ABUJA – In a celebration of fiscal innovation and transparent governance, Hon. Bashir Suleiman Zuntu was honoured as Accountant General of the Year 2025 during the spectacular 7th Leadership Excellence Awards. The prestigious event, held at the Nigerian Air Force Banquet Hall and endorsed by the African Union and African Film Institute, recognized Hon. Zuntu’s transformative work in revolutionizing public financial management in Kaduna State.
The 7th LEEX Awards, renowned as Africa’s most credible online media awards, gathered an exceptional array of leaders including former Governors Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and Orji Uzor Kalu, Govs Alex Otti and Mohammed Bago, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and business magnates Tony Elumelu and Tonye Cole. Among these distinguished honorees, Hon. Zuntu’s recognition highlighted the crucial role of financial integrity and technological innovation in driving sustainable development at both state and national levels.
As the Accountant General of Kaduna State, Hon. Zuntu has engineered a comprehensive modernization of the state’s financial management systems. His strategic implementation of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) has revolutionized expenditure tracking, eliminated financial redundancies, and enhanced real-time reporting accuracy. These groundbreaking reforms have not only significantly reduced payroll fraud but have also established Kaduna State as a national benchmark for transparent and efficient financial governance.
What sets Hon. Zuntu apart is his profound understanding that fiscal responsibility must directly translate into tangible public benefits. His leadership philosophy seamlessly connects accounting reforms with social outcomes, ensuring that every naira saved through efficiency measures directly contributes to improved education, healthcare, and infrastructure for Kaduna State citizens. This people-centered approach to financial management demonstrates that technical expertise and human development are not mutually exclusive but rather complementary pillars of effective governance.
Hon. Zuntu’s unique perspective was shaped by his previous experience as Executive Chairman of Kubau Local Government, where he gained invaluable insight into the practical realities of grassroots administration. This background has informed his pragmatic approach to fiscal policy – one that balances efficiency with empathy and technological advancement with tangible human impact. Combined with his Master of Science in Finance from Coventry University, United Kingdom, he represents a new generation of financial leaders who blend global best practices with deep local understanding.
The Accountant General of the Year award, determined through a transparent nationwide poll monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria that attracted over 26 million votes, recognizes not only Hon. Zuntu’s technical achievements but his moral commitment to the principles of stewardship and equitable governance. In honoring his accomplishments, the IgbereTV’s 7th LEEX Awards celebrates the vital connection between financial integrity and national development – a powerful reminder that sustainable progress must be built on the foundation of transparent and accountable fiscal management.
