BUKOLA SARAKI FOOTPRINT: THE LEGACY KWARANS STILL MEASURE GOVERNANCE
By Ali Ahmad Youth Brigade (AAYB)
For the Ali Ahmad Youth Brigade AAYB, the reflection shared by Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki is more than a personal recollection. It is a reminder of an era when governance in Kwara State was driven by vision, openness, and measurable public benefit.
The encounter with Thamin Damilola Ibrahim at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport symbolizes the enduring impact of policies conceived during Dr. Saraki’s tenure as Governor. The establishment of the International Aviation College, Ilorin in 2011 was not a prestige project. It was a strategic investment designed to empower young people, stimulate the local economy, and position Kwara as a national hub for aviation training.
The benefits to Kwara are clear and practical. The College created jobs for instructors, engineers, administrators, and support staff. It attracted students from across Nigeria and beyond, increasing local commerce in housing, transportation, food services, and small businesses. It placed Kwara on the global aviation map and gave ordinary Kwara families access to world class technical education without leaving the state.
Beyond economics, the policy reflected a deeper philosophy of governance. Dr. Saraki believed that public institutions must be built in the open, justified to the people, and accountable in purpose. The Aviation College was openly defended, publicly funded, and transparently aligned with long term development goals. Citizens could see what government was doing, why it was doing it, and how it would benefit future generations.
Today, graduates of the College serve as pilots, aviation engineers, and professionals across Nigeria and internationally. For alumni like Thamin, the legacy is personal. For Kwara, it is collective. It demonstrates how public investment, when guided by clarity and accountability, translates into real opportunities for ordinary citizens.
Kwarans remember this period because it contrasts sharply with governance that operates behind closed doors, where outcomes are unclear and accountability is blurred. This legacy explains why many in the state continue to look forward to leadership that prioritizes transparency, capacity building, and people centered development.
This is how legacy is measured. Not by secrecy, but by openness. Not by promises, but by lives transformed. And as long as young Kwarans continue to take flight through opportunities created by such foresight, the impact of that governance endures.
Signed
Abdulhafeez Bature
Ali Ahmad Youth Brigade AAYB