His Royal Highness, Engr. (Dr.) Faruk Muhammad Kakanda, the 23rd Agankyu of Kakanda Kingdom and First-Class Traditional Ruler in Kogi State, has been selected to receive the Traditional Leadership & Cultural Heritage Excellence Award at the 8th Nigeria Leadership Excellence Awards (NLEA) 2026.
The award recognises his longstanding commitment to the welfare, unity, development and cultural continuity of the Kakanda people.
Before ascending the traditional stool, Faruk Kakanda had demonstrated a practical commitment to community development through interventions in healthcare, infrastructure and traditional institutions.
These interventions, according to the organisers, strengthened essential community institutions while addressing practical needs in healthcare, traditional administration and community infrastructure.
Since ascending the throne as the 23rd Agankyu of Kakanda Kingdom, he has continued to promote unity, peace, cultural identity and development, while placing renewed emphasis on preserving Kakanda heritage and advancing opportunities for the people.
His leadership journey is also distinguished by the continuity between his pre-throne community interventions and his responsibilities as a traditional ruler, linking practical development with the preservation of the history, identity and institutions of the Kakanda people.
Faruk Kakanda will formally receive the honour alongside other distinguished recipients at the 8th NLEA ceremony scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 2026, at Exclusive Serene Hotel, Wuye, Abuja.
The ceremony, which is themed “Leadership for a New Nigeria: Integrity, Innovation & National Transformation,” will commence with the green carpet at 5:00 p.m., while the main ceremony is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
The venue for the event is Exclusive Serene Hotel, Plot 31, Reuben Okoya Crescent, off Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Wuye, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
The NLEA 2026 organisers said the ceremony will bring together distinguished personalities to celebrate leadership, excellence, innovation and contributions to national development.
The organisers also called on members of the public and stakeholders to join in celebrating His Royal Highness Faruk Kakanda and other recipients of the 8th Nigeria Leadership Excellence Awards.
