The President of the National Political Science Association of Nigeria (NPSA), Prof. Hassan Saliu, has urged professors of Ilorin origin to courageously strive towards freeing their community from political and economic challenges.
He said that to meet the community’s expectations and address wider societal needs, Ilorin-born professors must bridge the gap between political leadership and intellectual resources.
Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Ilorin Emirate Professors Association (IEPA) held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Tuesday, themed “Ilorin Professors, Academia, Challenges, and Solutions,” Prof. Saliu, who is also a professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Ilorin, highlighted the importance of this task.
In his paper titled ‘Pressing Challenges,’ Prof. Salihu pointed out that despite IEPA’s membership strength of about 300, the association holds limited influence in making decisions that serve the collective interests of the emirate. He also expressed concern that the culture of the Ilorin Emirate is facing encroachment from external cultures that are alien to the community.
Prof. Saliu further urged the Emirate to extend its administrative system to the suburbs and new settlement areas within the emirate to counteract this trend.
In his remarks, the President of IEPA, Prof. Abdulfatai Olokoba, stressed that the association is a non-profit and non-political body with the primary objectives of contributing to the socio-economic development of Ilorin Emirate, Nigeria, and humanity at large.
“Our unity stems from Islam, our culture, and our heritage in Ilorin Emirate. IEPA comprises intellectuals at the highest echelons of academia, encompassing all professors of Ilorin Emirate origin both within and outside the country. Our membership spans various fields across all continents,” he affirmed.