11 March, 2026
by Mohammed Bello Doka
There are moments in the life of a society when the horizon darkens so profoundly that the people begin to ask a single question: who will lead us out of the valley? Kebbi State, a land of proud heritage and industrious people, stands today at one of those historic crossroads.
Across the world, philosophers and statesmen have warned that societies decline not only from poverty or insecurity, but from a vacuum of courageous leadership. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato once warned that “the price of apathy toward public affairs is to be ruled by inferior men.” It is a warning that echoes loudly today in a state where statistics paint a troubling portrait of stagnation, neglect, and unrealised potential.
Kebbi is blessed with fertile soil, resilient citizens, and a strategic location within Nigeria’s North-West. Yet the paradox is undeniable: despite its natural advantages, development indicators remain alarmingly grim.
According to data linked to the National Bureau of Statistics’ Multidimensional Poverty Index, poverty levels in Kebbi are among the highest in Nigeria. Estimates suggest about 79 percent of the population lives in multidimensional poverty, meaning millions lack adequate access to education, healthcare, or basic infrastructure.
The tragedy is even more heartbreaking among children. UNICEF analysis shows that around 88 percent of children in Kebbi live in multidimensional poverty, placing the state among the worst-affected in the entire country.
Education, the foundation of any civilisation, is also struggling under the weight of decades of neglect. Reports indicate that over one million children in Kebbi are out of school, part of the wider crisis of Nigeria’s estimated 18 million out-of-school children.
Health indicators tell a similarly troubling story. Studies suggest chronic malnutrition affects roughly 66 percent of children in the state, a rate significantly higher than many conflict-affected regions elsewhere in the country.
And then there is insecurity — the shadow that hangs over much of northern Nigeria. In 2021, armed attackers stormed several villages in Kebbi, killing more than 90 people in coordinated raids and destroying farms and homes.
When poverty, insecurity, failing education, and public despair converge, history teaches that societies approach dangerous tipping points.
The Roman philosopher Cicero once observed that “the welfare of the people shall be the supreme law.” Yet in too many communities today, ordinary citizens whisper the same quiet lament: Who is listening?
But history also reminds us that crises produce leaders.
Throughout the world, societies have often turned to individuals whose experience, intellect, and resilience prepare them to confront systemic challenges. Winston Churchill led Britain through the darkness of World War II. Lee Kuan Yew transformed Singapore from a struggling port into a global powerhouse. Nelson Mandela steered South Africa away from the brink of civil war.
Leadership, in moments like these, is not merely about holding office. It is about possessing the moral authority, intellectual capacity, and administrative experience to rebuild institutions.
In the context of Kebbi’s unfolding crisis, many observers increasingly point to one figure whose career has been defined by national service, legal expertise, and strategic governance: Abubakar Malami, SAN.
For over three decades, Malami has walked the corridors of Nigeria’s legal and political institutions. Trained as a lawyer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, he rose through the ranks of the Nigerian legal profession to attain the prestigious title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) — a distinction reserved for lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional professional excellence.
But titles alone do not define a legacy.
From 2015 to 2023, Malami served as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, one of the most consequential positions within Nigeria’s governance architecture. During that period, he oversaw complex legal reforms, anti-corruption frameworks, and international asset recovery efforts that brought significant funds back to Nigeria.
In governance circles, experience matters. The complexities of public administration — negotiating with global institutions, drafting legislation, defending national interests in arbitration, and managing federal institutions — are not skills that appear overnight.
They are forged through decades of service.
And this is where Malami’s supporters argue that his profile stands out.
At a time when Kebbi faces intertwined challenges — poverty, insecurity, educational decline, and environmental pressures such as desertification affecting much of northern Nigeria — the state requires leadership that understands both local realities and national power structures.
Indeed, environmental degradation itself is becoming an existential threat across northern Nigeria. Experts estimate that up to 75 percent of land in parts of the region is affected by desertification, eroding livelihoods and intensifying rural poverty.
The implications are profound: declining farmland, migration pressures, and deepening social instability.
As the Chinese philosopher Confucius wisely noted, “When the root is deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.” Yet in Kebbi today, many citizens fear that the roots of governance have grown dangerously shallow.
It is in this climate that the name Abubakar Malami increasingly appears in political conversations across markets, universities, and village squares.
To his admirers, Malami represents a rare combination of legal intellect, administrative experience, and grassroots connection.
They recall his involvement in philanthropic initiatives that have provided water infrastructure, educational assistance, and economic support in underserved communities. They speak of a man whose national career never severed his ties to the soil of Kebbi.
Yet as with many figures who rise to prominence, his path has not been without turbulence. Public life, especially in Nigeria’s fiercely competitive political environment, often attracts scrutiny, rivalry, and criticism.
The Italian philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli observed centuries ago that “there is nothing more difficult to take in hand… than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.”
Reformers, he warned, inevitably encounter resistance — not always from visible adversaries, but often from entrenched interests that thrive in the shadows of stagnation.
One does not need to name those interests. Their presence is often felt in whispers, in orchestrated controversies, and in the strange coincidence of obstacles appearing whenever transformative leadership begins to emerge.
Yet history repeatedly demonstrates that societies advance when leaders refuse to be intimidated by such forces.
The American statesman Abraham Lincoln once said: “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
Kebbi’s future will not be determined by statistics alone. Nor will it be decided by political theatrics or empty rhetoric.
It will be shaped by leadership — leadership capable of confronting poverty with economic innovation, tackling insecurity through coordinated policy, and restoring faith in public institutions.
Whether one views him as a reformer, a technocrat, or simply a son of Kebbi determined to see his homeland rise, Abubakar Malami represents, for many citizens, a symbol of possibility.
In times of crisis, societies often search for saviours. But perhaps the real question Kebbi must confront is simpler — and more profound.
Will the state continue along a path of slow decline, or will it summon the courage to chart a new course?
The philosopher Aristotle once wrote: “The fate of empires depends on the education of youth.” If Kebbi is to reverse the tide of poverty, illiteracy, and insecurity, it must embrace leadership capable of rebuilding the very foundations of society.
The moment demands vision.
It demands courage.
And above all, it demands leadership willing to challenge the darkness and ignite the long-awaited dawn.
Mohammed Bello Doka can be reached via [email protected]
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