AbdulRazaq, Zulum Lead 25th NIAE Conference in Kwara, Laud Researchers on Mechanisation

Governors attend commissioning of Imam Gambari Ultra-modern Mosque

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to advancing agricultural mechanisation and youth empowerment through policies that enhance productivity, innovation, and food security.

Speaking at the 25th International Conference and 45th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE), held at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Idofian, the Governor said over 10,000 farmers in the state have benefitted from tractors, ploughs, processors, and other farm implements distributed by his administration.

Governor AbdulRazaq commended the NIAE for its decades-long contribution to mechanisation research and local machine design that have boosted yields and reduced post-harvest losses for Nigerian farmers.

In Kwara, we have largely shifted agriculture from subsistence to mechanised practice, and your institutions have been key enablers of this transformation, the Governor said. “This conference provides a platform to address emerging challenges in agriculture, including climate change, biotechnology, and land-use dynamics.”

The Governor was later presented with an Award of Excellence by the NIAE in recognition of his administration’s contributions to agricultural development and mechanisation.

The conference, which featured the maiden National Agricultural Machinery Exhibition, had in attendance Borno State Governor Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, who delivered the keynote address; and Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, among other dignitaries and researchers.

Governor AbdulRazaq, alongside Prof. Zulum and Senator Kyari, also attended the official commissioning of the Imam Gambari Ultra-modern Mosque in Ilorin. The historic mosque, originally built in the early 19th century, was commissioned by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR.

The event attracted prominent clerics led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Soliu, as well as top traditional and political figures, including the Sarkin Gobir and Madawaki of Ilorin, Alhaji Yakubu Garba Gobir, and APC chieftain Alhaji Abdulfatah Yahya Seriki.