Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed, called Sai Maigida by his admirers, marks his 49th birthday today.

According to aides of the governor, the occasion will be low-keyed, as a mark of respect for late. Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, father of the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Bukola Saraki. The elder Saraki died on November 14, 2012.

However, a special prayer has been slated for Government House, Ilorin by 10:00am today, where members of the State Executive, Special Advisers and Assistants, Chairmen of boards of parastatals, top government functionaries, party chieftains and other well wishers would pray for the governor and his family.

Born on December 29, 1963 in Share, now headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Ahmed attended Government College Funtua, Katsina State between 1973 and 1978 and the School of Basic Studies, Kwara State College of Technology (now Kwara State Polytechnic), Ilorin between 1978 to 1980.

He went to the University of Ilorin where he obtained a B.Sc in Chemistry in 1986 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1992.

In 1993, he started work with Guaranty Trust Bank in the Credit and Marketing Unit. He moved to Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria in 1998 as a Senior Manager/Group Head, Consumer Banking. Later he became Public Sector Group for the North West region.

Ahmed took public office as Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning under the administration of Governor Bukola Saraki in 2003 and served until 2009 when he became commissioner of the newly created Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. The position he held until the end of Governor Bukola Saraki’s second term. He was the chairman, Budget Formulation Committee and Economic Team of Kwara State among other positions of responsibility he held.

He won the primaries of People’s Democratic Party governorship ticket and was elected governor on April 26, 2011, having defeated the ACN flag bearer, Lawyer Dele Belgore.

He was sworn-in as the sixth elected governor of the state on May 29, 2011.

Since the beginning of his administration, Governor Ahmed has initiated and completed a lot of developmental projects to improve the living condition of Kwarans.