact.

Presenting the award, His Excellency Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Talban Minna and Chairman of the National Planning Committee for the 2025 Zik Annual Award Lectures, praised Dr. Umontuen for his steadfast dedication to nation-building, institutional development, and the promotion of national unity. He described Dr. Umontuen as a patriot whose work reflects the timeless values Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe championed. Other eminent Nigerians honoured at the event included Senator Ali Ndume, Minister of State for Finance Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, Prince Arthur Eze, and Professor John Kennedy Opara, each recognized for outstanding contributions to various sectors of national life.

Dr. Godwin Umontuen stands as one of Nigeria’s most impactful private-sector contributors to education and healthcare training. His commitment to expanding access to quality education is evident in the growth and stability of his institutions. From the technologically advancing Maurid Polytechnic, Mbiaso, to the thriving Colleges of Nursing in Akwa Ibom and Abia States, his schools have become dependable pathways for youth empowerment and professional excellence.

Despite his far-reaching achievements, Dr. Umontuen remains grounded, humble, and purpose-driven, a leader guided by service, compassion, and integrity. His contributions echo the very principles Zik lived for: unity, education, and the advancement of society through knowledge. The 2025 Azikiwe Award therefore honours not just a man, but a legacy in motion, one that continues to build, empower, and inspire generations across Nigeria.

The 2025 Azikiwe Award thus celebrates not just the accomplishments of a man, but the essence of a patriot. It honours a leader who has committed himself to strengthening Nigeria’s health sector and securing a dignified future for young people.

In honouring Dr. Godwin Umontuen, the Azikiwe Annual Lecture Committee has illuminated a life defined by service, a life that reflects the very ideals Zik championed: national progress, intellectual liberation, and the empowerment of ordinary citizens through education.

Today, Nigeria salutes a man who embodies excellence. And history records a moment when a deserving patriot received one of the country’s most revered distinctions.

Dr. Tom FredFish is a Journalist Public Affairs Analyst and Political Commentator