The National Association of the Polytechnic Engineering Students (NAPES), Institute of Technology, Kwara State Polytechnic, successfully hosted its maiden Legislative Summit on Thursday.
The pioneering event, the first of its kind for the institute, held at the Admiral Lawal Alabi Auditorium, attracts notable personalities from across different specialization.
Among the notable figures present were Temi Kolawole, Managing Director of the Ilorin Innovation Hub; Oluwole Gabriel Afolayan, a Research Officer at the Federal Ministry of Health; Hon. Shola Odetuntun; and Saeed Tijjani, a renowned Media Strategist, among others.
The summit, with the theme “Leadership and Innovation: A Pathway to Political and Economic Advancement,” aimed to enlighten students on the crucial interplay between effective leadership and innovative thinking in addressing challenges within their immediate environments.
In her opening remarks, Engr. Mrs. Olohunfemi, Deputy Director of the Institute of Technology, commended the organizers for their thoughtful initiative.
She noted that the event would significantly broaden the knowledge of participants, particularly the students, on how to harness innovative ideas through leadership skills to proffer solutions to critical issues.
The Senate President/Speaker of the association legislative arm, Rt. Hon. Adewara Tolulope, in his opening speech, described the event as “a powerful gathering of minds uniquely trained to diagnose problems and design pathways forward.”
He emphasized the fundamental truth that “Engineers are solution providers,” which powerfully resonated with the chosen theme.
“This summit is going to be a catalyst where we leverage that inherent strength, combining innovation with decisive leadership, to pave a concrete pathway towards genuine political stability and shared economic prosperity for our member nations,” he added.
Delivering his keynote speech, Mr. Oluwole Gabriel Afolayan stressed the paramount importance of collaboration in fostering innovative ideas.
“Innovation is in the act of collaboration; however, differences in jargon and work methods that hinder cooperation and kill innovation must be managed through effective communication,” he articulated.
He further explained how leadership and innovation influence politics, defining politics as “about activities we embark on to govern the people. It is about the distribution of power, resources, and decision-making.”
He added that this process “also requires introducing new ideas, approaches, and solutions to address complex challenges and improve governance.”
Afolayan passionately argued that one need not run for office to serve Nigeria, citing his own humble beginnings and a successful community service project during his National Youth Service, which addressed a critical community issue and earned him automatic employment and national recognition from the Federal Government.
He urged participants to hone their skills to effectively offer solutions to pressing issues.
On his part, Temi Kolawole, Managing Director of the Ilorin Innovation Hub, highlighted in his presentation that “Technology is the biggest driver of innovation.” This, he explained, was the reasons behind the establishment of the Innovation Hub by Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. “The initiative is designed to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital skills development in Kwara State and beyond,” he stated.
He commended the organizers for their foresight in organizing the Legislative Summit and encouraged students to fully utilize the Innovation Hub to expand their knowledge and bring their innovative ideas to fruition.
The summit also featured award presentations, presided over by the Institute’s Director, Director of Student Services, Engr. Mrs. Uthman Fauziya.
These awards recognized deserving personalities for their significant contributions to technological innovations, the digital media landscape, and youth and human capital development.
More pictures from the event;
