Ajibola Bashiru: The man for the job at sugar development council

By Amoo Abidemi

Since his name was released among those appointed by President Bola Tinubu to the boards of government agencies and parastatals, Senator Surajudeen Bashiru Ajbola has continued to receive encomiums as the man who the cap fits at the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).

His appointment is one of the many testaments to President Tinubu’s determination to reset the nation’s economy—the NSDC is one of the government’s agencies that hold the key to financial recovery.

There is a general consensus that the president’s selection of him to chair the board of NSDC is “a testament to the brilliance and loyalty” of the ruling party’s national secretary.

In a message, Bola Oyebamiji, the managing director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), said, “President Tinubu has indeed picked the right person for the job”.

A lawyer by training and a thoroughbred politician and administrator, SRJ, as fondly called by his admirers, goes to the council with a bagload of experience and skills with which to deliver on his mandate.

This perhaps explains why one of his supporters, Adeniran Kilomodemo Ibitoye, a former member of the Osun state house of assembly, said SRJ has all it takes to do the job.

“Senator Ajibola has what it takes to steer the ship of that council, and I know that he would bring his A-game on board and put everything in place to record success, and I pray that the Almighty Allah will shine his face on him and guide him,” Ibitoye, popularly known as KLM, wrote in a congratulatory message.

There are no doubts that the APC national secretary will help to drive the renewed hope agenda of the president at the council whose goal is to “make Nigeria a notable player in the global sugar trade through policies and strategies that will transform the local sugar industry into a viable and efficient world-class industry.”.

The sugar development council has the potential to create jobs for the nation’s unemployed population.

With the implementation of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), in its second phase of another 10 years, the federal government is turning around the sugar sector and aiming to create direct and indirect jobs in sugarcane farming and sugar manufacturing, which can significantly reduce the current unemployment figure.

Kamar Bakrin, the executive secretary of the NSDC, recently said that the council’s reforms and operators’ expansion plans will soon make thousands of jobs available for Nigerians.

Many who have followed the trajectory of Senator Ajibola’s growth in public administration believe his wealth of experience in enabling the council to deliver on this. Thus, justifying the president’s confidence in him.

This will further corroborate the words of Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, chairman of APC in Osun, who said, “the appointment of the national secretary of the APC is a reflection of President Tinubu’s commitment to entrusting critical national assignments to individuals of impeccable integrity and proven competence”.

“The sugar sector plays a key role in the country’s economy, and with Senator Bashiru at the helm, there is renewed hope for significant progress in the industry,” Lawal added.

“This is not just an appointment; it is a clear signal of the confidence in SRJ’s capacity to transform the sugar development council into a beacon of growth and prosperity.”

As you step in to make the desired difference and impact, I wish Senator Ajibola a successful tenure devoid of blemish. Congratulations once again on your appointment.

Amoo Abidemi, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja.