BIRTHDAY: The First Lady of Kwara state, A model for women’s Leadership

By; Usman Yunusa Lade

The First Lady of Kwara State, Dr. Mrs. Olufolake Molawa Abdulrazaq is a mother, a diplomat, and a consular per excellence who has served Nigeria in various capacities in and outside the country.

The Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations, Hajia Amina Mohammed once said “the roles and contributions of First Ladies in nation-building and development have evolved over the years. We have seen spouses moving beyond accompanying their partners’ political ambitions to championing significant development programmes, targeting those furthest behind and bringing attention to issues that otherwise would not have received visibility”.

Dr. Olufolake with no doubt is one of the few Nigerian First Ladies in this category of spouses, as the last two years of her reign as the First Lady of Kwara State has gotten the people of the State enthralled by the re-enactment of people-powered interventions led by the citizens of different NGOs, Advocacy and Youth groups, with her on the front seat, designing and executing people-centric programmes and interventions which has had a positive impact on people of the State and beyond.

Without mincing words, her performance in the State as the First Lady has been adjudged as one of the best amongst her peers across the country, her enormous interventions in Tuberculosis, breastfeeding, the campaign against gender-based violence, drug abuse, and illicit trafficking, and giving children’s welfare priority has earned her accolades within and outside the State.

Dr. Abdulrazaq in her vision and quest to positively impact lives in the State launched a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Ajike People Support Center, to drive her ideology and her purposeful interventions in the nooks and crannies of the State devoid of sentiments and bias. This Centre in its short space of operation has recorded some laudable achievements from Skill Acquisition, Mentoring, Gender-Based Advocacies, Grassroots Development, and community-based programmes.

The Ambassador of repute was made the Secretary of the Nigerian Wives Against Gender-Based Violence in 2020 and now Nigerian Governors Wives Forum owning to her commitment and dedication in the campaign against rape, gender-based violence, and other related vices in the state and Nigeria as a whole.

The gesture of the Kwara State First Lady, Dr. Abdulrazaq is the practical analogy of the saying that goes thus; Behind every successful man, there stands a great woman. Her role and important interventions in the state have no doubt complemented the good work of His Excellency, Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in the areas of skill acquisition for the youths, poverty alleviation, and women empowerment for the good people of Kwara State.

Her significant role and support to the Governor of Kwara State, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has also earned her a traditional title, (Yeye-Are Soludero of Offa) bestowed on her by His Royal Highness, Oba Muftau Esuwoye, Olofa of Offa.

I must commend Her Excellency, Dr. Olufolake Abdulrazaq for modeling women’s leadership for young women and girls in the state and around the country. In sharing her story of being a humanitarian and a global leader, a wife and a mother, with a passion for speaking out against inequality, she demonstrates the value of public service and personal conviction.

The magnanimity of her interventions indicates the reality that we now have a mother who is passionate about the welfare, socioeconomic, and development of the children, youth, and women in the State.

On this occasion of her 54th birthday, I wish her good health, long life and prosperity.