The Kwara Progressive Media Organisation (KPMO) has urged young people across Kwara State to embrace responsible leadership, unity, and active participation in governance to drive sustainable political and socio-economic development.
The call was made on Monday during the 2026 Kwara Youth Progressive Congress held at the Kwara State Banquet Hall in Ilorin, under the theme “Leadership, Governance and Youth Engagement.”
Delivering his welcome address, KPMO Chairman and Convener, Amb. Adeyefa Moses Pelumi, urged youth stakeholders to move beyond passive discussions and translate political dialogues into tangible developmental outcomes.
“This is the time for the youth to take responsibility,” Pelumi stated.
“We must choose unity over division and transform today’s conversation into tomorrow’s transformation.” He added.
Highlighting the organisation’s core mandate, KPMO Secretary Ibrahim Tunde outlined the body’s historical evolution and its ongoing role in bridging communication gaps between the government and grassroots communities across Kwara State.
In his address, guest speaker and Member representing Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Muktar Tolani Shagaya, commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration for prioritizing youth empowerment and gender inclusion, citing the high representation of women in the state cabinet as a model for governance.
Shagaya urged participants to protect the developmental milestones recorded in the state and build structured political capacity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Representing the second guest speaker, Hon. Muhammed Funsho Abdullahi, Nafiu Toyin Abdqodir cautioned aspiring young leaders against viewing public office as a tool for personal advancement, emphasizing that leadership requires competence, continuous self-development, and mentor-driven empowerment.
“Leadership is not something to have the ambition to be in office; it is about having the capacity to discharge a duty from the position,” Abdqodir stated.
“Leadership shouldn’t be a ladder that we pull up after climbing; it should be a passage where everyone grows.” He added.
The congress, which opened with prayers led by the Councillor representing Igbaja Ward, Hon. Ridwon Olomowewe, featured interactive panel sessions on political education, institutional capacity building, and youth mobilization strategies ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.
