Islamic scholars and clerics on Tuesday lauded the enduring legacy of the late Alh. A.G.F. AbdulRazaq (SAN), the first Northern lawyer and father of the current Governor of Kwara State, during a Quranic competition held to mark his fifth-year remembrance.
The event, organized collaboratively by the office of the Education Secretary of Ilorin West Local Government Area, Alh. Yusuf Mahmood Adewole, and the National Association of Teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies (NATAIS), Ilorin West branch, took place at the premises of Ilorin Grammar School, Ilorin.
Speakers at the well-attended gathering, including the state chairman of NATAIS, Alh. Mohammed Jamiu Ajijola-Anabi, guest lecturer Alh. Muhammad Ibrahim, and convener Alh. Yusuf Mahmood Adewole, unanimously acknowledged the late AGF AbdulRazaq’s unparalleled contributions to educational development in both Ilorin Emirate and Kwara State as a whole. They specifically highlighted his community development efforts, which included the establishment of Ilorin College (now Government High School, Ilorin), the first private secondary school in Ilorin.
Clerics expressed delight that the late elder statesman’s offspring are not only upholding his values but also building upon them. They cited the “legendary turn-around” of Kwara State’s education sector and massive infrastructural development under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Sheikh Mahmood, the event’s convener, emphasized the dual purpose of the gathering. “We gather not just to celebrate excellence in Quranic recitation, but also to pay tribute to a man whose life reflected deep devotion to learning, service, and spiritual values,” he stated. He further praised the late “legal icon” for his contributions to education and scholarship across northern Nigeria, describing him as a pioneer who embodied faith, education, and integrity.
Sheikh Mahmood added, “His lifelong commitment to the development of educational institutions in Kwara State and beyond remains part of the foundation on which we build today. He understood, perhaps more clearly than many, the power of knowledge, both worldly and spiritual, to uplift individuals and transform societies. His support for religious and secular education alike was rooted in the Islamic principle of ‘Iqra,’ read, in the name of your Lord.” He urged attendees to draw inspiration from AbdulRazaq’s values and recommit to a holistic, morally rooted, and excellence-driven vision of education.
Following the speeches, the state chairman of NATAIS, Sheikh Muhammad Jamiu Ajijola-Anabi, led a remembrance prayer for the late AGF AbdulRazaq. He also offered a special prayer for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, describing him as a “God-sent leader” whose work speaks for itself.
The event was graced by numerous dignitaries, including Alh. Saadu Salahu (Senior Adviser/Counsellor), Dr. Ghali Alaaya (ex-Non-Executive Director of NNPCL), Alh. AbdulLateef Alakawa (Chairman, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin), Alh. AbdulRazaq Jiddah (Special Adviser on Special Duties), Alh. Bashir Adigun (Special Adviser on Media), Alh. Ibrahim Danmaigoro (Senior Special Assistant on Religion – Islam), Dr. AbdulWasiu Tejidini (General Manager of KWASSIP), and Prof. Sheu Adaramaja (Chairman, Kwara SUBEB).
Also in attendance were Alh. Mustapha Isowo (State Secretary of the All Progressives Congress – APC), APC chieftains Alh. AbdulRahman Giwa, Alh. Baba Olosasa, and Alh. Hassan Gegele; Alh. Mashood Alaka (Governor’s Adviser on Party Affairs), Alh. Mustapha Kobe (Permanent Member at TESCOM), Alh. Olayiwola AbdulKareem, Magaji Yerimisa, and Alh. Hussain AbdulRazaq, Ajanasi Yerimisa, who represented Dr. Alimi AbdulRazaq.
