Salihu Yakubu-Danladi

Salihu Yakubu-Danladi (born 31 May 1985) is a Nigerian engineer and politician who was elected speaker of the 9th Kwara State House of Assembly in 2019.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Yakubu-Danladi is a first-time member of the state assembly, elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress to represent Ilesha-Gwanara in Baruten state constituency. He was nominated by Saheed Popoola (APC, Balogun-Ojomu Constituency) and was seconded by Haliru Danbaba (APC).^[5]^[6]

Early life and education

Yakubu-Danladi was born in Gwanara, Baruten of Kwara state. His early education began in 1988 at BLGEA Primary School where he earned First School Leaving Certificate 1993.^[7] Yakubu-Danladi attended St Anthony Secondary School, Ilorin finishing with a Senior Secondary Certificate Examination in 2001. He attended Kaduna Polytechnic College where he received a National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Electrical/Electronic Engineering between 2003 and 2008.

In 2016, Yakubu-Danladi earned B.Eng in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from Federal University of Technology, Minna.^[8]

More on his biography

Some decades ago, Rt. Hon. Engr. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu was born into the family of the late sage and renowned educationist; Alhaji Aliyu Salihu Gwanara in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Rt. Hon. Engr. Danladi-Salihu attended Baruten Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Gwanara between 1988-1993, and earned his First School Leaving Certificate before proceeding to Baptist Grammar School, Okuta in Baruten Local Government Area and later, to the famous St. Anthony Secondary School, Ilorin where he obtained his O'level certificate in 2001.

Influenced by the erudition that runs in his family, Hon. Danladi-Salihu whose father was the cradle of Western Education in the then Old Borgu Kingdom which informed his passion that led to the establishment of BLGEA Primary School in Gwanara, later attended Kaduna State Polytechnic in pursuit of National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) between 2003 -2008, both in the field of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, (Elect-Elect).

Having successfully established himself in the much touted Engineering profession and not wanting to be caught unaware in the HND vs University Degree dichotomy, the young Danladi went further to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering in the same field of Elect-Elect from the Federal University of Technology, Minna in the year 2016. Upon the completion of the Degree programme, the young Engineer choose to answer the clarion call by serving his nation through the National Youth Service Scheme, NYSC at the National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna.

Hon Danladi-Salihu began his foray into politics via student activism where he amassed leadership experience and skills when he served as the Secretary, National Union of Baruten Students, Kaduna State Polytechnic Chapter for the 2005/2006 session. He was also the Secretary of the famous National Association of Kwara State Students, NAKSS of the same institution for the 2007/2008 session.

In the year 2011, he was the Kwara North Coordinator of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, BCO when President Muhammad Buhari contest the presidential election under the platform of the Congress of Progressive Change, CPC. And in the year 2015, he was the Kwara North Youth Coordinator for Engr. Yinusa Yahaya (Bulldozer) Campaign Organisation under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the 2015 general election.

Hon Danladi-Salihu worked as a staff of FUT Minna between 2010-2018 before he voluntarily resigned having demonstrated competence, astuteness, and shrewd leadership skills to answer the call of his people to represent them. He contested the Ilesha-Gwanara state constituency seat at the Kwara State House of Assembly, KWHA under the platform of the All Progressives Congress APC in the 2019 general election. To the Glory of God Almighty, he won and he's today the Speaker of the 9th Kwara Assembly.

Since his election as the Ilesha-Gwanara state constituency representative and the Speaker of the 9th Kwara State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Engr. Danladi-Salihu has proven to be a 'game changer' and a new 'Sheriff in town' by providing quality legislation. Under his watch as the Speaker of the 9th Assembly, a total of about fifty (50) bills have been passed into law. Many motions have equally been critically debated and resolved, while a plethora of Matters of General Public Importance have been considerably discussed. In the area of quality representation, no less than 250 kilometers of roads have been given a face lift in his state constituency. In addition, in his attempt to ease water scarcity among his people, he was able to provide over three hundred boreholes and many classrooms and health centers were renovated. He furthered his representation to human capacity development of women and youth of his constituents. These and other salient achievements that are too numerous to mention are some of the reasons why he stands tall among his peers.