“The presentation is not just celebrating individual states’ achievements, but seeking ways to integrate them for the betterment and upliftment of all, in terms of transportation, security, education, among others”
By Nudoiba Ojen
Governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Seyin Makinde (Oyo) and Ademola Adeleke (Osun State) have intensified calls for increased collaboration to enhance the growth of the Southwest zone.
The governors spoke in Ibadan, Oyo State at the presentation of a book, “Proposed Action Plan for the Economic Development of Southwest Nigeria,” authored by the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries – Southwest Nigeria (ARHOSPS-SWN) in collaboration with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission.
Abiodun, represented by the Ogun State Head of Service, Mr Kehinde Onasanya, reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to continue collaborating with sister states in the Southwest towards harmonizing economic and social policies that reflect shared values and common aspirations.
The governor, who said that the Southwest is at the forefront of Nigeria’s economic development, noted that if the region’s economic development drive becomes lethargic, the entire nation will bear the brunt.
Abiodun, said the event underscored the enduring relevance of experience in shaping policy, thus reaffirming a shared commitment to purposeful governance, strategic development, and intergenerational collaboration in the six states that constitute the Southwest.
He said, “The book is coming at a critical time when the region is at a crossroads of opportunities and challenges and becomes highly imperative as it provides the intellectual pillar for the economic development of the region.
“Since inception, our government in Ogun State has been guided by the belief that sustainable development must be inclusive, evidence-based, private-sector-driven, and people-centered; and we have walked the talk through strategic investments in our five developmental pillars, anchored in the I.S.E.Y.A. mantra”
“The I.S.E.Y.A mantra stands for Infrastructure, Social Welfare and Well-being, Education, Youth Empowerment and Job Creation, as well as Agriculture and Food Security,” Abiodun said.
Ondo State Governor, Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Head of Service, Mr Bayo Phillips, assured that the state would tap into the association’s knowledge as encapsulated in the book, which aligns with the state’s policy in education and infrastructural development.
Aiyedatiwa commended the elders for their contributions to the development of the region, describing them as a valuable repository of Public Service history.
Also speaking, the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, represented by his Deputy, Prince Kolawole Adewusi, said that for the members, as purveyors of knowledge who have weathered various administrations, to have come up with such a book speaks volumes and must not be jettisoned but embraced.
Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, represented by his Deputy, Barr. Adebayo Lawal, said there should be strong linkages in terms of interconnectivity between the states for regional integration and development.
Makinde urged the states to come together and lift their economic statuses, as the presentation was not just celebrating individual states’ achievements, but seeking ways to integrate them for the betterment and upliftment of all, in terms of transportation, security, education, among others, and assured that the implementation of the book would be adopted and made seamless in all the states.
The book’s reviewer, Prof. Ezekiel Oyedeji, advocated for greater strength and intellect, greater productivity and success, as well as unwavering commitment to development, asserting that the governments in the region must not be daunted in the quest for the development of the Southwest in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
Earlier, in a welcome address, the Director General of the DAWN Commission, Dr Seye Oyeleye, appreciated the Association for the onerous task of putting the book together.
Oteleye noted that they did not allow retirement to push them to the background and assured that the seed of development being sown would be nurtured by the Commission, as it is a welcome development and thoughtfully conceived as a beacon of hope in the Southwest.
