Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wole Olanipekun, and Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, have called on governors and political leaders of the South-West to seize what they described as a rare political opportunity presented by the presidency of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to accelerate the development of the region.
The duo made the call on Monday in Akure during a public lecture organised as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of Ondo State. They warned that such a strategic advantage might not present itself again after the completion of President Tinubu’s second term in office.
Speaking as chairman of the Golden Jubilee commemorative lecture titled “Ondo State: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – Agenda Setting for the Next 50 Years,” Olanipekun said the South-West must act with unity, cohesion and vision to maximise federal opportunities for infrastructure, industrialisation and economic reforms.
“Tinubu will not be there forever. He will only be there till 2031. Let us put ourselves together, be united. There should be cohesion, unity, love, respect and thoughtfulness,” Olanipekun said.
The legal luminary stressed that if the region fails to organise itself, articulate a common economic agenda and engage the Federal Government constructively, it may not have another opportunity of this magnitude after President Tinubu’s tenure. He urged South-West governors to rise above partisan politics and collaborate on regional projects such as rail transport, ports, agriculture and mineral resource development.
In his keynote lecture, Prof. Oyedele traced the historical evolution of Ondo State, describing its founding ideals as rooted in education, integrity and collective progress. He noted that despite having one of the smallest budgets among Nigerian states, Ondo currently has the lowest proportion of people living in multidimensional poverty.
“This is not because we are the richest state, but because we invested in what truly matters – education, health and dignity,” Oyedele said, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
Looking ahead, Oyedele outlined a long-term development blueprint tagged Agenda 2076, which he said should prioritise industrialisation, technology, security, youth empowerment and strong institutions.
“The next 50 years must be about value creation, not dependence on federation allocations. Ondo State must move from cocoa to chocolate, from crude extraction to industrial processing, and from subsistence farming to agro-industrial production,” he said.
He identified the proposed Ondo Deep Sea Port, bitumen exploitation and the blue economy as potential game-changers, noting that the state’s over 180 kilometres of coastline and vast bitumen deposits represent untapped economic opportunities.
On fiscal reforms, Oyedele urged the state government to embrace tax harmonisation and transparency to boost internally generated revenue without overburdening citizens, stressing the need to curb nuisance and illegal taxes.
In a personal reflection, Oyedele recounted how a ₦500 scholarship from his village association enabled him to complete secondary school, announcing a new scholarship scheme of up to ₦500,000 for the best graduating student in every public secondary school in Ondo State as part of the golden jubilee celebration.
In his address, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa described the event as an opportunity to reflect on the past and deliberately plan for the future.
“Fifty years on, Ondo State stands transformed, not without challenges, but with remarkable progress and renewed confidence,” the governor said, highlighting projects such as the Sunshine Free Trade Zone, Golden Ceramics Industrial Plant, Ethanol Plant in Ore and the Ondo Deep Sea Port as evidence of the state’s commitment to industrial diversification, job creation and investor confidence.
By Fidelis David, Akure
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