The Kwara State Government is set to confer merit awards on some outstanding individuals who have done the State proud in various fields of human endeavour.
At least 50 elder statesmen, women, philanthropists, and public intellectuals across all divides have been penned down for the State’s Lifetime Achievement Awards and Posthumous Merit Awards.
Commissioner for Communications, Mr Abubakar Saddiq Buhari, said the awards are a token of government’s appreciation of their contributions to the growth and development of the State.
The award ceremony is slated for Friday, December 23, 2022 at the Atlantic Event Centre in Ilorin, the State capital by 6pm.
The awards come under 25 categories with each nominee picked on the merits of their strides or contributions in their fields.
These include Lifetime Achievement Award; Posthumous Achievement Award; Most Outstanding Kwara State Indigene in the World; Friends of the State: Most Outstanding Media House; Most Outstanding Online Media Personality; Most Impactful MDA of the Year; Overall Best Student in Kwara State Institution; Best Student of Kwara State Origin in Nigeria; Best Political Appointee; Outstanding Business Owner in Kwara State.
Others are: Outstanding Healthcare Worker of the Year; Outstanding Teacher of the Year; Outstanding Contributions in support of security operations; Most Tax Compliant Individual in Kwara State; Most Tax Compliant Organisation in Kwara State; Most Outstanding Athlete from Kwara State; Most Outstanding Para Athlete from Kwara State; Most Outstanding Contributions to Legislature; Most Outstanding Contributions to Judiciary; and Citizens Display of Excellence in Community Development; Most Outstanding Farmer; Appreciation and Special Recognition.
The Commissioner noted that the award is a symbolic acknowledgment for all the awardees that the state truly appreciates them for what they have done or continue to do for their communities.
“We want to add that this state is immensely blessed with great people — young, old, female, male, professionals, artisans, whether dead or alive. We are by this means showing our profound respect and appreciation to all, wherever they are, living or dead. In other words, the distinguished nominees for the various categories of the 2022 edition are only representatives and ambassadors of these great minds of Kwara State origins. More and more of these great people will be formally recognised in the coming years for their huge impacts and footprints in the sand of time.
“Nominations for these awards were made by different subcommittees based on criteria relevant to each. There are at least three distinguished nominees for each of the categories except the Lifetime Achievements and Posthumous Awards. For the Lifetime Achievements Award, we have 25 distinguished personalities who have done so much to earn their stripes and are accordingly being honoured by the Government of Kwara State. There are also 20 great personalities who were giants in their own rights during their lifetime and are to be honoured even in death,” he said.
He added that the event is, however, strictly by invitation, as only those who have access cards would be allowed entry into the venue.
