Prof Mohammed Kuta Yahaya (Magatakarda Nupe), an Intelligent, Vibrant Man of Refreshing Candour

 

Mohammad Yahaya Kuta- also known as MKY or Prof MKuta is a Nigerian academic, writer and professor of Agriculture and Foresty, University of Ibadan. He once served as Secretary to the State Government (SSG)of Niger state under Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, and was also the Chief of Staff then Commissioner for Information and Agriculture under the same administration.

Mohammed Yahaya Kuta is an achiever and pacesetter from the Nupe Kingdom. He distinguishes himself as a Nigerian who has associated himself with books for decades. “When you associate yourself with books, the doors for greatness opens wider for success and makes you the light for people to see," is a quote he believes in. You can always count on him for anything useful and important to humanity. 

Background: 

Prof Kuta was born in Patibokungi near Kuchi, Jima-Doko District of Bida Emirate/ Lavun Local Government area of Niger State and started his education from LEA Primary School, Kuchi from 1970-1975, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate. From there he proceeded to Government Teachers College, Wushishi from 1975-1980 and obtained Teachers Grade II Certificate. Yahaya Kuta who was well known by the general public, got admission at College of Education, Minna from 1981-1984, where he did very well and was awarded a Nigeria Certificate of Education (NCE). The flying colors he obtained from College of Education Minna got him admission at University of Calabar, from 1989-1991 and graduated with Bachelor of Science/Education (Agric Science). However, just like a book worm, he didn’t stay behind but proceeded for his M.Sc at University of Ibadan, from 1991-1992. A year later, he continued his education in the same university from 1992-1995 and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy ( Ph.D) degree.

After obtaining his Masters and Doctoral Degrees in Agricultural Extension, he started his university teaching and research career at the University of Ibadan as an Assistant Lecturer in 1995 and rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Agricultural Extension and Development Communication at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 2008.

Professor Yahaya is an author of many research publications, high-level research articles, books, edited conference proceedings and journal articles with over 90 scholarly publications in reputable national and international outlets. He has successfully supervised over 100 undergraduate and postgraduate students with five completed Ph.Ds and three ongoing doctoral candidates. 

He is a member of many learned and professional bodies, particularly, the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), which is the preeminent worldwide professional organization in the field of media and communication research; member, Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria (AESON); member and Public Commutations Advisor, Nigerian Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (NIFAAS);  member, BOT, Rural Sociological Association of Nigeria (RuSAN); member, BOT, Agro-Impact Project, member, Public Policy Group of Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP) and founding member, Advisory Council, Sir Ahmadu Bello  Memorial Foundation

Professor Yahaya has served and still serving his department, faculty, university and nation in different capacities. 

He was the Director, University Media Centre (2006-2007) where he collaborated with the team that championed the establishment of campus radio in the University and also chaired the committee that produced the blue print for university Television in 2017; Editor, Nigeria Journal of Agricultural Extension 2001-2006; member, University Mission Research (UMR) Project, University of Ibadan. May 2005 – August 2008; member, University of Ibadan Advancement Centre 2014 to date; member, Senate /Council Committee of Honorary Degrees and Fellowships 2015-to 2018, member several other Senate /Council Committees; and member, UI@70 Anniversary Celebration Committee – 2018.

Prof Yahaya has received several honours and distinctions: he was the second to occupy Head Boy status in Kuchi Primary School in 1974. He won the University of Ibadan - Zard Scholarship for Excellence in Agriculture, 1992; Council for the Development of Social Research in Africa, CODESRIA Laureate - Grant for Doctoral Thesis – 1993; MKO Abiola Post Graduate Scholarship  - 1994; MacArthur Foundation Grant, Fund for Leadership Development Programme - 1997; CODESRIA Nominee to UNESCO - Most Outstanding Doctoral Thesis in Africa – 1998; Salzburg Seminar Fellowship - Session 376: The Social and Economic Determinants of Public's Health, 2000; Federal Government Sponsorship to 4th Entertainment – Education Conference in Cape Town, South Africa- September 26-30, 2004; Honoured for second best presentation at the 5th African Crop Science Society Conference, 21st – 26th October 2001; Honoured as one of the 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England – 2001 and Winner, CODESRIA Grant for Book Development Project (2005) and 2021 mentorship awardee of the National Research Foundation grant on COVID -19 research from South Africa. 

Prof. Yahaya has served as a member, Blue print drafting Committee for the establishment of Niger State University, August – November 2004; Member, Evaluation and Implementation Committee (EAIC), State-owned IBB University, Lapai, Niger State, December 2004-2006; member, Pioneer Governing Council IBB University 2005-2008. 

Outside the academics, he was beckoned to serve his home state in various capacities between 2007-2015, first as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and later as Chief of Staff and Commissioner in the Ministries of Information and Communication; and Agriculture and Rural Development with concurrent responsibility for Tertiary Education. 

Other notable responsibilities include: Chairman, Forum of Secretaries to Nineteen State Governments [2007-2011], Coordinator, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation Committee [2008- 2010] and founding member of the Advisory Council of the Foundation (2010 to date). He was the Coordinator, Northern States Committee on Reconciliation, Healing & Security between 2012 and 2013 that produced the blueprint for the mitigation of Boko Haram Insurgency and other security issues in the North. He also coordinated the Northern States' Governors' Forum [NSGF] - United States Institute for Peace [USIP] Symposium held in Washington DC in March 2014. 

In addition to his career pursuit, he has attended several conferences both at home and abroad and has consulted for many national and international organizations on many global initiatives including the WORLD BANK , UNICEF  and DAI in the area of positive deployment of communication strategies to achieve development objectives among other key interventions. 

It is worthy of note that he has been a champion for a paradigm shift in the contemporary development perspectives and the need to create realistic and sustainable approaches that are integrated into development policies and practices of governance, inter-governmental relations, democratic ideals and human overall development.

These are all directed at stimulating peoples' needs and calculated mechanisms in establishing parameters for policy impacts and sustainability especially in agriculture value chain development, promotion of farmer’s market system and farmers at farm gate profit maximization. He has track records of performance and demonstrated skills in this direction through involvement in various RAMP initiatives from capacity training on Low Volume Roads (LVR), to compendium and summarization documents development as well as compendium of implementation for Niger RAMP-2 and Compendium of all focal states under the National RAMP Federal Project Monitoring Unit and Honourary Technical Adviser to the African Patron, International Institute of Certified Forensic Investigation Professionals, among others.

As a vibrant person in nature, he never gets tired of his educational pursuits but rather takes it a step further and presently he’s a visiting Professor at National Universities Commission (NUC).

His convictions and special endowments are as follows:

"I am a fortunate Nigerian with the privilege of serving my country in different challenging positions of leadership and several government committees and councils. I remain an unrepentant Social Engineering advocate with over two decades of versatile research and community linkage experiences at the University of Ibadan and beyond.

It is therefore my conviction that with the background experience in social engineering, I'm well-equipped to embark on any assignment. I have requisite skills in start-off with a transparent community selection process and share results, community mapping priorities and identifying community leaders through community assessments, mobilize community participation, prioritize and select quick impact projects to solidify support and galvanize local participation through participatory communication, multitude of approaches and techniques in decision making, implementation and evaluation while recognizing the knowledge, values and beliefs of people and groups within the community.

My civil society experience is equally an important part of my personality having an enormous impact through the Center for Communication and Reproductive Health Services that is advancing frontiers in reproductive health, family life and sexuality education for over 22 years now and most recently, established NBC licenced Enumana Community Radio in Bida Niger State to serve the over 1 million agrarian farm families in Bida, Agaie and Lapai emirates of 

Niger state with valuable and timely information and extension services. Also, pioneer Advisory Council member of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation.

The emphasis of referring to myself as a fortunate Nigerian is based on my vast knowledge of Nigeria from my place of birth in Bida Niger State to wide range of experiences from attending primary and secondary schools in Niger State, through undergraduate studies at University of Calabar, Cross River State to graduate studies and teaching at University of Ibadan, Oyo State and rare opportunity for public service in Niger State and beyond.

I have the fortune to combine versatility in teaching, research, consultancy, capacity building, advocacy, policymaking and implementation, and promoted investments in social safety net and development for over two decades. My field experiences have covered several states in Nigeria. I have developed a strong regional network that gives me access to important policy makers. These positions have generally equipped me with requisite skills in handling governance and development issues particularly policies, strategies, networks, knowledge and expertise on how to get things done especially in extreme difficult circumstances using communication for citizen’s engagement strategy for social safety and people under difficult circumstances. 

As an endowed advocacy expert and human resources manager, appreciatively and ingeniously linked with excellent relationship to the core leadership of the National Traditional Council across the Northern States and key personalities of the institution in other parts of Nigeria.

In the context of northern Nigeria initiatives, as Secretariat of the Northern Governors Forum and active participants in the Nigeria Governor's Forum I organized or participated in investment at various public policy fora on a number of development issues at home and abroad particularly on agriculture, health and education oil and gas. For example, I was a participant in experience sharing mission together with 12 Nigerian Governors from the Nigeria Governors' Forum under NGF-GIZ working visit to some states in Germany in 2012. We interacted with different departments including Agriculture, Education, finance, industry, commerce and governance on the strategies adopted in Germany as veritable lessons for Nigeria. I also led the delegation to the AGCO African Summit to discuss the way forward for Agricultural Mechanization for African farmer held in Berlin, Germany on January 21, 2013 where Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and John Kufuor of Ghana were in attendance. I was privileged to interact with them and also attended meetings where extensive discussions were held on the need to mechanize agricultural production in the continent. Similarly, because of insurgency and rural banditry, I have been very much involved in various initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and insecurity through agricultural and diverse development initiatives. 

It is a humbling experience where my commitment to the ideals of national development aspirations and contributions towards a flourishing academic setting came as a principal actor in the resolution of the immediate past Academic Staff Union of Universities impasse with the Federal Government where I successfully brokered the peace meeting between the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Nigerian Governors Forum team that finally laid to cessation of fire and the conflicts between the union and the Federal Government which averted the total collapse of the university system in Nigeria. Hence, my experiences confer on me the consistency of carrying on with the values of academic in influencing and changing society for the good of all as demonstrated in my journey of life so far.”

Yahaya Kuta is married with children and was honoured by the Etsu Nupe with the traditional title- Magatakarda Nupe in January, 2009 and later as Waziri of Ibadan by Oba Tapa in May, 2012. 

Countries Visited:

United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Turkey, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Egypt, Austria, Switzerland, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Benin and Niger Republics

Languages Spoken:

He can communicate fluently in Hausa, Nupe and English and can have a conversation in Yoruba. 

Prof Yahaya's Hobbies include:

Playing Tennis, Golf and Squash, watching and analyzing the game of soccer.

Prof Yahaya Kuta’s educational history and gratitude go to His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Yahaya Abubakar CFR; The Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger State Traditional Council Wadata Palace, Bida, Niger State.

Others include: Prof J.O.Oladeji Head Department of Agricultural Extension & Rural Development, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria and Dr Kole Shettima African Director, MacArthur Foundation, Abuja, Nigeria, his family members, professional colleagues, Associates and friends.

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