By joshua Steve Karimi: A Good Turn Deserves Another
By Dr Williams Charles Oluwatoyin
An African proverb says, “A tree is known by its fruit.” In public service, leaders should ultimately be assessed not by the volume of their promises, but by the evidence of their work and the difference it makes in the lives of the people.
Public office carries enormous responsibility. The needs of communities are extensive, public resources are limited, and expectations are understandably high. No single legislator can resolve every problem within a senatorial district. Nevertheless, where projects can be located, beneficiaries identified and outcomes demonstrated, fairness demands that such interventions be acknowledged.
Senator Sunday Steve Karimi’s investments in scholarships, classrooms and digital education have already received considerable attention. This article therefore looks beyond education and examines other aspects of his public record, particularly water supply, roads, bridges, security, rural electrification, agriculture, women’s empowerment and community development. The purpose is not to substitute sentiment for evidence. It is to place documented interventions before the public and allow service to be measured by its practical consequences.
Taking Water to Communities, An African proverb says, “Water has no enemy.” This simple expression captures the universal importance of water. It is needed by every household, school, healthcare centre, farm and business. For many communities, access to clean water remains one of the most pressing development challenges. Women and children often bear the greatest burden, travelling long distances and spending productive hours searching for water. Published reports credit Senator Karimi with facilitating 75 new solar-powered boreholes and the rehabilitation of 60 abandoned or non-functional water schemes across the 85 electoral wards of Kogi West.
These stated figures amount to 135 specifically identified new and rehabilitated projects, although some published reports describe the wider intervention as approximately 140 water projects. The programme has been variously valued between ₦1.24 billion and ₦1.4 billion.
The intervention combined the construction of new boreholes with the restoration of existing facilities. This is important because abandoned public infrastructure represents a considerable loss to communities. Repairing what already exists can sometimes restore services more quickly and economically than beginning every project from the ground up.
One of the communities publicly identified as a beneficiary is Effo-Amuro, where residents had reportedly depended on distant and unhygienic water sources before the delivery of a solar-powered borehole. In Lokoja Local Government Area, 22 solar-powered boreholes had reportedly been completed before an additional seven were initiated in August 2026. The communities publicly named in connection with the additional intervention include:
Karaworo Centre Community in Ward B
Yakamata Community in Ward E
Up Anguwan Pawa Community in Ward D
Up Karaworo Community in Ward C
Workers Village Community in Ward A
The projects followed a town hall engagement during which residents raised concerns about persistent water scarcity. Reports indicated that contractors subsequently commenced drilling and struck water at several locations. These named communities make the intervention easier to assess. Residents can confirm whether the projects exist, whether they are functional and whether they have reduced the daily burden of obtaining water. The value of a borehole should not be measured only by its construction cost. It should also be measured by the time families recover, the health risks reduced and the economic activities supported.
A functioning water facility can serve homes, schools, health centres, artisans, traders and farmers. For residents who previously depended on streams, tankers or distant sources, access to water represents a direct improvement in everyday life.
Reconstructing the Pakuta Bridge. Roads and bridges are not merely physical structures. They connect communities to markets, farms, schools, healthcare facilities and economic opportunities. One of Senator Karimi’s clearly documented interventions is the reconstruction of the Pakuta Bridge, situated along the Aiyegunle-Gbede to Kiri road.
The bridge connects several communities and territories, including:
Aiyegunle-Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area
Kiri Kingdom in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area
Kupa North
Kupa South
Eggan communities in Lokoja Local Government Area
adjoining communities towards Niger State
Before the intervention, the collapsed bridge had reportedly cut off several communities and seriously affected the movement of agricultural produce. This was particularly damaging because many of the affected residents depend on farming. When a bridge collapses, the effect goes beyond transportation inconvenience. Farmers may be unable to move their produce to the market, transport costs increase, perishable goods are lost, and traders become reluctant to travel through the area.
In October 2024, Senator Karimi reportedly released ₦17 million for the immediate reconstruction of the bridge. The project cost was said to have been determined by a committee of experts, stakeholders and community representatives. Even Professor Olu Obafemi, the Asiwaju of Kiri Kingdom and chairman of the project committee, publicly confirmed the intervention and expressed the community’s appreciation. He also stated that the committee would monitor the reconstruction and ensure that the funds were properly managed.
This community participation is significant. Development becomes more credible when local stakeholders are involved in determining needs, supervising projects and confirming delivery.
The reconstruction of the Pakuta Bridge restored an important connection among agricultural communities. Its value can therefore be measured through improved movement, easier access to farms and markets, reduced isolation and the revival of economic activity along the route.
Another important area of Senator Karimi’s representation concerns the Kabba-Egbe axis of the Kabba-Ilorin Federal Road.This road has strategic importance to Kogi West. It connects communities across the Okun and Yagba areas and provides an important link between Kogi and Kwara states. Its condition affects transporters, farmers, traders, students, workers and other travellers. According to published reports, Senator Karimi applied approximately ₦2 billion available for a senatorial capital intervention towards the road project. Other accounts state that an additional ₦1 billion special intervention was directed towards the same road.
His engagement with the Federal Ministry of Works was also reported to have contributed to an additional ₦6 billion provision in the 2025 federal budget to support the contractor’s return to the long-delayed project. The precise value of the intervention should ultimately be judged by the sections completed, the quality of the work and the improvement experienced by motorists. Nevertheless, committing a substantial portion of constituency-related funding to one major federal road reflects a decision to prioritise infrastructure with regional economic importance.
The communities along the Kabba-Egbe and Kabba-Ilorin corridor depend heavily on the road for commerce and social interaction. Its rehabilitation can reduce travel time, lower vehicle-maintenance costs, improve the movement of agricultural produce and strengthen trade between Kogi and neighbouring states. In July 2026, the Federal Government also approved contracts for sections of important roads connecting Kogi with Kwara and Ekiti states. Senator Karimi publicly acknowledged the Federal Government’s role in those approvals.This distinction is necessary in an evidence-based assessment. Federal roads are the responsibility of the Federal Government, while a senator’s role is to advocate, influence budgetary attention and maintain engagement with the responsible ministries and agencies.
Security is the foundation upon which education, agriculture, commerce and community life depend. People cannot farm confidently, conduct business or travel freely when insecurity becomes widespread. One of Senator Karimi’s most widely reported personal interventions is the construction and handover of a military base to the Nigerian Army at Egbe in Yagba West Local Government Area. The facility was reportedly furnished and equipped before being transferred to the Army. Some published accounts place the value of the project at approximately ₦750 million. Egbe is strategically located within an area affected by security concerns along routes connecting Kogi West with neighbouring states. Establishing a military presence there has potential value not only for Egbe but also for surrounding communities in Yagba West, Yagba East and other border areas.
A military base does not automatically eliminate kidnapping, banditry or other forms of criminality. Its effectiveness depends on personnel deployment, intelligence, logistics, community cooperation and sustained operational support. Nevertheless, the provision of security infrastructure can improve response capacity and strengthen public confidence. It can reassure farmers who cultivate land outside settled areas, transporters who travel through vulnerable routes and businesses considering investment in the region.
Security remains primarily the responsibility of the government and established security agencies. Senator Karimi’s intervention should therefore be understood as support for, and not a replacement for, the responsibilities of the Federal and Kogi State Governments.
Economic empowerment is most valuable when it enables beneficiaries to produce, earn and become financially independent. In September 2024, Senator Karimi reportedly disbursed ₦100 million to 50 women’s cooperative societies under a constituency empowerment programme.
Using cooperative societies as the channel for support offers potential advantages. A cooperative can bring women together around shared economic activities, provide a structure for accountability and allow funds to reach enterprises involving several households.
The average allocation across 50 cooperative societies would amount to approximately ₦2 million per cooperative if the funds were distributed evenly. However, the published reports reviewed did not provide a complete breakdown of the amount received by each society. The economic effect of the programme should be measured by what the cooperatives were able to achieve after receiving the support. Relevant indicators would include businesses established or expanded, income generated, jobs created and the ability of beneficiaries to sustain their enterprises.
The absence of a publicly available list of all 50 cooperatives limits independent community-by-community verification. Publishing such information and subsequent impact reports would strengthen transparency and enable the public to assess the longer-term results.
Nevertheless, a ₦100 million intervention directed towards organised women’s groups represents a substantial commitment to grassroots enterprise. When women’s businesses grow, the benefits frequently extend to children’s education, household nutrition, healthcare and local employment.
Kogi West has considerable agricultural potential, and many households depend directly or indirectly on farming. Published reports concerning Senator Karimi’s empowerment activities refer to the distribution of agricultural inputs, including fertiliser and improved seedlings, to farmers. Other accounts refer to training, grants and equipment support for traders, artisans and young entrepreneurs across the senatorial district. These categories reportedly include people engaged in farming, food processing, tailoring, welding, carpentry and trading. However, the available public reports do not provide a comprehensive and independently verifiable list of every beneficiary and community.
This limitation should be acknowledged. An evidence-based record is strongest when it provides names, locations, dates, amounts and measurable outcomes. The underlying direction, however, remains relevant. Kogi West does not need temporary relief alone. It needs productive interventions capable of helping people establish businesses, improve farms, acquire practical competencies and generate sustainable income.
An African proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree was many years ago; the next best time is now.” The message is one of responsibility and foresight. Economic empowerment must be treated as an investment whose benefits grow over time. Senator Karimi’s existing empowerment activities provide a foundation for a more structured skills, innovation and enterprise-development programme. Such an initiative could connect young people and women to practical training, certification, employment opportunities and sustainable enterprise.
Its full structure should be professionally developed and protected until the necessary institutional arrangements have been completed. What matters publicly is the opportunity to move from periodic empowerment towards a comprehensive system that produces verifiable economic results.
Published reports also credit Senator Karimi with providing transformers and facilitating solar-powered streetlights across the seven local government areas of Kogi West:
Kabba-Bunu
Ijumu
Lokoja
Kogi
Mopa-Muro
Yagba East
Yagba West
The reported equipment includes 500KVA and 300KVA transformers, as well as solar-powered lighting installations.
Public reports have made broad claims about the number of communities reached, but a complete location-by-location inventory was not available in the sources reviewed. It would therefore be premature to reproduce every headline figure as conclusively verified. The value of rural electrification is nevertheless clear. Transformers can improve the distribution of available electricity, while solar streetlights support movement, local commerce and community security after dark.
A trader who can remain open safely for additional hours gains an economic advantage. Better-lit roads can improve visibility for pedestrians and motorists. Lighting around markets, public facilities and residential areas can also contribute to a greater sense of security. Residents must protect these facilities against vandalism, while responsible institutions should ensure their maintenance. Infrastructure creates lasting value only when it remains functional.
Senator Karimi’s public record also includes reported assistance with hospital expenses, support for vulnerable individuals and the distribution of relief materials during festive and economically difficult periods. These interventions provide immediate help to families experiencing hardship. They should not replace sustainable development programmes, but they remain important when illness, hunger or sudden emergencies threaten vulnerable households.
The strongest approach combines immediate relief with long-term opportunity. Water projects address a basic daily need. Roads and bridges improve economic access. Security infrastructure protects communities. Cooperative support strengthens enterprise. Agricultural inputs assist production, while electrification supports businesses and public safety. When these interventions are viewed together, they present a broader picture of community development.
Senator Karimi served in the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2019 and entered the Senate in 2023 as the representative of Kogi West. He currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Services.
Legislative experience can improve a representative’s understanding of budgeting, committee processes, federal institutions and the procedures through which projects receive government attention. Seniority should not be treated as an achievement by itself, nor should continuity in office become an automatic entitlement. Experience becomes valuable only when it is converted into stronger representation and measurable benefits for the people.
The interventions associated with the Kabba-Ilorin Road demonstrate the importance of engagement with the Federal Ministry of Works and the national budgeting process. The water projects similarly illustrate how legislative influence can be used to attract infrastructure across a senatorial district. The fairest assessment of experience is therefore not how long a person has occupied public office, but what that knowledge and access have produced.
A familiar African saying teaches that, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” The development of Kogi State requires cooperation among the Federal Government, the Kogi State Government, local government councils, legislators, traditional institutions, community associations and development partners. The responsibilities of a senator differ from those of a governor or local government chairman. Federal infrastructure also involves ministries, agencies, contractors and budgetary processes beyond the control of one legislator.
Senator Karimi’s interventions should therefore be understood as contributions to a broader development effort. Recognising his work does not require diminishing the efforts of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Kogi State Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or other public officials. There is sufficient work for everyone. Communities still require roads, water, security, electricity, healthcare and employment. Cooperation offers a better path than competition over who receives credit.
Political seasons can shorten public memory. Projects that once brought relief may quickly be forgotten, while the experiences of beneficiaries disappear beneath arguments and competing narratives. But the Pakuta Bridge is not an abstraction to the people of Aiyegunle-Gbede, Kiri, Kupa and Eggan. A solar-powered borehole is not merely a budgetary figure to residents of Effo-Amuro, Karaworo, Yakamata, Up Anguwan Pawa, Up Karaworo and Workers Village. The military base at Egbe is not a distant political statement to communities concerned about security along the Kogi West border axis.
These are physical interventions that can be visited, inspected and evaluated.
An evidence-based public record must also distinguish among personal interventions, constituency projects, federal appropriations and projects still under construction. It should not present announcements as completed achievements or attribute the entire work of government to one officeholder. Public confidence grows when leaders publish project locations, costs, completion status, contractors and beneficiaries. Senator Karimi’s office can strengthen its accountability by maintaining a publicly accessible register of projects and publishing periodic impact reports.
Communities also encounter moments when progress must be recognised, consolidated and expanded.
Senator Sunday Steve Karimi’s record in water provision, bridge reconstruction, road advocacy, security infrastructure, women’s cooperatives, agriculture and rural electrification provides material evidence upon which his service can be assessed. A good turn deserves another. Good service also creates a responsibility to reach more communities, deepen the impact and account openly for what has been achieved.
When public leadership takes water to Effo-Amuro and communities in Lokoja, reconnects Aiyegunle-Gbede with Kiri, Kupa and Eggan, strengthens security around Egbe and supports women’s cooperative enterprises across Kogi West, its strongest testimony is not found in slogans. It is found in the communities reached and in the lives of the people who can confirm that something has changed.
Karimi lekan si!