After months of structured civic engagement, careful observation, and nationwide participation, the Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA) is set to unveil the recipients of the GNA Pacesetter Awards 2025, a citizen-driven recognition platform designed to acknowledge leadership effort, public responsibility, and measurable impact across Nigeria.
The outcomes of the awards emerged from an extensive online survey completed by several thousand Nigerians, drawn from across the country and the diaspora. Respondents assessed nominees based on observed performance, visible impact, responsiveness to public needs, and practical contribution to governance and development. The process reflects GNA’s commitment to people-centered evaluation, rather than elite opinion or political influence.
The official results will be announced on Saturday, January 31st, 2026, live on GNA TV, marking another significant milestone in GNA’s mission to deepen civic participation and promote accountable leadership.
About GNA Pacesetter
The GNA Pacesetter initiative is not an award in search of perfection, nor is it driven by unrealistic idealism. Nigeria’s leadership landscape is complex, constrained, and shaped by longstanding systemic challenges. GNA does not assume that societies are governed by angels.
Rather, GNA Pacesetter exists to recognize men and women who—within difficult political, economic, and institutional environments—are making genuine, visible, and verifiable efforts to positively impact Nigeria. It is a platform that acknowledges progress where progress is being attempted.
At its core, the award is about encouragement, not condemnation; progress, not perfection; responsible effort, not propaganda. It recognizes leaders who demonstrate commitment to service, openness to public scrutiny, responsiveness to citizens, and a willingness to treat governance as a trust rather than a privilege.
Citizen-Driven Selection Process
A defining strength of the GNA Pacesetter Awards 2025 is its citizen-led evaluation framework. Thousands of Nigerians voluntarily participated in an online survey, offering their independent assessments based on lived experience, local observation, and measurable outcomes.
This approach reinforces GNA’s belief that:
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Citizens are best positioned to assess the impact of leadership
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Public opinion, when structured and aggregated responsibly, is a powerful accountability tool
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Recognition should reflect real-world performance, not media narratives or political affiliations
The awards therefore represent a collective civic voice, aggregated through data and guided by clear performance indicators.
The Essence of the Awards
The GNA Pacesetter Awards are grounded in the conviction that positive reinforcement is essential to nation-building. While accountability demands that failures be questioned and exposed, sustainable progress also requires that sincere efforts be acknowledged.
When good work goes unnoticed, discouragement sets in.
When effort is recognized, it inspires continuity, competition, and improvement.
The awards seek to:
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Encourage responsible leadership and service delivery
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Promote transparency, accountability, and civic consciousness
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Highlight measurable contributions across levels of governance
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Inspire other public office holders to raise their standards
GNA Pacesetter Award Categories – 2025
The following 2025 award categories will be announced:
- GNA Person of the Year 2025
- Governor of the Year 2025
- Senator of the Year 2025
- Minister of the Year 2025
- House of Representatives Member of the Year 2025
- Local Government Chairperson of the Year 2025
Each category reflects a deliberate effort to assess leadership where impact is felt most directly—from national policy formulation to grassroots governance and service delivery.
About the Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA)
The Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA) is a non-governmental, non-political, and nonprofit global coalition of Nigerian professionals committed to improving governance, strengthening civic participation, empowering youths, and advancing national development.
Through research, advocacy, media engagement, technology-enabled accountability platforms, and community-driven initiatives, GNA provides a structured and credible voice for citizens who believe that Nigeria can—and must—work better.
The GNA Pacesetter Awards align with this mission by serving as:
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A mirror of performance
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A tool for civic engagement
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A platform for national reflection and improvement
Live Announcement Details
Date: Saturday, January 31st, 2026
Platform: GNA TV (also streaming on YouTube)
Time:
- 3:00 PM – Chicago (CST)
- 10:00 PM – Nigeria (WAT)
- 9:00 PM – London (UK)
As Nigerians at home and in the diaspora tune in, the GNA Pacesetter Awards 2025 will once again affirm a simple but powerful message:
Nigeria’s renewal will be driven by accountable effort, citizen engagement, and leaders who choose service over silence.
