By NICHOLAS UWERUNONYE
Stakeholders across Kwara State’s sporting landscape have showered encomiums on Mall Ibrahim Oladele Bako as he retired from service as Director of Sports (DOS), Kwara State Sports Commission, while calling on the state government to act swiftly on reforms to fully harness recent investments in the sector.
Bako, a veteran administrator with 35 years of service, praised Abdul Rahman Abdulrazaq for what he described as unprecedented funding and infrastructure upgrades in sports development
“No governor has invested as heavily in sports as Governor Abdulrazaq,” Bako said. “In my decades of service, I have not seen this level of commitment to facilities and funding. The impact is already evident in the laurels Kwara has recorded.”
However, he stressed that sustaining and expanding those gains would require timely changes where performance has stalled.
“Investment alone is not enough. Rapid reshufflements and reforms are necessary in areas where results are not forthcoming, if the state is to reap maximum benefits,” he added.
Bako bows out after a distinguished career that spanned multiple roles, including teacher, coach, secretary of the state’s NPFL side Kwara United, and Sole Administrator of the Kwara Football Academy.
Tributes have continued to pour in from across the country. Kwara Football Association chairman, Idris Musa Abdullahi, popularly known as Thuraya, said Bako played a defining role in shaping grassroots football in the state.
“He is an excellent talent nurturer, a sound manager and a seasoned administrator. He worked with whatever resources were available and still achieved remarkable results,” Abdullahi said.
Director of Football at ABS FC, Alloy Chukwuemeka, noted that Bako’s influence extends beyond Kwara.
“Most elite athletes who passed through the
were, in one way or another, shaped by him. "He leaves an indelible mark on professional football in Kwara and Nigeria,” he said.
Members of the media fraternity also joined in celebrating the retiree. National Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Yinka Owolewa, argued that administrators of Bako’s pedigree still have much to offer.
“He has more to give to the state and the country. People like him should not be allowed to fade away,” Owolewa said.
Similarly, Kwara SWAN Secretary Oluwadare Kuti, fondly called ‘Gattusso’, described Bako as a dependable ally of journalists.
“He operated an open-door policy and related with the media professionally, not as an imperious bully as seen elsewhere,” he said.
As Kwara turns a new page in its sports administration, stakeholders agree that Bako’s legacy of grassroots development and professional management provides a solid foundation—one they insist must be matched with decisive reforms to convert infrastructure investments into sustained success.
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