2027: Kwara NDC candidate pledges school attendance drive, education reforms
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
The governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kwara State, Professor Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia, has pledged to prioritise education, skills development and school attendance as part of his development agenda ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Ajia made the commitment while unveiling his campaign council and inaugurating its members at his office in Ilorin on Sunday, under the campaign slogan, “A Safe Kwara. A Productive Kwara.”
Speaking at the event, which attracted party leaders, campaign council members, traditional rulers and religious leaders, the former academic said his proposed administration would focus on strengthening public institutions, expanding opportunities and promoting shared prosperity.
On education, Ajia proposed a programme tagged ‘Every Child in School, Every School Day’, aimed at identifying out-of-school children and addressing factors responsible for poor attendance, adding that his administration would work with schools, families and local governments to improve enrolment and regular school attendance.
He said the first 90 days of the first new school year under his administration would be devoted to identifying affected children and organising appropriate support, while listing education and skills development among his administration’s priorities alongside security, job creation, healthcare, infrastructure, energy and anti-corruption.
Beyond education, the NDC candidate promised to support young graduates through access to entrepreneurship grants or credit based on viable business proposals, establish predictable annual recruitment periods for approved public service vacancies and encourage private-sector employers to adopt similar arrangements.
On workers’ welfare and other sectors, Ajia proposed a N120,000 minimum wage benchmark, a review of the state payroll and a plan to settle verified pensioners’ gratuity arrears, while pledging to strengthen primary healthcare, improve emergency response, rehabilitate roads and invest in agricultural processing, storage and market access.
While canvassing support for the party’s presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, he called on President Bola Tinubu to retire from politics, adding that his ambition was to establish a government that would make public institutions more effective and improve residents’ access to essential services.
Earlier, the state chairman of the NDC, Mallam Abdulganiyu Abdulsalam, urged party members to intensify their efforts towards securing victory in the 2027 elections, while the Director-General of the campaign council, Kazeem Olawuyi, pledged to mobilise grassroots support for the party.
