By Our Reporter

Today we commemorate the posthumous birthday of one of Nasarawa State’s most illustrious sons — Alh. (Dr.) Aliyu Akwe Doma OON, OOM.

A seasoned administrator, lawyer, and former Governor of Nasarawa State [2007–2011], Madauchin Doma was more than the titles he held. He was a custodian of heritage. To him, governance was not just about roads and budgets. It was also about identity, dignity, and the soul of a people.

Among the areas closest to his heart was Arts, Culture and Tourism. During his tenure, he championed Nasarawa as “Home of Solid Minerals and Tourism.” He believed culture was the bridge between our past and our future.

Some of his key reflections and actions in that space:

– Promoted cultural festivals as tools for unity and economic growth, bringing together Eggon, Alago, Mada, Tiv, Gwandara, Hausa, Fulani and over 30 other ethnic groups in Nasarawa.

– Advocated for the Farin Ruwa Falls and other tourism sites to be developed as national assets that could project Nasarawa beyond Nigeria.

– Supported traditional institutions and the preservation of language, music, dance, and crafts, seeing them as vital to community cohesion.

– Linked culture to development, arguing that a people who forget their heritage cannot chart a confident future.

He often said that public service without a sense of history and culture is incomplete. That same sense of responsibility he brought to the civil service, to the governorship, and to the traditional title of Madauchin Doma that he carried with humility.

Dr. Akwe Doma served Nigeria in many capacities — Permanent Secretary, Director, Ministerial appointee, and ultimately Governor. But beyond offices, we remember:

1.  The ideas he championed: Unity in diversity, peaceful coexistence, and using culture as a tool for development.

2.  The lives he touched: Through scholarships, empowerment, and mentoring of young people across Nasarawa.

3.  The values he left behind: Simplicity, integrity, respect for tradition, and service above self.

As we remember him today, we are reminded that a leader’s true monument is not in statues, but in the values and institutions that outlive him.

Continue to Rest In Aljannatul Firdausi, Your Excellency.

Madauchin Doma, the cultural governor, your light still guides us.