New Year Message by His Excellency Seyi Makinde, Executive Governor of Oyo State on 1 January 2026
My dear good people of Oyo State,
At the start of this new year, I speak to you with a heart full of gratitude and deep reflection.
The year 2025 was not an easy one. Across our nation, families and businesses felt economic pressure. Communities faced uncertainty. Institutions were tested. Many of us have had moments where the weight of the times felt heavy.
And yet, as we reflect on the past twelve months, one truth stands firm.
We were hard pressed on every side, but we were not crushed.
We were confronted by uncertainty, but we did not lose hope.
We were challenged, but we were not defeated.
This truth guided our work in government throughout the year 2025.
In times of pressure, leadership must be calm, focused, and principled.
Despite political distractions and national uncertainty, Oyo State remained steady. Our institutions continued to function. Governance did not take a back seat. We strengthened democratic processes, upheld due process in public service, and stayed committed to transparency and accountability.
We chose consistency over noise. Systems over shortcuts. Long-term stability over short-term praise.
While the year tested us, it did not stop us from building.
In 2025, we continued to invest in infrastructure that improves daily life and supports economic activity. The commissioning of key transport infrastructure in Ibadan was not just about movement, but about dignity, order, and productivity.
We pushed forward on the 110 km Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road as a strategic economic corridor designed to unlock growth, attract investment, and create jobs for generations to come. Some people thought they could divide us by turning this developmental project into a tool to score cheap political points. But we remained resilient and focused on leading with empathy, we listened, we acted in line with what is in the best interests of the good people of Oyo State. Under pressure, we did not abandon our development agenda.
Also in the year 2025, we took decisive steps to strengthen our productive base.
Through the Oyo State International Agribusiness Summit and ongoing agribusiness initiatives, we reinforced our belief that agriculture must move beyond subsistence to structured productivity. We are building systems that connect farmers to markets, processors to supply chains, and investors to opportunities.
Our message has been clear: Oyo State is open for serious business, grounded in planning, value creation, and long-term sustainability.
In August 2025, we hosted the International Tourism Summit.
This was not a jamboree. It was a statement of intent.
We are repositioning tourism as a structured economic sector, one that creates jobs, supports small businesses, preserves culture, and attracts global partnerships. The summit signalled that Oyo State is approaching tourism with clarity, planning, and readiness. And we are already reaping the rewards. On the back of the summit, we are in the process of onboarding investors interested in our Focus-5 tourist sites.
2025 marked another step in diversifying our economy and preparing our State for broader investment opportunities.
Yet, we cannot speak of progress without acknowledging the concerns of our people.
There were moments of insecurity that caused fear and anxiety. There were environmental challenges that reminded us of our vulnerability. Government responded by working closely with security agencies, strengthening coordination, and improving preparedness for emergencies.
We remained committed to protecting lives, responding with compassion, and maintaining law and order, even when the road was difficult.
Because development must be felt, we continued to ensure that salaries for civil and public servants were paid throughout the year on the 25th of every month and we topped it up with the 13th month salary in December. We are determined to stay this course till the last day of our service to you, the good people of Oyo State.
The signing of the 2026 Budget of Economic Expansion reflects our resolve to move forward deliberately. It signals a focus on production, infrastructure completion, investment attraction, and job creation.
2025 tested our resolve.
2026 will reward our preparation.
Let me say this to our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and friends of our dear State, government alone cannot build the future we desire.
We ask for continued cooperation, civic responsibility, and unity. We ask that we keep Oyo State peaceful, lawful, and productive. We ask that together; we protect what we are building.
Because progress is strongest when it is shared.
As we step into a new year, let us remember this:
We were hard pressed on every side, but we were not crushed.
And because we were not crushed, we can rise with confidence this 2026.
I thank you for your resilience.
I thank you for your trust.
I thank you for standing firm with us.
May this new year bring renewed strength, peace, and prosperity to every home in our dear State.
Happy New Year, and God bless Oyo State.
Seyi Makinde
1 January 2026