The emergence of Abdulquawiy Olododo, Kwara State immediate past Commissioner for Works as APC Candidate is in order, writes ABDULWAHEED OLAMILEKAN
Every election season introduces new faces, fresh promises, and familiar political rhetoric. Yet, every so often, a candidate emerges whose public story is defined less by campaign slogans than by years of consistent service and measurable impact. For the people of Ilorin East and Ilorin South Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general election, that candidate is Engr. Abdulquawiy Olododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
To many across Kwara State, Olododo is best known as the immediate past Commissioner for Works. Others remember him as the administrator who led the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP) or for his contributions to the state’s agricultural reforms. But his journey in public service began long before he assumed formal government office.
As a young student, he distinguished himself in the Kwara State Children’s Parliament, serving as Chairman of the House Committee on Ethics, Rules and Business before rising to become Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information at the National Children’s Parliament. Those positions were far more than ceremonial. They exposed him to leadership early and instilled in him the belief that public office should be used to solve real community problems.
His early advocacy contributed to the establishment of Kwara State’s first Family Court and supported legislative efforts that prohibited child hawking during school hours while promoting free immunization for children under the age of five. Alongside another Kwara representative, he co-founded the Kiddies Sight-Saving Endowment Fund (KIDSEF), which sponsored corrective eye surgeries for more than 170 indigent children between 2010 and 2013.
Armed with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Kwara State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of East London, United Kingdom, Olododo chose entrepreneurship as his first path to national development. He co-founded an agribusiness enterprise that trained more than 8,000 young people in agro-entrepreneurship while managing over 2,000 hectares of farmland. His contributions to the private sector earned him international recognition, including honours as a United Nations POLAC Peace Ambassador and an ECOWAS Youth Ambassador.
Recognising his capacity for execution, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq appointed him Technical Assistant on Agriculture in 2020. Working with the Governor and relevant agencies, Olododo contributed to implementing the Kwara State 10-Year Agriculture Transformation Plan. Under the administration, access to subsidised farm inputs was expanded to more than 20,000 farmers, mechanisation support reached over 10,000 smallholder farmers, and one of the state’s most comprehensive agricultural databases was created through the capture, verification, and geo-mapping of more than 108,000 farmers. He also facilitated strategic partnerships, including a collaboration with FrieslandCampina WAMCO to strengthen Kwara’s livestock value chain.
His performance earned him appointment as Acting General Manager of KWASSIP, where he coordinated the implementation of several flagship social intervention programmes under the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration. Through initiatives such as Kwapreneur, Owo-Isowo, women’s and widows’ empowerment schemes, youth public workfare, artisan support programmes, MSME revitalisation initiatives, and agricultural support programmes, hundreds of thousands of Kwarans received direct government assistance.
His next assignment brought him to one of the most demanding portfolios in state government. As Commissioner for Works, Olododo joined the team implementing Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s ambitious infrastructure agenda. During this period, the administration delivered one of the most extensive road development programmes in Kwara’s history, with more than 592 kilometres of roads completed or under construction.
Signature projects such as the Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari (Unity) Flyover, the General Tunde Idiagbon Flyover, Wahab Folawiyo Road, and the rehabilitation of the Ajase-Ipo–Oke-Iya Road improved connectivity and stimulated economic activity. Through the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), rural communities gained better access to markets and essential services, while investments in the Fire Service, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure, and other strategic projects reflected the administration’s broader development agenda.
Beyond government, Olododo has continued to strengthen his professional credentials. He is a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and holds a Certificate in Leadership and Strategic Management from the Metropolitan School of Business and Management, United Kingdom. In recognition of his contributions to public service and leadership, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Public Management, alongside Outstanding Excellence and Inspirational Leadership honours by the Chartered Institute of Public Resources Management and Politics, Ghana. He also holds the traditional titles of Aare Omolojuoba of Ojoku Kingdom and Soludero of Oke-Iya Land.
As he seeks to represent Ilorin East and Ilorin South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Olododo offers voters practical experience spanning entrepreneurship, agriculture, social investment, and infrastructure. His emergence as the APC candidate has also been accompanied by remarkable grassroots momentum. His declaration attracted one of the largest political gatherings witnessed in the constituency in recent years, drawing endorsements from community leaders, professional bodies, trade unions, youth associations, women organisations, and other interest groups.
Whether that record of service and the momentum behind his candidacy ultimately earn him the confidence of the electorate will be decided at the ballot box. What remains beyond dispute, however, is that his public life has been defined by opportunities to serve and responsibilities to deliver.
Olamilekan writes from Ilorin