Senator Sunday Karimi: The quiet reformer driven by vision, integrity, community

In a political climate often clouded by rhetoric and underperformance, Senator Sunday Steve Karimi stands out as a rare blend of pragmatism, purpose, and people-first leadership.

Representing Kogi West Senatorial District in Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly and serving as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Senate Services, Karimi is not only redefining service delivery but also shaping a legacy anchored in infrastructure, integrity, and inclusion.

Born in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, Karimi’s life story is grounded in hard work and self-discipline.

The son of a schoolteacher and raised in the modest but values-rich town of Egbe, his early education at Titcombe College laid the foundation for a life driven by precision and resilience. A graduate of Kwara State Polytechnic with a Distinction in Mechanical and Materials Engineering, he began his professional life as a Further Mathematics teacher and later worked at the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) before founding a successful indigenous engineering company.

What truly defines Karimi, however, is not just his engineering background or entrepreneurial success, but his focused sense of duty to the people. Having served two terms in the House of Representatives (2011–2019) before being elected to the Senate in 2023 under the All Progressives Congress (APC), his legislative career has been marked by bold, reform-oriented interventions.

His bill seeking to bar the CBN Governor and Deputies from partisan politics is just one among many that point to his commitment to institutional integrity.

Yet, it’s on the ground where Karimi’s impact is most visible. His projects speak to a politician with deep roots and an eye for lasting change. From constructing a first-of-its-kind military base in Egbe, to empowering over 550 women with business training and startup capital, Karimi’s initiatives are driven by data, empathy, and a keen understanding of his constituents’ needs.

The senator’s ₦100 million bursary for 1,000 students from across all 85 wards of Kogi West shows his belief in education as a long-term equaliser. His ongoing construction of a ₦160 million Computer-Based Test Centre within his alma mater reflects a forward-thinking approach that aims to place the region at the heart of Nigeria’s digital education revolution.

Karimi’s leadership is also shaped by his clarity of values: he speaks openly about fiscal responsibility, equitable development, security, and rural infrastructure as pillars of his public service.

His words often reflect a quiet confidence and moral clarity, as seen in his statement: “We’re not just building infrastructure; we’re building confidence, peace, and prosperity in our communities.”

He is not driven by political noise but by measurable impact. To Karimi, politics is not just about holding office — it’s about holding up communities.

In a time when the public demands more than promises, Senator Sunday Karimi continues to let his work speak — not as a loud disruptor, but as a deliberate builder of trust, opportunity, and a better future for Kogi West and beyond.