Jega to Deliver Livestock Development Lecture at Unilorin

By Adamu Aliyu Aliyu/ABUJA//

The Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin, is set to host its Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture with a focus on Livestock Development in Nigeria, a critical subject in the nation’s pursuit of food security, economic recovery, and national stability.

The lecture, scheduled for Monday, June 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM (WAT), will be delivered by Professor Attahiru Jega, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and current Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Coordinator of the Presidential Livestock Reform.

Jega’s rich background in governance, development policy, and public sector reform is expected to illuminate the nexus between agriculture, national development, and security—especially at a time when livestock production is central to Nigeria’s survival and self-sufficiency.

The lecture will provide a platform for rethinking livestock development not just as an agricultural concern, but as a multidimensional issue that intersects with economic recovery, rural livelihoods, and national security.

In a statement released by the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Adedoyin Jolaade Omede, the lecture is being held in honour of Distinguished Senator Saliu Mustapha, the Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture and Production Services.

Professor Omede said the choice of Senator Mustapha as the honouree reflects the faculty’s commitment to celebrating public figures whose work exemplifies integrity, impact, and visionary leadership.

“The Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture was conceived as a rigorous intellectual platform for interrogating pressing national issues and promoting the interface between scholarship and governance.”

“It serves to contribute meaningfully to academic discourse on critical matters shaping the Nigerian polity, and to recognise exemplary individuals in public service whose conduct and contributions embody integrity, vision, and developmental impact.

“Senator Saliu Mustapha fits this profile remarkably well. In just two years in the Senate, he has transformed the Agriculture Committee into a vehicle for legislative innovation, stakeholder engagement, and national advocacy. His passion for rural development and food security is not performative, it’s policy-driven and practical,” Prof. Omede said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, will serve as the Chief Host of the event, which brings together academia, policymakers, and the public to explore strategic solutions in the agricultural sector, particularly livestock development.