By Abubakar Imam
Yoruba is, no doubt, a very rich language and culture. Its richness is rooted in the profundity and timelessness of its expressions.
One of these says “bi won ba bi ni, o ye ki a tun ra eni bi (what matters is not one’s ancestry but what one makes out of his life). This expression summarises the life and career of a great son of Ilorin, Prof. Kamil Kayode Kamaluddeen.
Prof. Kamaluddeen, a torchbearer of academic excellence, diligence, integrity and dignity, recently retired as a topnotch of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This was after serving the global agency for almost three decades and in several countries.
He and I only met once. And this was just last year (2024) at an event in Ilorin. Immediately, I introduced myself to him, he stressed his hand to me for warm handshakes. But the first time I saw him was in 1998 when a prayer was organised by his family to mark his appointment as a Professor by the authorities of the University of Ilorin.
Nevertheless, as a reporter, I have a load of exciting information on this remarkable personality and his achievements. He is one of our community’s image-makers and icons featured in my work, “Ilorin Emirate’s Frontliners”.
Ever since I sought his curriculum vitae for the work, we have maintained a consistently consistent “telephone relationship” as it has become habitual for us to exchange the usual “Ebarika Jimoh” every Friday since 2021 or thereabout.
Prof. Kamaluddeen has been a man I have a lot of respect for since the early 1990s. This is for no other reason but for his brilliance, patriotism and fraternity as reported to me by many friends of mine who had encounters with him in the course of their academic careers. This much is alluded to on page 510 of the authoritative “Ilorin: The Journey So Far”, by L.A.K.Jimoh.
I have read the book, which is described as “an encyclopaedia of Ilorin”, a number of times since it was first published in 1994. Only two academics of Ilorin origin are clearly described with the adjective (patriotism) in the work. They are Prof. Kamaluddeen and his “uncle”, mentor and role-model, who is also the Talba of Ilorin, Prof. Shuaibu Oba AbdulRaheem, OFR, NPOM (page 509).
The two gentlemen must have been so described and celebrated by the author because of his conviction in their selfless and uncommon contributions to human capital development of the Ilorin Emirate. I concur with him.
It is rare to come across a man who would combine brilliance, elegance, and fascinating ancestry with “social sanity”. The subject of this piece is an epitome of all these attributes but who remain an example of what every genuine patriot should be.
There are so many fascinating facts in my possession about him that I would love not to put in writing. This is not because I doubt them or the sources of my information but for personal modesty. And more so, he might not want such information to be revealed. As a reporter, I cherish confidentiality!
Prof. Kamaldeen, a scholar, teacher, journalist, economist, academic, diplomat and international public servant, was born in Ilorin on April 5, 1959. He is a grandson of the historic first Grand Mufti of Ilorin and celebrated founder of the Ansarul Islam Society of Nigeria and abroad, Shaykh Muhammad Kamaluddeen Habeebullahi Musa Al Adabiy, MFR, OFR, ORSA, FISN (1905-2005).
His father was the third Grand Mufti of Ilorin and the first Khalifah Al- Adabiyyin, Shaykh Sofiyulahi Muhammad Kamaluddeen Al-Adabiy (1926-2014). His two illustrious forebears hailed from the popular Ara-Agbaji family in the Masingba/Okekere Quarters, Ilorin. His mother, Hajiya Suwaibat Kamaluddeen, also hailed from Ile Okoh behind Okubiyi Compound in the same Okekere axis of Ilorin, which also produced a great Diplomat and scholar in the late Ambassador Abdulkadir Muhammad Sambo Imam (1932-2022).
Young KK, as he is fondly known, started Quranic and Islamic education at home as early as 1963. He was enrolled as a pupil of the Ansarul Islam Primary School, Okemale, Ilorin, in 1965. He briefly attended Kofar-Mata Primary School, Kano between January and March, 1967 when he became a ward of his uncle and second Khalifa Adabiyyin, Shaykh Ahmad Olayiwola Kamaluddeen Al-Adabiy (1938-2020), who started his teaching career in Kano in that year.
He subsequently returned to Ilorin and became a pupil of Ansarul Islam Primary School, Oke-Aluko, Ilorin to complete the session from April to December, 1967. He eventually completed his primary education at the Ansarul Islam Primary School, Okemale, Ilorin, in 1970.
This outstanding scholar was a part-time student of the famous Mahad Al-Azhar Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ilorin, in the early 1970s. Between 1971 and 1975, he was trained as a member of the pioneer set of pupils of the Ansarul Islam Secondary School, Oloje, Ilorin.
He was equally trained as a Grade II teacher at the Kabba Teachers’ College, Kabba, in the present-day Kogi State from 1976 to 1977. He also attended Government Secondary School, Omu-Aran in 1979.
KK demonstrated remarkable resilience and tenacity by earning his GCE Advanced Level in Economics, Government, and Islamic Religious Knowledge. Despite having no prior background in Economics and Government, his self-motivated approach and relentless pursuit of knowledge enabled him to master these subjects independently. His dedication to learning and his ability to overcome challenges laid a strong foundation for his future endeavours. This pivotal achievement marked the beginning of his lifelong passion for these fields, igniting an intellectual curiosity that propelled him through his distinguished career.
As a determined young man who neither wanted to be eclipsed by the fame of his multiple award-winning grandfather nor the legendary status of his paternal family, Prof. Kamaluddeen, in 1980, proceeded to the then University of Sokoto (now Usmanu Danfodiyo University), Sokoto from where in 1983, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Management Studies (First Class honours) with specialisation in Banking and Finance. He ran the programme on scholarships earned from both the Mobil Producing Nigeria and the federal government and graduated as the best all round graduating student of his Department, Faculty and the entire University.
As an undergraduate student, KK was very active in students association and social development activities. During his time, he served as the Branch President of three different bodies, the Ilorin Students Union (now Ilorin Emirate Students Union), the Kwara State Students Union (now National Association of Kwara State Students) and the Management Students Association at the University of Sokoto.
Upon graduation, Prof. Kamaluddeen joined and has remained a strong member of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU). He was also at various times, Financial Secretary, General Secretary and Chairman, Sokoto Branch and for many years, a member of the Northern Zone and National Executive Committee of the Union.
Prof. kamaluddeen received his M.Sc. degree in Accounting from the University of Ilorin in 1986. He eventually earned his doctorate degree in Economics from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, in 1991 in an intercalated programme with the King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
KK is also a holder of a post graduate certificate of the renowned Cambridge University, United Kingdom, which he earned in 2007. He is also an alumnus of many other globally renowned institutions where he obtained programme certificates. These include certificates in Human Development from the prestigious Oxford University, United Kingdom; Governance and Leadership School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, United Kingdom; and Innovations for Economic Development, from the globally-famous Harvard University, United States of America.
The career of this academic giant started at the grassroots. He started as a staff of the Kwara State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Ilorin, where he served between 1975 and 1976. He also taught at the Ansarudeen Primary School, Ansarul Islam Primary School, Okemale and Addiyaudeen Primary School, Abata-Oloje, all in Ilorin from 1977 to 1978, 1978 to 1979 and between 1979 and 1980, respectively. Prof. Kamaluddeen was also a part-time teacher of Social Studies at the then Ilorin Teachers’ College (now Sheikh Abdulkadri College), Ilorin, from 1979 to 1980.
Briefly between June and November, 1981, KK was a staff correspondent at the then Nigerian Television (now NTA) Ilorin, as a vacation jobber.
Prior to joining the services of his alma mater, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, this illustrious international public servant worked as a Senior Supervisor at the Kano Branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria as a member of the National Youth Service Corps. Upon his return to his alma mater, which offered him automatic employment after his epoch-making graduation, Prof. Kamaluddeen consequently taught, conducted relevant researches and undertook community and social development activities both at home and across Nigeria’s Northwest. One of the Ph.D. theses supervised by Prof. Kamaluddeen won the prestigious award for the Best Ph.D Thesis in Business Management in Nigerian Universities for 2005. The thesis focusing on turnaround strategies in Nigeria’s banking sector was authored by Prof. Mallami Muhammad Maishanu, who is now the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS).
Other lecturers from Ilorin at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, with Prof. Kamaluddeen were Prof. Shuaib Abdulbaqi Agaka, Prof. Abubakar Isa Alabi and Prof. Mohammed Olanrewaju Ibrahim. The first two are distinguished Arabic scholars while the last and the youngest of the trio is a venerable scholar of Mathematics, who served as Director, Centre for International Education University of Ilorin.
At a time that access to University education was a big economic and class struggle, scores of Ilorin Emirate’s indigenes gained admission into the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, through KK’s dedication, commitment and personal support.
To the glory of Almighty Allah, many of these illustrious brothers and sisters are now luminaries in banking, law, medicine, veterinary medicine, academic, politics, business and public administration.
The joy of every teacher is to see his students doing well in life. Prof. Kamaluddeen is no exception.
He is always happy seeing his ex-students progressing in life. These include the Deputy Vice Chancellor of UDUS earlier mentioned, the Dean of the Faculty of Administration, UDUS, Prof Dauda AbdulSalam; the Head, Department of Business Administration, UDUS, Prof. Abubakar Junaid; Prof. Sabo Yabo, who teaches at the Department of Business Administration, UDUS and Prof. Mustapha Yusuf Ismail of the University of Ilorin.
Others include the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Ilorin, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam; a former Director-General of the defunct Kwara State Bureau of Lands, Alhaji Ibrahim Salman; a retired topnotch of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Alhaji Hamza Abdulkareem; the Chairman of the Sobi 101.9 FM, Ilorin, Mallam Lukman Olayiwola Mustapha; a former Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Ilorin and Member, Governing Council, Kwara State University of Education, Ilorin, Prof. Umar Gunu;
and my good friend and brother, the late Alhaji Abdulateef Isiaka, who was a high ranking staff of the Unity Bank.
The list also includes my sister and friend, Dr Falilat Abdul, who is currently the Director, Social and Family Affairs, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Hajiya Hafsat Abdulsalam, an high-ranking staff of the Nigerian Maritime Safety Authority (NIMASA); Dr Ismail Yusuf, the Head, Department of Business and Entrepreneurship, Kwara State University, Malete; and Hajiya Zainab Hanafi of the Nigerian Law School, Abuja.
His Royal Highesss, Dr David Oyerinola, the Elerin of Adanla is also one of his ex-students just like Dr Ganiyu Yahaya of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti and Mr Sofiyulahi Salah, a staff of the National Examinations Council, Ilorin as well as Mr AbdulGaniyu Saliu of Umaru Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto and Mr AbdulGaniyu AbdulRaheem of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, to mention a few.
Aside from teaching and research, Prof. Kamaluddeen has also authored, co-authored, edited and peer reviewed several papers. He was the pioneer editor of the Journal of Management Studies. Many of his works have continuously found spaces in respected local, national, and international journals over the years. They have also enjoyed copious consultations from scholars and institutions across the world.
KK was offered a professorial seat by the University of Ilorin in 1998 in recognition of his all-round excellence. He was also appointed as an Adjunct Professor of Management by the University of Monrovia, Republic of Liberia, where he taught Economics and Governance between 2006 and 2008.
More recently, the Kwara State University, Malete, also appointed him as a Professor and designated Dean of its School of Business and Governance in 2013.
As an international civil servant, Prof. Kamaluddeen joined the United Nations Organization (UNO) in 1998. He consequently served the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP).
Prof.Kamaluddeen had served the global development agency in several capacities: in Nigeria as National Economist; in Ghana and Liberia, first as Economic Adviser and later as Country Director; in South Sudan, first as Country Director and, later, Resident Representative; and, finally in Chad Republic, where he served as the UNDP Resident Representative.
Over the years, Prof. Kamaluddeen also led and facilitated many knowledge-building and county support missions to several countries. These include Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Laos, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mozambique, Panama, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Zambia.
Throughout his years in the UN, KK devoted his services to supporting countries and communities fighting poverty, building peace and advancing democracy. He had advised several governments and development partners on the design and implementation of policies and programmes to bolster inclusive economic and social development, advance accountable governance, and strengthening social stability. KK has left behind a legacy of substantial contributions to policy development, innovative programs, and initiatives, particularly in fragile countries and sensitive political-economic contexts.
Over the years, he has played a pivotal role in crafting policy papers that address the unique challenges faced by these nations. His insights have been instrumental in shaping frameworks that encourage stability, growth, and development in regions where such outcomes are often elusive.
His career has been marked by his remarkable proficiency in navigating complex development and social crises, particularly across sub-Sahara African countries, where his insightful analyses and strategic solutions have contributed significantly in helping to address numerous crisis, including political (Liberia, 2003), economic and financial (Ghana, 2008), natural disaster (Ghana, 2013: Chad, 2022), Ebola (Liberia, 2015), Covid-19 (2020), violent extremism (Chad, 2021-24), and refugee crisis(Chad, 2024). His conflict prevention and post-crisis expertise has been widely acknowledged and remains sought after in major regional and international fora.
KK was a principal architect of the Liberia’s Results Focused Transition Framework (RFTF), the country’s ´Marshall Plan’ in the immediate aftermath of the protracted crisis (1979–2003). He was actively involved in supporting the design and implementation of national conferences and inclusive dialogue processes to foster stronger social contracts and shared national agenda in politically sensitive settings, including in Chad (2022); South Sudan (2018); Liberia (2016); and, Ghana (2012).
Additionally, his expertise proved invaluable during election processes, where his contributions ensured transparency, fairness, and inclusivity. KK spearheaded elections support programmes in Chad, Ghana and Nigeria. His efforts have been recognised in various international forums, celebrating his commitment to fostering democratic values, participation, representation and inclusivity in governance.
On the development policy side, his most notable achievements included design and editorial contribution as the editor for several groundbreaking policy papers and seminal reports, including several National Human Development Reports, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, National Peacebuilding Plans, and Sustainable Development Goals Reports in many countries. His visionary thinking and editorial expertise also led to many of these publications serving as a cornerstone for policy-makers and stakeholders aiming to promote sustainable development and peace. These works have not only informed policy decisions but have also set benchmarks in scholarly discourse on these pressing development issues.
I was not in Chad when he was formally ushered out of the services of the United Nations. But I monitored the events from here through social media platforms as I also have some of the records of the events with me. One of his most critical contributions, according to one of those who spoke at one of the several events organised in his honour, was the active and professional role he deployed following the death of President Idris Derby. He was one of those who swiftly and relentlessly worked for the design and implementation roadmap to the peaceful transition experienced and enjoyed by the sahel country.
On a personal level, he continues to be a beacon of inspiration for his colleagues, peers, and students. His exemplary behaviour and professional ethics have led many of his mentees to admire and emulate him, seeing him as a guiding light in their own careers. Several of his students, deeply influenced by his teachings and integrity, have even bestowed their children with his name, a testament to the profound impact he has had on their lives. A few examples are Mohammed Shinkafi (in Zamfara), Ma’aroof Salau (Lagos), Mohammed (Ghana), and Moses Musa (Liberia), apart from several name sakes in his immediate Okemale area.
KK is also admired for his profound commitment to philanthropy. He is a mentor to many, far and wide. He quietly, yet generously, supports individuals and organisations in need. His philanthropic philosophy centres around empowering others and fostering sustainable change. Many indigent students, struggling families, community endeavours, and wider causes have continued to benefit not only from his moral and intellectual support but also extensive social capital. Despite his impactful work, KK remains humble and often operates behind the scenes, allowing the beneficiaries and the causes themselves to take the spotlight and in dignity.
Despite retirement, he remains an engaged and valued figure within his community, maintaining strong relationships not only with his role models but also those who have grown under his mentorship and continuing to inspire future generations.
In public and private life, Prof. Kamaluddeen has positively impacted and continues to inspire many, who see in him “an embodiment of patience, perseverance and humility, a man with unshakable faith in Allah, an insatiable passion for sacrifice for and nurturing of others, for generosity and extraordinary devotion to rendering selfless service to all and sundry”.
This outstanding international technocrat, who speaks English, Yoruba, Hausa and French, can also communicate in Arabic. He is happily married to Hajiya Salmat Ayodele Kamaluddeen of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin. The union is blessed with children including Dr Mrs Hauwah Kamaluddeen-Abdulkareem, who is a Deputy Registrar at the Kwara State University, Malete; and Dr Mrs Habeebah kamaluddeen-Aiyelabegan, the Head of the Abuja Liaison Office, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service.
Professionally, Prof. Kamaluddeen is an international man and one of the fascinating exports of our community to the diplomatic world. Yet, he remains a grassroot person, considering his backgrounds, associates and association.
The testimonies of his colleagues in the UNDP and among the government and people of the Republic of Chad, where he served last, couldn’t be more stimulating for a Diplomat and scholar. He was celebrated for working tirelessly for the peace and advancement of the landlocked country as he did for many others since he joined the UN in 1998.
This synchronises with the loads of tributes poured on him by the National President of IEDPU, Alhaji Abdulmumini Ayo Abdulmalik and other eminent Nigerians as well as organisations since information on his retirement got to the public last week.
A man endowed with knowledge, humility, energy, patriotism and other leadership skills cannot really retire. He is too blessed to be allowed to himself.
Prof. Kamaluddeen is just transitioning from his former status as a global civil servant. He has become an international statesman.
His grandfather, who worked for humanity as a teacher, preacher, counsellor, author, organiser, community leader, peace-builder and statesman for more than eight decades, did not retire till his death on Sunday, December 18, 2005. The same could be said of his father who maintained the family traditions of teaching, preaching, scholarship and human development till a few hours to his death on August 18, 2014.
And so, Prof. Kamaluddeen has just started. Ilorin Emirate needs more of and from him just like Kwara State, Nigeria and the global community.
All I will wish for him is more sound health, wisdom, knowledge and long life to serve humanity more and reap the fruits of his labour far beyond his expectations.
Imam is Chief Scribe, Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union.
