A book about prominent people from Kwara state is going to be presented to the public on October 27, 2021.
Entitled “Kwara Icons: Compendious Profiles of Prominent Kwarans,” it is authored by Abdulwaheed Musa, a senior lecturer at the Kwara State University, Malete.
Among the personalities profiled in the book are chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; a former senate president, Bukola Saraki; and the incumbent governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq.
In a statement on Thursday, the author said the conception of his new book is not unconnected with a tripartite responsibility of teaching, research and community development as an academic.
He said it had become clear to him when Kwara clocked 50 in 2017 that the state is indeed blessed with trailblazers who have made significant marks in their callings.
“However, a collection of the numero unos of the statewas not readily available even as some of the illustrious influencers do not have significant documented presence either online or offline,” he said.
“I then decided to embark on this project as a form of community outreach, hoping it would be found useful by a wide variety of people including those who are usually too busy to pore over lengthy biographies.
“In the book, an audacious attempt was made at collating and documenting Kwara leaders and influencers who have shaped the social, cultural, political and economic modernization of his multi-ethnic and multi-religious state at different levels. The book features pre-eminent Kwarans who have reached topmost positions both in private and public capacities and across different fields and sectors, including great pioneers, successful entrepreneurs, top professionals and scholars, as well as those who have made significant contributions to civil service, legislation, sports, entertainments, and more.
“Kwara icons include Tunde Idiagbon, the no-nonsense taciturn soldier who filled the highest position ever occupied by any Kwaran; political heavyweights like the AbdulRazaqs and Sarakis who have dominated Kwara political space for over four decades; foremost diplomats like Ibrahim Gambari, the longest serving Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations; Abdullahi Mohammed, who served as National Security Adviser and Chief of Staff to three former presidents; decorated intellectuals like Mosobalaje Oyawoye who is the first Professor of Geology in Africa; innovators like Akintunde Akinwande, the MIT Professor who holds patents in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and display technologies; some of the most savvy business people, including one of Africa’s wealthiest businesswomen, Bola Sagaya; ace bankers such as Sarah Alade; heroes like Alfa Sa’adu Pategiwho died from COVID-19 contracted from a patient having come out of retirement to save lives during the pandemic; religious leaders like David Oyedepo, and Nigeria’s all-time highest goalscorer, Rashidi Yekini.
“The compendium— a celebration of Kwara icons and their achievements— is aimed at serving as abiding inspiration for the young, and an important source of reminiscence and pride for the old. It is an ideal resource for quintessential researchers of successful personalities and an inspirational collection that will make an interesting and motivational read for the benefit of Kwarans and non-Kwarans. The significance of this book is thus imminent.”
