Category: Opinion

There is a tired, decades-old joke in Nigerian economic circles: we export crude oil to import refined petrol, and we export raw cocoa only to empty our pockets buying Swiss and French chocolates. For a long time, the trade narrative between France and Nigeria was trapped in this predictable, asymmetric loop.

But last month’s France-Nigeria Agribusiness Dialogue in Lagos proved that the music has finally stopped. Driven by the harsh macroeconomic realities of a devalued Naira, and a food inflation crisis that is testing the resilience of the average Nigerian, this bilateral relationship is undergoing a forced, yet welcome, evolution.

The blueprint for this new era begins exactly where one of Nigeria’s greatest, yet most neglected, resources lies: the soil. The launch of the France-Nigeria Agribusiness Club is not just another talk shop. Backed by France’s global Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM) initiative – to which the French and African public and private sectors have already pledged substantial financing – the mandate is refreshingly pragmatic.

The strategy has shifted from transactional trading to capacity building, mechanization, and technology transfer. Paris seems to have finally read the room: you can no longer simply look at a 220-million-strong market as a dumping ground for finished dairy or cereals. Instead, French capital and machinery are now positioning themselves as the engine for Nigeria’s own food sovereignty. This intervention aligns perfectly with the Tinubu administration’s push to revamp domestic output and stabilize everyday food prices, making this private-sector alliance an imperative for our national economic recovery.

Nothing illustrates this departure from the old ways better than the appointment of Olawale Rotimi Opeyemi, Chief Executive Officer of JR Farms, as the pioneer President of the Club. JR Farms is the poster child for the modern Nigerian hustle, focusing heavily on agro-processing across the continent and launching digital trade solutions like the Food for Nations platform. By placing a young Nigerian entrepreneur who champions value addition at the helm, the message from both Abuja and Paris is clear: the days of paternalistic trade are dead. Youth-led co-creation is the new currency.

Yet, anyone who understands the Nigerian market knows that agriculture does not exist in a vacuum. The bottlenecks dissected at the Lagos dialogue revealed that our farming sector is starved of more than just fertilizers; it desperately needs data, cold chain logistics, and fintech solutions.
This is where the agribusiness conversation organically spills over into a broader industrial masterplan. Moving perishable goods from the markets of Kano to the ports of Lagos demands robust cold chain infrastructure, an arena where French logistics giants are now aggressively expanding. Simultaneously, bridging our agricultural data deficit is opening lucrative doors for partnerships between French tech investors and homegrown Nigerian agri-tech startups.

This integrated, cross-sector approach is essentially a microcosm of the grand strategy driven by the broader France-Nigeria Business Council. Long championed by the formidable, unapologetic ambition of business and industrial titans like Aliko Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and Tony Elumelu, the Council has spent the last few years laying a massive bilateral foundation. Dangote has notably flipped the script by turning France into a major customer for his mega-refinery’s aviation fuel. Elumelu, on his part, has steadily pushed his United Bank for Africa toward full banking operations in Paris, positioning intercontinental trade flows to be driven by African capital.

This top-tier momentum was powerfully showcased at the landmark Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi earlier this year. It was at this specific gathering that the Council’s tenth meeting proved to the world that the geopolitical and geoeconomic tectonic plates are shifting. As French influence faces heavy headwinds in its traditional Francophone comfort zones, Paris is making a calculated, execution-driven pivot to forge alliances with Anglophone giants like Nigeria and Kenya.

Building on the heavy lifting done by these veteran business leaders, younger players across dynamic economic sectors are boldly stepping up. The pipeline between Paris’s tech hubs and the Lagos startup ecosystem is maturing, with French venture capital increasingly chasing Nigerian innovators.

The creative economy is seeing similar momentum, seeking to turn co-productions and animation into bankable, non-oil export avenues. The acquisition of Multichoice by French group Canal+ is yet another sign of growing convergence between the world’s Francophone and Anglophone spheres, with Africa as a vital frontier.

Meanwhile, as we navigate our energy transition, French majors are diversifying their local portfolios beyond deep-water oil blocks into liquefied natural gas and clean and sustainable power generation for local industries.
Last month’s Agribusiness Dialogue was never solely about farming; it was a declaration of intent. The success of emerging champions like JR Farms, standing tall on the commercial bridge built by figures like Dangote and Elumelu, is the ultimate proof of concept.

The lazy economics of exchanging raw materials for finished goods has officially expired. The future of France-Nigeria relations is about building the factories, deploying the technology, and funding the infrastructure right here on Nigerian soil, working with global partners who are ready to do business the Nigerian way.

Former House of Representatives Candidate and Former Secretary, APC Committee of Diaspora Chairmen, Ayoola Lawal, has cautioned against any attempt to reintroduce Nigeria’s former blanket petrol subsidy regime, describing such a move as economically unsustainable and out of step with the country’s present fiscal realities.

Lawal said the debate over fuel subsidy should move beyond the politics of cheaper petrol and focus on the fundamental question of how Nigeria can use the fiscal space created by subsidy removal to strengthen the economy and improve citizens’ welfare.

According to him, Nigeria cannot afford to return to a model in which public resources are used to keep petrol prices artificially low, particularly where such a system creates incentives for import dependence and places a substantial burden on government finances.

“Any political leader advocating the wholesale reversal and reintroduction of the old fuel subsidy regime needs to seriously rethink their understanding of the present reality of the Nigerian economy,” Lawal said.

He argued that the central issue should not be whether Nigerians deserve relief from the high cost of living. They do. Rather, the question should be how that relief is delivered and who actually benefits from it.

Lawal noted that a blanket fuel subsidy benefits consumers according to the quantity of petrol they consume, rather than according to their level of economic vulnerability.

“A wealthy household with several vehicles and fuel-consuming assets can receive substantially more benefit from a universal petrol subsidy than a poor household that does not own a vehicle,” he said.

He therefore advocated a shift from subsidising petrol to directly supporting vulnerable Nigerians.

“If the objective is to reduce transport costs, support mass transportation. If the objective is to address food inflation, invest in agricultural production, logistics and storage. If the objective is to protect vulnerable households, provide targeted social protection.

“Do not subsidise the commodity when what Nigerians need is protection.”

Nigeria should not subsidise imported fuel

Lawal also questioned the economic wisdom of returning to a system that could require Nigeria to use public funds to support imported petroleum products.

He said Nigeria’s long-term economic interest should be to increase domestic refining capacity, retain more value within the Nigerian economy, reduce foreign-exchange exposure and build a competitive downstream petroleum sector.

“Why should Nigeria export crude oil, import refined petroleum products and then use taxpayers’ money to subsidise the imported product?

“That is not a sustainable economic model. It is a cycle of dependency.”

He argued that the emergence of significant domestic refining capacity creates an opportunity for Nigeria to progressively move away from the old import-dependent model.

What happened to the subsidy savings?

The former APC diaspora official also challenged governments at both the federal and state levels to demonstrate what they are doing with the additional fiscal resources made available following subsidy removal.

According to Lawal, increased allocations to the states and local governments should translate into visible improvements in infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, education, agriculture, security and other public services.

“Subsidy removal should not become an excuse for governments to receive more money without delivering better governance,” he said.

“The citizens have every right to ask: Where is the money going? What value are governments creating with the additional resources?”

He maintained that reversing subsidy because governments have not adequately demonstrated the value of the additional revenue would amount to treating the symptom rather than addressing the underlying governance problem.

“Target Nigerians, not petrol”

Lawal said Nigeria needs to transition from a culture of universal consumption subsidies to targeted economic protection.

“Target Nigerians, not petrol,” he declared.

“Government should identify those who are genuinely vulnerable and provide them with appropriate support. That is more rational and potentially more equitable than providing a blanket subsidy to everyone, including those who can comfortably afford market prices.”

Warning to subsidy advocates

Lawal further warned political leaders advocating a return to the old subsidy regime to explain clearly how they intend to finance it and who would ultimately benefit.

“If you advocate a blanket reintroduction without presenting a credible answer to its fiscal cost, its beneficiaries, its financing and its implications for Nigeria’s domestic refining and energy transition, then you need to rethink your understanding of the Nigerian economy,” he said.

He added that a universal subsidy could disproportionately protect established consumption patterns and relatively better-off groups while providing less meaningful assistance to the poorest Nigerians.

“That raises a fundamental political question: Who exactly are you subsidising?”

Lawal said policymakers must be careful not to allow legitimate public anger over the cost of living to become a justification for returning to a policy architecture that Nigeria has already struggled to sustain.

“Nigeria must not confuse cheaper petrol with a better economy”

The former House of Representatives candidate said Nigeria does not have to choose between subsidy and hardship.

“There is a third option: retain the reform, but use the fiscal gains to protect vulnerable Nigerians and build a more productive economy.

“That means targeted assistance rather than blanket subsidy; investment rather than consumption; domestic refining rather than permanent import dependence; and accountability for the additional revenues accruing to governments.”

Lawal concluded:

“Nigeria must not confuse making petrol cheaper with making Nigerians better off. The objective of economic policy should not be to make yesterday’s system affordable again. It should be to make tomorrow’s Nigeria more productive, competitive and equitable.”

Ayoola Lawal
Former House of Representatives Candidate
Former Secretary, APC Committee of Diaspora Chairmen

Engr. Femi Sanni fondly called ARABA by his friends and supporters took many by his strategic entrance into the Kwara 2027 governorship race. Sanni’s ambition to take over from Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq started like rumors and later went viral to all 193 wards and 16 local government areas of Kwara State.

From Ilorin to Baruten to Offa back to Asa, everybody is echoing Araba. His support base in the All Progressives Congress (APC) is expanding daily as the party prepares for the governorship primary election.

While many mistaken Engr. Femi Sanni as a newcomer in Kwara politics but people conversant with tragetory of the progressive family can attest to his contributions for over two decades. He aspired for the House of Representatives in 2003 and also indicated to contest the Kwara governorship seat in 2019. These are veritable facts!

Who is the Femi Sanni dominating political space in Kwara. Sanni grew up in Ilorin. He attended Bishop Smith Primary School, Ilorin and proceeded to Government Secondary School, Ilorin for his secondary school education. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from the University of Ilorin.

Upon graduation, he relocated to Canada in search of knowledge and opportunity to add value at higher levels. Sanni is a visionary entrepreneur and engineer whose career embodies the perfect blend of technical mastery, strategic innovation, and social impact. With his multi-sector expertise, Sanni is providing solutions and services in telecommunications, construction, insurance, media, and consulting.

He is the founder of TECHNOPlus, Stëfolga Group (a multi-functional holding company with interests in Oil and Gas, Engineering and the Properties) and Flow FM Radio in Ilorin.

The APC Governorship Aspirant who has secured endorsement of the Party’s stakeholders across three Senatorial districts sees politics as a tool for bringing meaningful change to society, state and the nation.

In his media interview many years ago, he said: “Politics, to me, is a tool for meaningful change. I have always believed that for society to thrive, people with integrity, experience, and outside-the-box thinking must step into leadership.

“For me, politics is not about power; it’s about helping people and making their lives better. I see politics as a way to bring real change. I be­lieve we need honest, kind, and smart people to lead, just like what we are seeing now with President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. I got into politics because I care deeply about Kwara State and its future.”

Interestingly, Araba has been adding value to the society before declaring his aspiration to become Kwara State Governor. He established Flow FM in Ilorin to create jobs, boost the state economy and promote culture heritage/values of his state.

Apart from that, he is also investing in grassroots sports development. His company- Stefolga Group and Flow FM recently signed fifty million naira (N50million) partnership deal with Kwara State Football Association for three-year sponsorship deal for the state’s federation cup. This is not a media optic but a way of giving back to his ‘first love’. Araba’s friends from the hood feel he inherited his passion for football from his father who managed the defunct Tate and Lyle FC in Ilorin.

Beyond enterprise, Femi’s influence extends to youth development and empowerment. He is deeply passionate about nurturing the next generation of African innovators and leaders, and has created platforms that amplify youth voices, promote digital inclusion, and inspire self-reliance.

In recognition of his consistent humanitarian activities across Kwara State, Engr. Femi Sanni received royal honor as the Otun Aare Soludero of Offa Land and Gbobaniyi of Obbo-Aiyegunle in Ekiti local government area.

As Kwarans continue the search for the next Governor, it’s safe to say Engr. Femi Sanni ARABA has reduced the stress of looking for a Visionary Leader. He is an embodiment of exceptional qualities to lead Kwara State to the next phase of development, following unprecedented achievements of His Excellency, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. ARABA is indeed the Baba with capacity to lead APC to victory in 2027.

The argument for any governorship candidate must begin not with the candidate but with the state. What does Kwara State actually need from whoever occupies Government House in Ilorin after 2027? What are the honest deficits that a new governor must confront? What kind of leadership profile, not rhetoric, but demonstrated character and capacity, does the scale of that task require? It is only by answering those questions first that the case for any particular candidate acquires weight.

Kwara is a state of considerable promise and persistent underperformance before the tenure of Abdulrazaq Abdulrahaman. Its geography places it at the meeting point of the North and South, giving it natural advantages in trade, logistics, and cultural exchange that few Nigerian states enjoy. Its land is fertile. Its people are educated, entrepreneurial, and politically sophisticated. And yet, for much of its modern history, Kwara has been governed as a political estate rather than a developmental project, a state whose potential has been subordinated to the interests of political patrons rather than its citizens.

The current administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has made credible progress in beginning to reverse that inheritance. Infrastructure is being delivered. The Ilorin International Conference Centre is taking shape. Governance has become more institutionalised. But the unfinished business is real and substantial.

That is the context in which the candidacy of Engr. Femi Sanni, known widely and affectionately across Kwara as Araba, must be assessed. And when assessed honestly, the case is compelling.

A Builder Before a Politician

One of the most persistent problems in Nigerian governance is the elevation of people who have never built anything to positions where they are expected to build everything. Governors who have never run a business, managed a payroll, navigated a competitive market, or created a job from nothing are handed the levers of a state economy and expected to produce results. The outcomes of that experiment are visible across the country.

Araba Femi Sanni is a different kind of candidate. He is, before anything else, an engineer and an entrepreneur with over three decades of active enterprise behind him. His Stafolga Group spans telecommunications, construction, insurance, media, and strategic consulting. He chairs Flow FM 92.7 in Ilorin, a media institution that has become embedded in the cultural life of the state capital. He founded Africa’s first mobile phone repair assurance company, a pioneering solution that recognised a gap in consumer protection within the continent’s rapidly expanding technology market and moved to fill it. This is not a man who arrived at enterprise through inheritance or political patronage. It is a man who built, failed, learned, and built again across multiple industries over multiple decades.

That background matters enormously in the context of what Kwara needs. The state’s fundamental economic challenge is not administrative in nature. It is structural. Kwara produces talent but exports it. It sits on agricultural land but captures little of the value chain. It occupies a strategic location between Lagos and the North but has not institutionalised itself as a logistics or commercial hub. These are problems that require someone who thinks like an entrepreneur, who understands investment climates, who can hold a conversation with a foreign investor as an equal rather than as a supplicant. Araba’s career has prepared him precisely for those conversations.

He has also been explicit about the economic vision he intends to bring to the governorship. After returning from a Nigerian-UK business conference held alongside events marking President Tinubu’s visit to Britain, Araba spoke publicly about positioning Kwara as a hub for conference and business tourism. He pointed to an observable and measurable indicator: the growing frequency of same-day return flights between Lagos and Ilorin, which he reads as evidence of rising business traffic and increasing investor interest in the state. This is not the language of a politician making promises for the crowd. It is the language of someone who watches economic indicators, who attends international business gatherings, and who thinks systematically about how to convert latent advantage into active development.

Youth, Inclusion, and the Investment That Precedes Power

There is a category of political aspirant who discovers youth empowerment at the moment they decide to run for office. The youth agenda becomes a campaign tool, deployed strategically during the election season and forgotten the moment the ballot is counted. Kwara’s voters, particularly its younger voters, have seen that pattern before. They can tell the difference between a candidate who is performing interest in young people and one who has actually spent years investing in them.

Araba Femi Sanni’s record on youth development predates his governorship ambition by many years. Through Araba Football Club, he has provided a structured platform for young athletes to develop their talent, compete, and build the kind of discipline that sport uniquely instils. Through Flow FM 92.7, he has created employment and opportunity for young broadcasters, journalists, and media professionals who might otherwise have had to leave Kwara to find comparable platforms in Lagos or Abuja. He has spoken often about his father’s management of the defunct Tate and Lyle FC of Ilorin, a family heritage of investment in sporting communities that shaped his own philosophy. This is not performance. It is inheritance acted upon.

The response from Kwara’s youth has been telling. When the Kwara Youth for Good Governance coalition, drawing members from across all 16 local government areas of the state, gathered to endorse Araba’s candidacy, their convener, Salman Idris, was careful to frame it in terms that cut through the noise of ordinary political endorsements. He said the decision was based on evidence, not emotion. He described Araba as a candidate whose track record aligns with the expectations of a younger and more politically conscious demographic. Over 2,000 young people from across the state attended that event, arriving before the scheduled time and filling the Arca Santa event centre in Ilorin to affirm their support. That is not a crowd manufactured by money. That is a crowd manufactured by credibility.

Araba’s commitment to inclusion also extends beyond youth. He holds chieftaincy titles across multiple communities in Kwara, including Otun Maiyegun of Kishi, Otun Aare Soludero of Offa Land, and Gbobaniyi of Obbo-Aiyegunle. These are not honorary decorations. In the context of Kwara’s complex inter-community dynamics, they represent relationships of trust and recognition built over time across the state’s diverse geographies. When Araba says he entered this race after wide consultation across all three senatorial districts, the social architecture behind that claim is visible. He is not a candidate of one zone, one faction, or one interest bloc. He is a candidate whose networks, built through enterprise and community engagement rather than political calculation, span the breadth of the state.

Continuity with Acceleration: The Lagos Model Applied to Kwara

One of the most thoughtful arguments Araba has made in the public discourse around the 2027 succession is his invocation of what he calls the Lagos model. He argues, correctly, that the most durable political success story in contemporary Nigerian governance is not the one-off transformational governor who arrives, performs brilliantly, and leaves behind an administration that squanders his legacy. It is the system of governance continuity built in Lagos over successive APC administrations, where institutional progress compounds over time because each governor inherits and builds on the work of the one before, rather than dismantling it to make room for a personal brand.

Kwara is at a moment where this principle is directly applicable. Governor AbdulRazaq has laid what Araba himself has publicly described as a new benchmark for governance in the state. The challenge for the next governor is not to restart from scratch, which would squander momentum, but to take what has been built and move it to the next stage of ambition. Araba has been unambiguous about this: he sees his role as a consolidator and accelerator, not a revisionist. In a political culture where incoming governors often reflexively undo the work of their predecessors to establish identity, this posture is itself a form of maturity.

The acceleration Kwara requires is primarily economic. The state’s IGR must grow substantially to reduce the dangerous dependence on federal allocations that leaves every budget cycle vulnerable to the fluctuations of oil revenue. The conference and business tourism strategy Araba has outlined is one credible lever for this. Ilorin has geography, infrastructure investment under the current administration, and a social environment that makes it a realistic candidate for mid-tier conference hosting. The Ilorin International Conference Centre, when completed, will be an anchor asset. The question is whether the next governor will have the business acumen and international connectivity to fill that centre with paying delegates from the private sector, from professional associations, from international organisations. Araba, who personally attends Nigerian-UK business conferences and understands how investment decisions are made, is better equipped for that conversation than most.

His position on security also reflects the kind of thinking that goes beyond electoral platitude. When bandits attacked the Isapa community in Ekiti local government area of Kwara, Araba did not simply offer condolences and move on. He called directly for the acceleration of state police legislation, arguing that the federal security architecture is structurally inadequate for the granular, community-level threats that Kwara and other states now face. He said no community in Kwara should live under the constant threat of violence and fear, and he backed that statement with a policy prescription: constitutional and legal reform of the security architecture that gives states real capacity to protect their own people. This is a serious position, held by a serious man, and it distinguishes him from those who treat security as a backdrop for sympathy rather than a domain for governance innovation.

The Argument for Araba, Plainly Stated

Let this argument be made as plainly as possible for those who approach the 2027 Kwara governorship race without prior commitment to any candidate. The question is not who has the longest political biography or the most powerful godfather. The question is who is most likely to look back in 2031, after four years in office, and have genuinely moved the needle on the things that matter to ordinary Kwara people: jobs, roads, schools, hospitals, security, and a state that is attracting investment rather than exporting talent.

Araba Femi Sanni offers a profile that maps directly onto those requirements. He has built businesses across multiple sectors, which means he understands what entrepreneurs need from a state government: predictable regulation, infrastructure that works, and an administration that treats investors as partners rather than subjects. He has invested in youth development through sport and media for years before the first campaign billboard went up, which means his commitment to young people has been tested and demonstrated rather than merely declared. He has cultivated relationships across all three senatorial districts of Kwara through a combination of cultural recognition, community engagement, and consistent presence, which means a Sanni administration would not be the governorship of a faction but of the full state.

He also brings something that is harder to quantify but no less important: intellectual honesty about what governance requires. He has said publicly that leadership must be anchored on competence, a proven track record, integrity, and inclusiveness. He has invoked the Lagos succession model not as flattery toward President Tinubu but as a genuine framework for what durable state-level progress looks like. He has contested before, first for the House of Representatives in 2003 and later for the governorship in 2019, absorbing the defeats and continuing to participate in Kwara’s political life out of conviction rather than retreating in disappointment. The man has been tested by failure and continued anyway. That is not a small thing.

Kwara is not a state that can afford another cycle of governance by improvisation. It needs a governor who arrives on day one with a coherent economic strategy, a track record of building institutions rather than simply inhabiting them, and the personal relationships across the state’s communities to govern inclusively rather than sectionally. It needs someone who has already demonstrated, outside of government, the values they claim they will bring into it.

The neutrals who read this and ask what separates Araba Femi Sanni from the field deserve a direct answer. What separates him is that his credentials are not political. They are real. His businesses exist. His football club exists. His radio station exists. His workers draw salaries. His community relationships are documented in chieftaincy titles conferred by different peoples across different parts of Kwara. His international exposure is visible in where he goes and who he engages when he travels. You can test all of this independently of anything his campaign team will tell you.

Nigeria has a long and painful history of electing people who were impressive on paper and then watching them fail in office because the qualities required for political success turned out to have nothing to do with the qualities required for governance. The antidote to that pattern is not to abandon ambition but to select leaders whose pre-political lives actually demonstrate the capacities that governing demands. Araba Femi Sanni is that kind of candidate.

Kwara deserves a governor who built something before he sought to govern something. Who invested in its young people before he needed their votes. Who studied its economy and its position in the regional and national business landscape before he commissioned a campaign poster. Who has crossed the lines of zone, faith, and community through decades of genuine engagement rather than through a pre-election tour. Who came back from a trip abroad talking not about pleasantries exchanged with dignitaries but about the specific economic opportunities those conversations opened for his home state.

The 2027 election in Kwara is not yet decided. The field is not yet finalised. Many conversations remain to be had within the APC, within the broader political community, and among the people of the state. But the case for Araba is not merely a campaign argument. It is a governance argument. And governance arguments, properly made and properly heard, tend to hold their ground.

Kwara does not need another politician who wants to govern. It needs a builder who is ready to.

Before Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq stepped into office as Kwara Governor, Ilorin wore the look of a quiet city waiting to be noticed. COVID 19 hit it badly.

The airport, in particular, told a familiar story, one of hesitation and neglect. Daily flights? That was a luxury the state could hardly boast of.

Back then, the economy simply didn’t have the muscle to sustain the kind of business and social buzz that keep airlines interested. Operators came, looked around, did the math and quietly stayed away.

For those who dared, it was a gamble. Only one airline kept the route alive, and even then, flights were anything but reliable.

Then came Abdulrazaq, and with him, a shift in tempo.

Rather than patching symptoms, his administration went for the roots. Moribund companies got a second look, key sectors like education, health, and agriculture were confronted head-on, and infrastructure became more than a talking point, it became a mission.

Roads stretched smoother across the city, new structures began to rise with confidence, and urban spaces started to breathe again.

Slowly but surely, Kwara found its rhythm.

Today, the story has changed. Insecurity is a concern in some border areas but generally life is better than it used to be. Activities in Ilorin say a lot about the renewed economic pulse of the state. The city is no longer waiting to be discovered; it is announcing itself.

Across Kwara, there’s a visible transformation. Roads don’t just connect, they impress. Architecture isn’t just functional, it inspires. Public spaces are gaining character, and empowerment programmes are weaving governance into the daily lives of the people. For many indigenes, politics aside, there is a growing sense of pride in what is unfolding.

Behind the scenes, key figures are driving this machinery. Aminat Ahmed El-Imam oversees the health sector, while Lawal Olohungbebe steers education. Their efforts, alongside others, form the backbone of the administration’s broader agenda.

To get a closer look at these developments, we spoke with Abdulquawiy Abdulganiyu Olododo, a prominent APC chieftain and commissioner for works in the last week of March. During the interview, he offered insights into both the strides and the struggles of governance under Abdulrazaq.

In this edition, we bring you images and excerpts from Olododo’s reflections on infrastructure development over the past seven years, what he describes as bold, far-reaching, and in many ways unprecedented since the creation of the state.
In a conversation with Saturday Editor Onochie Anibeze and Demola Akinyemi, Olododo lays out what he believes are the defining infrastructure achievements that have carved Abdulrazaq’s name into Kwara’s history.

Education and health will take the spotlight in subsequent editions.
For now, the focus is clear: This is part of Kwara’s infrastructure story told through the eyes of a man who has watched it unfold, brick by brick, road by road.

What was the state of infrastructure and roads in Ilorin and indeed Kwara state about seven years ago,when Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was sworn in as the governor and what is it like now?

When His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, assumed office in 2019, the condition of our road infrastructure was frankly deplorable. Many critical routes had collapsed, township roads were neglected, and several communities were practically cut off.

The administration had to begin with emergency interventions just to restore basic mobility.

Today, the difference is clear and measurable. We have transitioned from just repairs to a structured, statewide infrastructure programme. Across Kwara, we have completed 330.77km of kilometres of roads, with 257.96km ongoing, spanning urban renewal, rural access, and major connecting Local Government corridors.
What you see today is not just road construction, it is a deliberate rebuilding of the state’s economic backbone.

In the past seven years, what would you describe as the most significant milestones your ministry has achieved in road construction and infrastructure development?

The most significant milestone over the past seven years would be the scale and structure of the work done.
His Excellency has embarked upon more road infrastructure than the combined previous administrations since 1999, (882.73km) including the Federal Government Tax credit scheme intervention. But beyond numbers, we have changed the philosophy, from isolated projects to a coordinated development agenda.

A major highlight is the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), which connects farming communities to markets. The Governor was also able to facilitate a strategic intervention to achieve a ring road for the State through the innovative Tax credit scheme of the Federal Government spanning over 290km of road.
So the milestone is not just roads, it is connectivity, productivity, and long-term planning.

Can you provide insights into the number and scale of projects completed under your leadership, and how these have impacted economic growth and connectivity across the state?

We are looking at hundreds of kilometres of roads across the state, completed, ongoing, and facilitated through partnerships.

To properly break it down, we have 330.77km of road already completed, 257.96km ongoing, including the 209.77km of the RAAMP project, and also the 294km of the Federal Government intervention he facilitated is also ongoing with about 72km of it completed as we speak.
At different points, we have handled well over a hundred projects simultaneously across the three senatorial districts. These range from urban renewal road projects in Ilorin to township roads across the state, to strategic rural roads and major economic corridors.
We have also completed over 200 interlocking projects across several communities in Kwara State. The very first of its kind in the history of kwara state.

These interlocking projects were introduced to serve communities that have been deprived of road network since the creation of the state, and now they are accessible. Also, places that were swamped with water, muddy neighborhoods, now wear a new look, accessible, and cleaner due to the interlocking projects.

The impact of these projects have been profound, from reduction in travel time across key routes, to Improved access to markets for farmers, to Lower transportation costs, to Increased commercial activity, etc. Infrastructure is the foundation of economic growth, and we are already seeing those benefits materialise across Kwara.

What innovative strategies or policies has the ministry introduced to improve project delivery, quality, and cost efficiency during this period?

For smooth project delivery and quality, we have deployed a system that allows the leadership of the ministry have a real time update on all awarded projects being supervised by our qualified Resident Engineers, we have also invested in the training and retraining of all our engineers to ensure they are up to date with the required exposure necessary to match the 21st century demand, and our ambition with infrastructure development in the State.

Second, we have a diversified funding sources, combining state resources, development partner support, and intervention model like the tax-credit financing.

Third, we emphasised value for money delivery ensuring that projects meet standards without unnecessary cost inflation.

How has your ministry addressed challenges such as funding constraints, contractor performance, and maintenance of existing infrastructure?

These challenges you’ve mentioned are real, but with the kind of leadership we have in Kwara today, we’ve been able to manage the challenges with discipline, structure, and tunnel.

On funding, we prioritised projects and leveraged partnerships to stretch resources further.

On contractor performance, we insist on strict adherence to specifications and timelines. Accountability is key.

On maintenance, we moved away from ad-hoc repairs to a system-driven approach, it’s why you are also seeing the massive rehabilitation and upgrades of most of our roads.

The goal is simple: every kilometre of road must deliver long-term value to the people.
In what ways have your projects improved the daily lives of citizens, particularly in rural and underserved communities?

The impact of these projects is very real and very human.

In our rural communities, these are not just roads, to them, it means;

• Farmers getting produce to market without losses
• Easier access to healthcare and education
• Lower transport costs
• Improved quality of life

While for the urban residents, it means reduced traffic stress, better drainage, safer roads, aesthetically pleasing environment, and a more vibrant business environment.
We fully understand Infrastructure is not just concrete and asphalt, it is dignity, opportunity, and inclusion.

You must be the lucky ministry going by the massive works your ministry is doing. Do you agree with this? And looking back, how proud are you about the things the govt of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has achieved?

I would not describe us as merely lucky, I would say we have been privileged to work under a governor who made infrastructure a serious development priority and backed that priority with political will. Road development at this scale does not happen by chance. It requires vision, budgeting, institutional discipline, follow up, and the readiness to think outside the box as funds required for these level of developments go beyond the regular budgetary allocations. It’s where the RAAMP and FG Intervention comes to play.

Personally, I would say I am proud because the achievements are visible and measurable.

When official figures show that this administration has exceeded the combined road records of the previous three administrations, that says something important about ambition and execution.

Beyond the numbers, I am proud that the works have touched all three senatorial districts and have begun to reposition Kwara from a largely salary dependent state to one that increasingly thinks in terms of productivity, connectivity, agribusiness, tourism, and investment.

To put it in proper context, we have completed 113.57km of roads in Kwara Central, while 65.5km are ongoing, totaling 179.07km in Kwara central. In Kwara South, 117.74km of roads have been completed, while 96.19km are ongoing, totaling 213.93km. In Kwara North, we have completed 99.46km, while 96.27km are ongoing, totaling 195.73km. Also, of the 294km of the Federal Govt. Tax credit scheme intervention, 252km of it connects the Kwara North senatorial district upto the border of Kwara with Benin republic through Baruteen LGA, while the 42km left connects Kwara Central to Kwara South senatorial district.

What legacy projects or reforms would you say will have the most lasting impact, and how do they position the state for future development? The AA govt appears to have made things easy for the next APC governorship candidate in Kwara. Your parting words on this!

The most enduring legacies, in my view, are not just individual roads but the systems and strategic corridors we are leaving behind. From the road network of high impact corridors across the state, especially the rural access roads and the facilitated tax-credit road projects that will improve internal and interstate economic movement. Also, is the broader urban renewal and infrastructure agenda, which has changed the development conversation in Kwara from managing decline to planning growth.

Politically, when people can see and feel the impact through roads, infrastructure, and improved livelihoods like we are witnessing in Kwara State today, then naturally it builds confidence in continuity.
My parting words would be that the most important thing is not the ease of politics, but the continuity of progress.

Kwara has seen what focused leadership can achieve, and the task ahead is to deepen that progress, protect the reforms, and keep development people-centered

By Ibrahim Elelu Ayoola.

2022 was the year Kwara recognised my work under the administration of His Excellency, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq(CON). At the Kwara State Government Dinner and Awards, I was honoured as Best Media Personnel in Kwara State—a milestone that validated years of promoting, portraying, and helping structure how government work reaches the people. The night was a magical one—lights, laughter, colleagues and mentors in one room—and the feeling that the path to more prosperity will come with ease settled in my chest and hasn’t left.

To every young person reading this: your dreams are valid. I never imagined receiving such a prestigious acknowledgement from my home state, and that recognition convinced me there is a level playing field for anyone willing to strive under this administration. Four years on, the aura of that evening still feels fresh, like a recent memory rather than a distant plaque on a shelf. Looking back makes one thing clear: I’m capable of driving organic, impactful engagements in Kwara and beyond—and the runway ahead is open. The shared dream is achievable; we can build it in layers—community by community, story by story—until the small rooms we started in become platforms that carry others.

To my fellow media professionals, thank you for your unwavering support over time. Your camaraderie, your critiques, your late-night edits and early-morning shoots—those are the invisible scaffolding behind any public recognition.

His Excellency, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON), thank you for the recognition and for creating the space for merit to be seen and rewarded. Your administration’s emphasis on opportunity and performance gave my work a stage; I’m grateful for the trust and for an environment where effort can translate into impact.

As the chess master reminds us, we can achieve Greater things from a Small Place—and Kwara is proof.

By
MUSA ILALLAH

In February 2026, the Nigerian Navy was recognised by the Global Firepower Index as the African Navy with the strongest fleet. February 2026 also marked one year since Nigeria entered into a historic agreement with the African Union, for the Nigerian Navy to provide strategic sea-lift services to the AU’s peacekeeping, disaster response, humanitarian aid, and personnel movement operations across the continent.

Similarly, March 2026 marks four years since Nigeria officially exited the International Maritime Bureau’s list of piracy-prone countries. And then in June 2026, the Nigerian Navy-led Gulf of Guinea Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF) will take off, coinciding with the Navy’s 70th anniversary.

The new Force is a landmark, ready-to-deploy, multinational force capable of rapid, coordinated regional maritime security responses, with the objective of tackling the complex security threats in the Gulf of Guinea. A Nigerian Navy officer is already serving as its pioneer commander.

All of the above, along with other maritime security successes and milestones championed by the Nigerian Navy – including the establishment in 2025 of the Nigerian Navy Marine Corps and the Nigerian Navy Special Operations Command (NNSOC) – did not happen by accident. They have all been the product of deliberate effort, vision, and leadership, under successive Chiefs of the Naval Staff.

The vision of the incumbent Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, a decorated Above Water Warfare (AWW) specialist who assumed office as Nigeria’s 25th Chief of the Naval Staff on October 30, 2025, is “to develop a modern, agile, and professional naval force dedicated to securing Nigeria’s maritime interests and advancing national security objectives in synergy with other security agencies.”

From operational engagements to strengthening local and international partnerships, the new Navy Chief has demonstrated his resolve to build upon a proud and storied legacy that turns seventy this year. His very first official visit was to Makurdi, where the Nigerian Navy’s newest formation, the Special Operations Command, is taking shape on the banks of the River Benue. Vice Admiral Abbas stated that the choice of Makurdi as first port of call was deliberate, given the strategic role the new Command will play in tackling security challenges in the North Central region.

The Nigerian Navy is active across the length and breadth of the country, playing major roles in various internal security operations in no fewer than 30 States. In the Northeast, the Naval Base Lake Chad in Baga, Borno State, has become a vital hub in the anti-insurgency campaign. Vice Admiral Abbas visited the base on New Year’s Day 2026 to spend time with troops and to reflect on ongoing successes that have helped open critical waterways and bolster the livelihoods of farmers, fishermen, traders, transporters, and other residents.

The new Naval Chief has also taken international engagements to a new level, demonstrating a clear understanding of the role of multilateral cooperation in ensuring national, regional, and continental security. In January 2026, he led a delegation to the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference, hosted by the Qatar Armed Forces. In February, a Nigerian Navy delegation visited Egypt for a bilateral engagement with the Egyptian Navy, focused on deepening cooperation across training, and operational and technical capacity, with a return visit from the Egyptian Navy planned for April 2026. In March, the Navy received visits from the United States Special Operations Commander for Africa, and the Danish Ambassador to Nigeria, among others.

Prior to his appointment as Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Abbas served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre in Abuja – a testament to his intellectual inclinations. This came further to the fore in a lecture he delivered to Course 34 participants at the National Defence College, Abuja, in February, titled “Maritime Power and National Security: The Nigerian Navy in Perspective.”

Vice Admiral Abbas has stressed his determination to ensure that the Navy’s mission and vision are in full alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Among his stated priorities for the year ahead is the intensification of Nigerian Navy efforts to sustain and grow Nigeria’s oil production through increased patrols and surveillance.

Over the last two years, Nigeria’s average daily oil production has grown by over 300,000 barrels per day, with the Navy playing a significant role in that achievement. As Vice Admiral Abbas highlighted in his National Defence College address, Nigeria’s maritime environment – one of the most fertile hydrocarbon regions in the world – contributes approximately 8 percent to national GDP and accounts for 77 percent of total exports. The stakes, in other words, could hardly be higher.

As 2026 gathers momentum, it promises to be a landmark year for the Nigerian Navy – the platinum anniversary in June, which will be one of the defining moments of Abbas’ tenure. Among the highlights of the weeklong celebrations will be the formal take-off of the Gulf of Guinea Task Force. There will also be the sixth edition of the Sea Power for Africa Symposium, as well as an International Fleet Review presided over by Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

In all, this anniversary will be a fitting stage for Africa’s leading Navy, and for an Admiral widely regarded as a welfare-oriented, people-centric leader – one who has hit the ground running and shown, in the early months of his command, outstanding vision and purposeful resolve.