Kwara governor praised as Oluremi Tinubu unveils new initiatives

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has lauded Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq as an “outstanding leader and an amazing achiever,” praising his efforts to transform the state. Speaking in Ilorin on Wednesday during her two-day visit, she expressed admiration for his developmental strides.

Accompanied by the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, and several other first ladies from across the country, Tinubu kicked off her engagements by distributing 10,000 professional kits to midwives in the North Central region. This was followed by the commissioning of the General Tunde Idiagbon Flyover, a project that the late general’s widow, Cecilia Idiagbon, described as a fitting tribute to his legacy.

The First Lady also toured the Kwara Innovation Hub, an ambitious project designed to position the state as a centre for technological advancement. “I am so, so glad with what I have seen. This is truly amazing, and I am going back home to tell the President what I have seen. You (Governor) are a man truly in love with your people,” she said.

During her visit, she hinted at a possible collaboration with the state government to establish a “Dream Centre,” a facility to nurture talented underprivileged children.

Her next stop was the foundation-laying ceremony of the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Hospital, a multi-storey healthcare facility rising from the site of the old civil service clinic in Ilorin’s GRA. The hospital, according to the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Ahmed el-Imam, will provide premium healthcare services for Kwara residents and beyond.

Tinubu later commissioned the Dr Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari Flyover, named after the Emir of Ilorin, adding to the expanding road network aimed at easing traffic congestion in the state capital.

At the Sugar Factory Film Studio, another flagship project of the Abdulrazaq administration, she concluded her engagements for the day.

Speaking at the distribution of professional kits for midwives, she commended the state government’s hospitality and called on other states to emulate Kwara’s development model. “This is the standard we want to see in other states. Everything we have seen is of very good quality,” she said.

She also highlighted the federal government’s ongoing retraining of 120,000 frontline health workers, adding that the Renewed Hope Initiatives (RHI) had procured 60,000 scrubs and crocs for midwives. “All the six geopolitical zones will be receiving 10,000 crocs and 10,000 scrubs,” she noted, ahead of the next phase of distribution.

Governor Abdulrazaq praised the First Lady’s initiatives, saying the support for midwives would significantly boost healthcare delivery in the state. “These dedicated men and women deserve our full support, and this gesture by Her Excellency is a clear reflection of her commitment to their welfare,” he said.

Kwara’s First Lady, Ambassador Olufolake Abdulrazaq, echoed similar sentiments, describing Tinubu’s intervention as a critical boost to maternal and child healthcare services.

Dignitaries at the events included Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi and his wife Abieyuwa, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly Yakubu Danladi Salihu, Senator Sadiq Umar, federal and state lawmakers, top government officials, clerics, and community leaders.