Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has hosted the Kwara United Football Club following their historic emergence as the 2025 President Federation Cup champions.

He also hosted the U-19 category of the team who also won the inaugural National Youth League.

The Governor gifted each of the Kwara United players five million naira and a plot of land at the exclusive Kwara Smart City, commending them for making the state proud.

The Kwara United Club had beaten their Abakaliki FC counterparts in a match that was decided through penalty shootouts following a 90-minute play.

The team made a triumphant entry into Ilorin on Monday afternoon, with residents of the capital city waving their long motorcade from Eiyenkorin down to the banquet hall in the downturn GRA where the reception was held.

The reception was attended by several dignitaries, including the Chairman of the Kwara House of Assembly Committee on Sports, Hon Rukayat Shittu; member representing Shawo/Essa Constituency, Hon Yusuf Abdulwaheed Gbenga; cabinet members; Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor Princess Olubukola Babalola; Chairman, Kwara State Sports Commission Coach Bola Magaji; Chairman, Kwara United FC Kumbi Titilope; Chairman Kwara State Football Association Malam Abdullahi Musa Thuraya; Head Coach Tunde Sanni; APC Chieftain, Alhaji Yahya Seriki; among others.

“This is the biggest trophy in Nigeria today. It is bigger than the League Cup. This has been in existence even before the League was formed. The trophy is in Kwara, Today. I must congratulate everybody who has made it happen,” the Governor said at the reception, recalling how the administration had invested to turn around the team.

“When we came in 2019, everything was down. We were owing players a lot of money, but today the story has changed. So, I thank you all for what you are doing.

“Our administration is dedicating this trophy in memory of Alhaji Yusuf Salami, who spent his entire wealth without government support to bring in this trophy to Kwara, but he didn’t succeed. May Allah grant him Alijanna Fridaous.”

AbdulRazaq specifically commended the team, Coach Magaji, Kumbi, and the entire management for their dedication to rewriting the story of the Football Club.

Coach Magaji and Kumbi Titiloye, in their separate remarks, appreciated the Governor for hugely investing in the team to achieve greater success.

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Livestock Reforms, Professor Attahiru Jega, has declared that the President possesses the political will to resolve Nigeria’s long-standing farmers-herders crisis if the right reforms are implemented with support from relevant stakeholders.

Professor Jega, a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stated this during a distinguished personality lecture at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

The lecture, titled “The Political Economy of Livestock Development in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects,” was delivered as part of activities commemorating the university’s 50th anniversary and held in honour of Senator Saliu Mustapha.

Jega, who described the escalating clashes between farmers and herders as a product of worsening land pressure, climate change, and poor governance of natural resources, stressed the need to tackle all issues as part of broader livestock sector reforms.

He said: “President Tinubu has demonstrated the willingness and capacity to solve this crisis. What is needed now is stakeholders’ support, especially from the National Assembly, security agencies, and state actors, to implement evidence-based reforms.”

The Political Scientist, who now advises the President on livestock reform policy, also painted a sobering picture of Nigeria’s looming protein deficit and rising food insecurity. Citing population growth projections by 2050, Jega warned that Nigeria, expected to become the world’s third most populous nation with nearly 400 million people, could face severe nutritional and economic crises unless the livestock sector undergoes urgent transformation.

“To meet basic consumption needs by 2050, Nigeria will require a 253 per cent increase in poultry production, 117 per cent in beef, and an astonishing 577 per cent growth in milk output,” he said. “These are not abstract projections —they are clear warning signs,” he added.

According to him: “The livestock sector already contributes 7 to 9 per cent to Nigeria’s agricultural GDP and sustains over 20 million livelihoods. Yet, the sector remains crippled by outdated production systems, poor veterinary services, inadequate infrastructure, fragmented value chains, and chronic underinvestment.”

He added that insecurity tied to the farmer-herder conflict further compounds the problem, disrupting rural livelihoods and exacerbating national instability.

“Violent conflict over land use and grazing routes is not only a food systems issue —it is a peace and security issue,” Jega said. “Reforming this sector is no longer optional; it is a developmental and national security imperative.”

He emphasised the need for climate-smart agricultural practices, investment in rural infrastructure, and the creation of inclusive value chains that bring private capital into the sector.

“The alternative is continued protein deficiency, widespread rural poverty, and deeper reliance on food imports,” Jega said.

Senator Saliu Mustapha, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, commended Professor Jega for what he described as an intellectually rich and timely lecture.

Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District, pledged the National Assembly’s full backing for the Tinubu administration’s livestock and agriculture reform agenda.

He said: “The insights provided by Professor Jega today will no doubt shape policy thinking and empower our youth to pursue sustainable livestock ventures,” Mustapha said. “The legislature remains committed to working collaboratively with the executive to deliver food security and rural transformation.”

In her welcome remarks, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Adedoyin Omeda, said the theme was selected in response to Nigeria’s worsening economic and security crises. She described Professor Jega as “a bridge between rigorous academic scholarship and transformative public service”.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services), Professor Fawole Adisa, stated that the event reflects the university’s alignment with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Professor Jega’s selection for this lecture is deliberate,” Egbewole noted. “His expertise and leadership in public policy make him the right voice to speak on the future of livestock development in Nigeria.”

The event attracted academics, policymakers, lawmakers, and students, many of whom echoed the urgency of investing in Nigeria’s underperforming livestock sector.

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• Urge Support From 2 Other Zones

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Politicians from the Kwara North Senatorial District have expressed their readiness and preparedness to take over the reins of power from the incumbent Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq whose tenure will come to an end on May 29, 2027.

It would be recalled that Governor AbdulRazaq had during his first term in office assured of power shift to the zone in 2027.

Stakeholders, including the Senator representing the zone at the National Assembly, Sadiq Umar, the State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, the State All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy Chairman, Abdullahi Samari, have, therefore, pleaded with other senatorial districts to concede the seat to their zone in 2027.

Addressing journalists in Ilorin, the state capital, on the sidelines of a meeting with the people that have shown interest in the governorship seat, Alhaji Samari, also a Kwara northerner, affirmed that the zone is one big family, united to produce the next governor of the State.

So far, four politicians from the zone namely Senator Umar, Hon Danladi-Salihu, Makama of Lafiagi Alhaji Tajudeen Audu and Haliru Dantosho Mahmud.

The APC Deputy Chairman added that the meeting was conveyed “to put our house in order and let the world know that Kwara North is prepared and ready to take over from the incumbent Governor AbdulRazaq come 2027 and to continue his good work and surprise Kwarans that the candidate who will be the governor of the State will perform wonders to the amazement of those who think we don’t have materials.

“We have also invited the aspirants today for them to sit down and work together so that those who claim we cannot work together will know it is not true. We are trying to put our house in order to the envy of others who never thought we can work in unity.

“Principally, APC has guidelines and that will be followed before a candidate will emerge. We want to assure Kwarans and Nigerians that those aspiring to govern the State from Kwara North are people with enough wisdom, experience, people with fear of God, love for the masses and have resolved to work together so that whosoever emerges as the candidate at the end of the day, with support of our brothers and sisters from other senatorial districts, will cling the seat of power.”

All the four aspirants took their turns to express their resolve to rally round any of them that emerges as the governorship candidate ahead of 2027.

Speaking, Senator Umar said the governorship seat is what the zone has been “hungry for in the interest of Kwara first and of course, our region.

“All we are asking is for Kwarans to trust us and give us this opportunity to also govern the State. There is no division between us. We are all working together. Kwara north is united not divided. We are one people and the same family.”

For his part, Speaker Danladi-Salihu said the project is God’s and “by God’s grace we will reach the destination. We are only pleading with Kwara South and Central senatorial districts to support the northern zone to have the ticket in 2027.”

Another aspirant, Alhaji Audu said: “We are all united in support of a single cause of producing the governor for our zone in 2027. I use this forum to implore Kwarans to support us in the interest of the whole State because we are all Kwarans.”

Aligning with his colleagues, Mahmud praised the leadership of the party for the opportunity afforded them to come together and “talk in common voice. I want to assure that whoever gets the governorship ticket in 2027 we will support the person with all that we have to succeed. The zone is one and not divided.”

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