Determined to take Kwara State to its rightful position in terms of development, critical stakeholders in the affairs of the state gathered in Ilorin, the state capital, during the week to chart a new way forward for the state that was created about 56 years ago.
The stakeholders at the event organised by an association- Town Hall Media, all agreed that Kwara’s development had been stagnated by the past administrations, both military and civilian, especially between 1980 and 2019.
They argued that lack of development plans by the state’s past administrations between 1980 and 2019 dealt a terrible blow to the growth of the first generation state.
The theme of the progmme is “ Kwara Development: The Role of Stakeholders”.
Speakers at the event included the president of Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), Prof Hassan Salihu, Associate Professor Saudat Sallah AbdukBaki; both of the University of Ilorin; and a media guru and Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations(NIPR), Alh Saadu Salahu.
In his presentation, Prof Salihu said: The central message is the everyone of us in Nigeria has a responsibility towards bringing about rapid development.
“Government alone cannot do it. Government must work together with citizens, while the role of citizens is not only to criticize but also to make contributions.
“Government also should not assume that they have solutions to all the problems, they should also listen to the citizens. It is by listening to the citizens, by implementing policies and programmes that much desired by citizens that they can get their buy-in and we can hope that citizens will support the government.”
For her part, Associate Professor AbdulBaki noted that Kwara is a very great state with huge untapped potentials.
“Kwara is a great state with great potentials but the potentials are there lying fallow, waiting for us to utilize them so that we will assume our position of greatest in the comity of states, even beyond Nigeria”.
She emphasized the need for every stakeholder in Kwara project to contribute their quota towards the realisation of their dream.
“As developmental communicator, we know that to attain development is a participatory thing. All of us have our different roles to play. All of us must put our hands together if we must attain Kwara State of our dream,” the member of NIPR’s governing council and Mass Communication teacher submitted.
In his lead paper, Saadu Salahu called on stakeholders, including legislators, civil servants, public servants and captains of industries to team up with Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to bring to fruition his economic and developmental agenda for the state.
The guest speaker who noted that the state which was created in 1967 had two development plans in 1970 and 1980, lamented that the previous administrations in the state from 1980 to 2019 did not churned out any development road map for the state.
“However, it is sad and highly regrettable that for close to four decades, 1980 to 2019 when Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq emerged as the democratically elected governor of the state, Kwara with all its huge resources groped in darkness without any development plan and vision by each of the successive governments both military and civilians. We lost many of the state enterprises and companies including Trade Bank, Shonga farms and billions naira worth of investments in Kaduna , Abuja , Lagos and parts of the country,” he stated.
Salahu, expressed delight that Governor AbdulRazaq’s “ leadership initiatives and visions are contained in a well articulated 436 – page Kwara State Economic Development Plan.
“The State plan aligns with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, UNDP, Africa Union and several International and development partners,” he added.
Salahu said the highlights of AbdulRazaq’s administration 10- year development plan included its background and rational, governance and institution strengthening, macro-economic outlook and fiscal policy directions, agricultural, rural development and poverty reduction.
“Others are education and health sector development, youth, sports and social welfare, land titling and administration, inclusive and affordable housing, functional water, sanitation and hygiene. It also speaks to affordable and reliable electricity, efficient transportation and regional integration, information and communication technology.
Critical social service infrastructures, sustainable environment, domesticating the SDGs, results monitoring, evaluation and reporting and snapshots of the indicative financing requirements for the plan are all included.”
He added: “ Examined against the context of the 17 MDGs, it becomes clearer that Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq 10 years development plan (2021-2030) aligns with the UN SDGs lasting 2030.”
The guest speaker posited that a critical examination of Governor AbdulRazaq ‘s leadership vision, policy agenda and implementation has put Kwara on the global map as one of the best governed states in Africa in the past four years.
These policies, he said included the five years agricultural plan, 10 years development plan, new Ilorin city master plan and other senatorial districts, new Kwara State Industrial Park at Eyenkorin with a plan to generate 5000 megawatts of electricity, law establishing Kwara State Social Investments Programme, multibillion-naira investments on basic education, infrastructures, ICT, teachers training on quality assurance, instructional materials leading to construction and renovation of over 600 schools across the state with Kwara’s emergence as the overall best in national school competition and representing the country at international level; winning laurels, first time in the history of the state in over two decades.
Others, according to Salahu included the innovation hub, Ilorin which seek to unlock unlimited opportunities for the youths in digital economy, Visual Arts Studio, Ilorin, Ilorin International Conference Centre, Shea butter industry in Kaiama,
the Garment Factory in Ilorin, which when become operational will provide jobs for over 2000 women in the state; plan to resuscitate the Bacita Sugar Company, road infrastructures across the state, PHCs in all the 193 wards across the state and improved health data, transparency due process and accountability; and commitment to align with climate change agenda by investing in green environment, amongst others.
Salahu concluded that :” It is quiet gratifying to note that the 10-year economic development plan of Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq is based on well-articulated 4 major pillars – institutional reform, economic development, social development and infrastructural development.
“At the risk of an obvious emphasis , you are all witnesses to the positive impact and outcomes of the leadership vision , agenda and economic development policies of the governor in the past four years in education , civil service , road infrastructures, poverty alleviation , security , health care services , ease of doing business , gender mainstreaming, youths inclusiveness in political leadership , KWprenures, transparency and accountability , all in line with the UN SDGs ‘ agenda and global best indicators for good governance.
“Several independent international organisations and professional bodies have evaluated the developmental policies and programmes of Kwara State under Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq in the past four years and commended him as one of the best exemplary political leaders in contemporary Nigeria.
“The positive impact and feed back across the World on Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazq ‘s visionary and exemplary leadership in the past four years clearly indicate he is the best Governor that the State has produced since her creation in 1967.”
Nine distinguished personalities were honoured with outstanding leadership awards while presentation of a book titled ‘Invaluable Kwarans’ were featured at the event.
The outstanding leadership medalists included Dr Rabiat Shehu- Jimoh Alabere, Comrade Akanbi Umar Farooq, Lawyer Issa Manzuma, Comrade Nasir Kolawole Olumo, and Comrade Bashiru Ayinde Oyewo.
Others are, Mr. Micheal Abiodun Olarewaju (MAO), Hajiya Zainab Audu Abdullahi, Comrade David Kayode Ehindero, and Lawyer Abdullateef Lanre Abdullahi.
Dignitaries that graced the event included the director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Kwara, Mr Segun Adeyemi,Dr Abdulhameed Badmus, guest of honor; Alh Kuranga Omomeji Morogun and Prince Olayemi Adurotoye, book reviewer.
Others are chairman of Arewa Consultatives Forum (ACF) in Kwara, Dr Mohammed Ghali Alaaya, Senior Special Assistant to Kwara State governor on Religion ( Islam), Alh Ibrahim Danmaigoro, Ilorin East Education Secretary, Alh Raufu Asude, former Special Adviser on Political Communications, Alh Bashir Adigun, chairman, League of Veteran Journalists, Alh Tunde Akanbi,Kwara NUJ chairman, Ahmed AbdulLateef, Dr Yunus Baraje of Kwara State University, Engr Sikiru Oloje and the ACF’s director of Media and Documentation, Alh Abdullahi Olesin; amongst others.
