“In the past, people were born royal. Nowadays, royalty comes from what you do.”
Gianni Versace
The trajectory of our rise to global relevance is replete with sheer greatness. From every corner of Arewa, we again and again, witness the emergence of staggering icons, whose trails in the parchments of history, is a reminder of the fact that Arewa is indeed the melting pot of some of Africa’s stretchers of the frontiers of history. From Minna, the regal scent of one of the region’s most illustrious sons, wafts off the horizon as a testimony of the sheer distinction that makes the region tick. Mallam Ahmed Yahaya Alhassan (AYA), is no doubt, one of the finest gifts of God to humanity. For a man with an impeccable mélange of brains and humility, good looks and breath-taking choice of fashion, it is not out of place to say that the gods have smiled on him.
Born more than five decades ago to the family of His Excellency, Ambassador (Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary) Yahaya Alhassan and Hajiya Khadija Ibrahim Kuchi, Ahmed Yahaya Alhassan hails from Ebbo, an agrarian village under Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State. From the United States of America’s seat of modernity and civilization, New York, to the seat of the caliphate in Sokoto, AYA’s early life was enriched with high quality education to prepare him for the journey ahead of him.
He would from there, return to his home state, Niger, for secondary education, then briefly back to Brussels and Belgium before an eventual homecoming for tertiary education at the then newly founded Federal University of Technology, Minna, where he bagged a Bachelor of Technology in Mathematics/Computer Science. In July, 2001, he obtained a Certificate in Journalism at the prestigious University of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. He trained as a Project Manager in 2013 at the USA Project Management Institute affiliate, Eco-Ways Limited. In 2010, he bagged a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy (MIAD) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
To further hone his skills in ICT, he has obtained several certifications and trainings which are evidenced in his cutting edge deliveries in every position he has ever occupied for almost three decades.
His current preoccupation with the Power and Energy Sector, where he participates in the deployment of rural electrification to unserved and underserved communities in Nigeria through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), is one of the many great things he has done for humanity. As the current Deputy Director and Head of Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) of the agency, he leverages disruptive technology to drive the Agency’s Digital Transformation.
Further to that, his unnerving milestones as the National President of the Federal University of Technology, Minna Alumni Association, from 2017 – 2020, consultant on grants management and general funding, Coordinating Secretary and Vice Chairman of Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES), amongst many others, dub him as a quintessence of wonders, a conglomerate of endless ideas, a repertoire of wisdom and a repository of knowledge.
His commitment to the strides of humanity have been, to say the least, unquantifiable. From sole sponsorship of scholarships to magnanimous interventions for the betterment of his people in Lapai, Niger State and beyond, AYA sticks out in the pages of history as that shining light when the turbulence of life challenges. As the current Deputy State Coordinator of ADSI in Niger State, he has left no stone unturned to empower and skill the less privileged, thus guaranteeing them a better shot at life. Some call him the lighthouse when the chills of the sea freeze in the canopy of a nightfall. Others say he is that bell of hope when the silence of pessimism petrifies. I see a man who daily, lays his all for a better Arewa and a better Nigeria, especially giving his matchless antecedents to date in REA.
To a man who has travelled to every continent in the world, except Australia; we doff our hats pay to homage. As a team player with vast work experience spanning state and federal government agencies, as well as the private sector, his marks on the soils of time will echo through the ears of many generations to come. No wonder, his membership of local and international professional bodies have been quite noteworthy. This explains the many awards he has received for his selfless service to humanity.
AYA, an addict of sustainable progress and development, enriches the human spirit. His love for knowledge and sports has given him a balance only a few in his age group can boast of. As the recently installed Sutura Lapai, the First (Lapai’s magnificent cover), Lapai’s royal throne also acknowledges that this royal blood is one of a kind. Speaking on why he joined ADSI, he says:
“ADSI is a non-profit making charity run by volunteers and is uniquely reliant the on donations of its constituent members. A charity where one becomes a member by keeping a consistent donation of a minimum of N2000 per month. A Charity that believs in Aesop’s saying that slow and steady wins the race. What we do for Arewa may seem to many as not making any significant impact. Actually, we are making massive incremental impact and this is changing the mind-set of elites and the people of Arewa. On a monthly basis ADSI is making gradual, multiplied success in what we do, we get better every day, we believe in majority view in decisions, address larger than life problems, change life styles and habits all geared to win back the trust of residents of Arewa. This is why I stick with ADSI as a solution to building back the great family values Arewa is known for.”
For this great ADSIAN, who is married and blessed with 6 children, Menachem Mendel Schneerson aptly sums up what his life epitomises. Menachem says: “When you waste a moment, you have killed it in a sense, squandering an irreplaceable opportunity. But when you use the moment properly, filling it with purpose and productivity, it lives on forever.”
Chief Ahmed Yahaya Alhassan, Sutura Lapai, the First, has used his life and still uses it for the good of mankind. For him, if one of us is not doing well, all of us are not doing well. You too, can join him in his commitment to bettering the lot of Arewa. ADSIAN is indeed home to some of Arewa’s finest minds. We have in the last three years, committed to changing and transforming the lives of the less privileged. Together, we can do more.
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3 Responses
Wow Mr Kavwam is a great writer who can transform words into beauty, putting life into words and writing is a great gift that the author possesses. Kudos Pokyes, indeed you are a great writer…..
Thanks a bunch my boss
MaashaAllah, what an icon the pride of arewa and Nigeria as a nation, you really made proud, Great adsian, May your efforts continue to be blessed and make Arewa greater.