Being the State of the State Address Delivered by His Excellency Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State on Friday, 20 July 2025

Today, I stand before you with a sense of pride and responsibility to deliver the 2025 State of the State Address. Pride in how far we have come, and responsibility for the journey ahead.

In the past one year, since my last presentation before you, our administration has stayed committed to our mandate: to build a resilient economy, improve the quality of life for our people, and secure the future for generations to come.

Our strategy has been simple but effective – build where there is need, invest where there is potential, and protect what matters most.

Mr Speaker Sir, Honourable Members of the House, let me now walk you through the tangible outcomes of this vision, structured around four key pillars laid out first in our Oyo State Roadmap for Accelerated Development 2019-2023 and reinforced in our Oyo State Roadmap for Sustainable Development 2023-2027: Economy, Education, Healthcare, and Security.

1. ECONOMY

At the heart of our economic agenda is our determination to position Oyo State as the premier investment destination in West Africa. Over the last year, we achieved several landmark milestones that underscore this vision:

We deepened our commitment to agriculture as a business, not just a development activity, through local and international partnerships with the private sector, other sub nationals, development organisations and even other countries.

• The Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub was redesignated by the African Development Bank (AfDB) as Nigeria’s first Agricultural Transformation Centre, a proud endorsement of our strategic direction to foster economic growth.
• This development caught global attention, including that of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, who made history as the first sitting foreign president to visit Oyo State and see Fasola. This visit was facilitated by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) – our strategic partners in agribusiness.
• Also, building on the success of the Oyo State Agribusiness Transformation Centre, Fasola, a model of integrated rural development, we flagged off the Eruwa Agribusiness Industrial Hub now renamed the Oyo State Agribusiness Transformation Centre, Eruwa, a 3,000-hectare project combining crop processing, livestock ranching, warehousing, residential estates, agro-tourism, healthcare, and equipment leasing. This is part of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme by the AfDB which Oyo State is benefitting from.

In another historic first, I am happy to announce that Oyo State became the first subnational in Africa to be admitted into the World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM). This came on the heels of our international collaboration with Semmaris, a Paris-based agri-market operator, to build a Rungis-style Wholesale Agro-Food Market in Ijaiye, Ibadan, the first of its kind in Nigeria. Also at this location, we are collaborating with the African Development Bank on the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones project (SAPZ), the AfDB has issued a certificate of no objection for this project, and we are in the process of paying the first instalment to kick off this project.

Our existing rural markets are not left behind. We are currently upgrading three rural markets in Ibarapa Central, Iseyin and Ona Ara Local Government Areas under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP). These upgrades will provide modern facilities that reduce post-harvest losses and improve our farmers’ access to markets.

Mr Speaker Sir, Honourable Members of the House, for the past five years, we have reiterated our strategy to interconnect all zones in the State before proceeding with construction and reconstruction of feeder roads. Having achieved this inter-zonal connectivity, we have gone ahead to fulfil our promise to focus on feeder roads. Today, feeder roads in Ibadan have been upgraded to reduce travel time, improve logistics, and connect businesses to their customers. Presently we have over 100 kilometres of completed and ongoing feeder road projects in Ibadan Zone. We have also commenced the rehabilitation of 87 kilometres of rural roads under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).

In December 2024, our administration made history with the commissioning of the first phase of the Oyo State-Elektron Energy 11MW Independent Power Project (IPP). For the first time, in our 49 years as a State, the Oyo State Secretariat is being powered 24/7 by this IPP and power supply from it is now being extended to surrounding communities. This marks a critical shift toward energy independence for our dear State.

Mr Speaker Sir, Tourism remains a key pillar of our economic strategy. This year, we were happy to witness the unveiling of the KAP Film Village and Resort at Igbojaiye – a private sector initiative. In keeping with our policy to create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive, we have committed to support this initiative through road infrastructure, power, and an airstrip that can accommodate small aircraft. This is a new frontier for film, culture, and creative tourism in the State.

We also oversaw the coronation of traditional rulers, restoring dignity to our traditional leadership structure. With this, we have signalled to the world that Oyo State is ready — culturally and structurally — to host heritage-driven investments.

And let me use this opportunity to invite Mr Speaker to the International Tourism Summit Oyo State 2025, which will be holding on 24 July 2025. During this summit, we will highlight five investment ready tourist sites to investors. 

Last but surely not least, let me mention one of the biggest legacy projects our administration is embarking on to grow our economy – the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport upgrade. The first phase is set for completion in October 2025. This is another step toward global integration. You will recall that we set the stage for this investment under Omituntun 1.0 with the dualisation of the Ibadan Airport Road now the Omololu Olunloyo Airport Road, the upgrade of the VIP lounge and provision of a fire truck. We also installed a 500,000-litre aviation fuel storage and dispensing facility which has since been concessioned, leading to more airlines already flying into Ibadan. This airport will connect our agribusiness hubs, solid mineral corridors, and tourism centres to the world.

2. EDUCATION

We believe that the future is built in the classroom, not the campaign ground.

• Over the last year, we began the upgrade of classroom blocks in 105 schools in rural communities, under the World Bank supported Better Education Service Delivery for All Additional Finance; Transforming Education Systems at States Level (BESDA AF-TESS) programme to close the urban-rural education gap. All upgrades of the classroom blocks in the105 schools have been completed and are now in use by our children.
• Also, in the last year, we completed the recruitment of over 14,000 teaching and non-teaching staff into the system. We are reducing the manpower shortage in the basic and secondary education sector, with renewed focus on curriculum alignment, teacher motivation, and digital learning tools in selected schools. We believe that no child should be left behind because of where they were born.
• Additionally, starting this year 2025, we embarked on the upgrade of 100 schools cross the State, 36 of which are currently ongoing. We will continue to upgrade education infrastructure to reduce the infrastructure deficit.

3. HEALTHCARE

We continue to prioritise healthcare access and equity, with a multi-pronged approach that puts the people first.

• The Omituntun Free Health Mission, now in its fifth year, continues to deliver free medical outreach to underserved communities — with thousands receiving screenings, treatment, and referrals at no cost. So far this year, over 18,000 residents of Oyo State in the 33 Local Government Areas have benefitted from this project.
• Our Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) upgrade programme is ongoing, ensuring that residents in all zones have access to reliable, affordable care closer to home. Having upgraded over 209 PHCs under Omituntun 1.0, we equipped 264 PHCs including the upgraded ones across the State. We are currently upgrading 106 PHCs in all 33 Local Government Areas.
• We have also been recruiting healthcare workers for both the primary and secondary healthcare facilities in the State.

Our goal remains simple: to move from healthcare as a privilege to healthcare as a right. And our strategy has been yielding results. In the past year, with three LGAs in Oyo State; Ogo Oluwa, Irepo and Ibarapa East declared free from Onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), Oyo State won the award for Best Neglected Tropical Disease State Coordinator in Nigeria.

Judging from the feedback we have received, we are getting this right. For instance, Madam Tosin Segun from Ita Merin, Ibadan South East LGA who attended the Omituntun Free Health Mission said she was expecting that they would ask her to pay. In her words, “When I got here, nobody asked for one naira. They didn’t ask me to bring any money. It was a surprise to me.”

We will continue to run healthcare programmes that will bring big benefits to our people.  

4. SECURITY

No economic or social programme can succeed without security. This is why we have consistently invested in both infrastructure and human capital in the security sector.

• In October last year, we added 480 Forest Rangers to the Oyo State Amotekun Corps, bringing the total number of corps members to 2,500. We still have the highest number and best remunerated corps members in South-West Nigeria.
• These rangers are specially trained to work in forests, protect farmers, deter illegal logging, and preserve our economic resources in rural communities.
• Our security model is rooted in community collaboration, cultural intelligence, and proactive deployment — and it is yielding results.
• We have also continued to work with and support Federal security agencies with equipment to make their work easier. In the past year, we provided over 50 additional operational vehicles fully equipped with communication gadgets.

I cannot end this address without mentioning the work that has been put in to ensure that parts of Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Eruwa and Oyo are receiving water supply from the State. This is another promise kept.

Let me also use this opportunity to thank the commissioners, directors general and heads of ministries, departments and agencies who are doing their best to ensure that the wheels of governance continue to turn. Your labours are not going unnoticed. Posterity will be kind to you.

Mr Speaker Sir, Honourable Members of the House,

We are not building for applause. We are building for impact. The vision remains clear: Oyo State as a regional economic powerhouse, a cultural beacon, and a place where every citizen can thrive.

The work is not finished, but the foundation is firm. The evidence is visible. The world is watching. And posterity will judge that, in our time, we chose to build a legacy.

Thank you.

God bless Oyo State. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.