Ekiti @30: Stakeholders hail growth, seek progress

Stakeholders in Ekiti State on Wednesday called for greater unity, active citizenship and collective efforts among the people to consolidate the gains of the past 30 years and build a more prosperous and opportunity-driven state for future generations.

The stakeholders, while acknowledging that Ekiti State had recorded considerable progress in infrastructure, education, human capital development, economic growth and other sectors over the years, stressed that much more needed to be done to position the state as a hub of opportunities, investment and prosperity.

They made the call on Wednesday at a public hearing, with the theme, “Ekiti at 30: Reflecting on our journey, charting our future,” organised by the state House of Assembly as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of the state.

Ekiti State, which was created on October 1, 1996, clocked 30 years on October 1, 2026.

The stakeholders, comprising former political officeholders, lawmakers, technocrats, academics, traditional stakeholders and other citizens, urged political leaders, professionals, private sector players and ordinary citizens to work together and place the collective interest of the state above partisan, sectional and personal considerations.

Former governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, who congratulated the Assembly and the people of Ekiti on the anniversary, said, “The state has achieved considerable stability and growth in the three decades of its existence”.

Oni urged Ekiti people to support Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration and contribute to promoting the ideals and development aspirations of the state.

The former governor said, “The progress recorded so far should serve as a foundation for a more ambitious development agenda capable of transforming the state and improving the standard of living of its people.”

The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, said the public hearing was convened to critically interrogate the 30-year journey of the state, identify the challenges confronting it and generate practical and actionable measures for its future development.

Aribasoye said, “The recommendations and resolutions generated from this exercise would form part of the legislative agenda of the Seventh Assembly and provide useful guidance for future legislatures in their efforts to place Ekiti firmly on the path of sustainable development and prosperity”.

He said, “Thirty years is both a milestone and a moment of reflection. It allows us to look back at where we started as a state, examine the journey we have travelled, appreciate the progress we have made, acknowledge the challenges and shortcomings that have confronted us, and, most importantly, ask ourselves what kind of Ekiti we want to build in the years ahead.

“The House is particularly interested in hearing practical and constructive perspectives on the issues that matter most to the future of Ekiti.

• Expert urges law to tackle recurring floods in Ekiti
• Those claiming I’m from Ekiti are jesters – Yayi
• Civic education vital for future leaders – Ekiti commissioner

“These include education and human capital development, agriculture and food security, economic transformation, technology and innovation, healthcare, infrastructure, tourism, employment and entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, good governance, citizen participation and institutional accountability, among others.”

In the keynote address, a lawyer and philanthropist, Tope Adebayo, said, “The ultimate measure of Ekiti’s development should not merely be the number of successful people produced by the state, but the extent to which more citizens were given opportunities to become successful.”

Adebayo, who said that Ekiti had laid important foundations during the past three decades, stressed that the responsibility of the present generation was to strengthen those foundations and create an economy capable of generating sustainable opportunities for generations yet unborn.

He said successive administrations had contributed to the state’s growth in different ways, urging citizens to view Ekiti history as a continuum.

He maintained that the present generation’s collective responsibility was to build on the achievements of previous administrations and create a stronger institutional and economic foundation for the future.

Elder statesman and the first Commissioner for Finance in Ekiti State, Chief Afolabi Ogunlayi, said the alleged marginalisation of the Ekiti people in the old Ondo State provided the platform for the agitation for the creation of Ekiti State.

Ogunlayi, who said the state had recorded tremendous progress over the years, particularly in infrastructure and population growth, however, called for more deliberate and coordinated efforts by stakeholders to achieve a comprehensive transformation of the state.

Also, a former Deputy Speaker of the House, Karounwi Oladapo, stressed the importance of a harmonious working relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government, saying such cooperation was critical to achieving the founding fathers’ lofty ideals.

Ekiti State Commissioner for Finance, Akin Oyebode, said the state had experienced significant economic growth over the years, particularly through efforts to diversify its economic base.

The commissioner said, “I must add that over the last four years, the clear vision and shared prosperity agenda of Governor Oyebanji across all sectors, coupled with the reforms of President Bola Tinubu, have enabled states to have more funds and resources for developmental projects.”

The Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Prof Babatola Ayodele, also stressed the importance of active citizenship in the state’s development process.

Ayodele said, “Active citizens are drivers of development, and development is strongest when citizens are partners, not spectators.”