Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Ogun State, has placed employment, industrial expansion and stronger grassroots administration at the centre of his proposed development programme ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
At a meeting with journalists in Abeokuta on Friday, Adeola presented a nine-point programme he called “ITESIWAJU for Ogun State”, setting out proposals covering transportation, youth employment, agriculture, healthcare, education, security, mining, tourism, urban development and public finance.
Among the most ambitious targets announced by the senator is the proposed creation of more than 500,000 jobs and the training of 100,000 young people in digital skills by 2031. He also proposed a Youth Enterprise Hub in Abeokuta within six months of assuming office, with satellite centres across the state and microcredit support for young entrepreneurs.
Adeola made the presentation during a courtesy and familiarisation visit to the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists at the Iwe Iroyin Press Centre in Abeokuta. He told the journalists that the programme was intended to provide measurable commitments against which his proposed administration could be assessed.
“I stand before you not as a politician reciting promises, but as a son of Ogun State bringing you a covenant, a plan I intend to be held accountable to, page by page, project by project,” he said.
He further urged the media to scrutinise any government he might lead, saying journalists would have a role in reminding him of the commitments made during the campaign.
“You are the custodians of public memory. Whether you call me Senator, or one day a Governor, you will be the ones who ask me, in one year, in two years, ‘what happened to that promise you made in Abeokuta?’ That is exactly the relationship I want with this Union,” Adeola said.
Jobs and digital skills
Youth unemployment featured prominently in the proposed agenda.
Adeola said his administration would combine digital training, entrepreneurship support and private-sector partnerships in an attempt to expand opportunities for young people across Ogun.
“We will train 100,000 young people in digital skills by 2031, and within our first six months in office, launch a Youth Enterprise Hub in Abeokuta with satellite hubs across the state, backed by microcredit for young entrepreneurs, aiming to cut youth unemployment by 40 percent and help create over 500,000 jobs,” he said.
He said the employment strategy would not be limited to government recruitment, but would involve supporting businesses, entrepreneurship and industries capable of absorbing young workers.
Adeola also linked the employment challenge to the state’s growing population and the need to ensure that young people in towns such as Ilaro, Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu have access to economic opportunities.
“I will not stand here and recite this as a platitude. One in four of our young people between fifteen and twenty-four is unemployed today. That is a young person in Ilaro, in Ijebu-Ode, in Sagamu, with talent and no door open to them,” he said.
Local governments and the 2024 Supreme Court ruling
Another major component of the proposed programme is local government administration.
Adeola said, if elected, his administration would respect and implement the 2024 Supreme Court judgment concerning local government financial autonomy and allow Ogun’s 20 local government areas to function with greater control over their resources.
He said allocations due to the councils would go directly to them without state-level interception or diversion.
“Government that cannot be felt where people live is not government at all, Itesiwaju Ipinle Ogun must be felt at the local government level, and it begins on day one,” he said.
The proposal forms part of Adeola’s broader argument that development should be visible beyond major urban centres and should reach communities through functioning local institutions.
Transport overhaul and OgunRide
Transportation also occupies a significant place in the blueprint.
Adeola proposed an Ogun State Bus Mass Transit Programme covering major corridors, including Abeokuta, Sango-Ota and Sagamu, as well as other routes connecting communities and commercial centres.
He said the programme would include modern terminals and ticketing infrastructure.
He also proposed discussions with the Nigerian Railway Corporation on commuter rail services between Abeokuta and Lagos and the connection of Ogun’s industrial corridors to the wider Lagos rail network.
For commercial transport operators, Adeola proposed an “OgunRide” platform covering cars, tricycles and motorcycles. Under his proposal, participating operators could have access to health insurance, vehicle financing and cooperative arrangements.
The transport proposals are intended, according to the candidate, to improve mobility while also providing a more structured economic support system for people whose livelihoods depend on commercial transportation.
Making Ogun’s industrial base generate more local value
Adeola argued that Ogun’s reputation as an industrial centre has not yet translated sufficiently into government revenue and local economic benefits.
He said some companies operate factories in Ogun while maintaining their headquarters in Lagos, meaning that some senior employees live and pay taxes outside the state where the factories are located.
His proposal is to encourage such companies to establish regional offices in Ogun and increase opportunities for Ogun residents within their management structures.
“Many industries have their factories here but built their head offices in Lagos. This means the top cadre management staff live and pay their taxes in Lagos, while the lower level staff live here,” he said.
He also said companies operating along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor should meet their corporate social responsibility obligations to host communities.
“I will ensure that what belongs to Ogun stays in Ogun,” he said.
Adeola proposed a Single Window Revenue Collection System that would integrate PAYE, taxes, fees and levies across government. He said the system would target a 40 per cent increase in internally generated revenue and a three-to-fivefold increase in land revenue by 2031.
He nevertheless credited the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun for reported growth in state revenue between 2021 and 2024.
“That is a genuine achievement, and one the incumbent administration deserves full credit for. My task is not to start from zero, it is to take that momentum and push it further,” Adeola said.
Mining, oil exploration and the coastal economy
The APC candidate also presented the state’s mineral and coastal resources as potential sources of future economic activity.
He proposed the creation of a Solid Minerals Development Company to assist with mining licences and joint ventures, while bringing artisanal miners into a more formal system through simplified licensing and cooperative structures.
“I will be the Chief Miner of this state. I will fight for every mining certificate in this state,” he said.
Adeola also spoke about oil exploration in Ogun Waterside and around Tongeji Island in Ipokia.
He proposed what he described as a 200-kilometre Coastal Energy Corridor running from the border with the Republic of Benin towards the Ondo State boundary, with the Olokola Deep Seaport envisioned as a long-term maritime gateway.
He said any revenue arising from such developments should be managed transparently and directed towards the development of communities in the coastal belt.
New towns and planned urban expansion
Rapid urbanisation was another issue addressed in the proposed agenda.
Adeola said Ogun needed to move beyond unplanned expansion around the Lagos-Ogun boundary and develop new, properly planned communities along major growth corridors and border towns.
He proposed establishing new town development centres across the state and said the number could eventually reach about 30 locations.
“If we have 30 of such, it’s not too much. We’re the most peaceful in Nigeria. I want places like VGC in Ogun State. We should take advantage of the border towns in improving housing and generating revenue,” he said.
He also raised concerns about the spread of informal settlements and shanties, arguing that better physical planning could provide housing while reducing the spaces in which criminal activity can thrive.
His broader urban development proposal includes affordable housing, infrastructure and better planning around rapidly expanding communities. Recent reporting on the presentation also identified new towns, housing and border communities as components of his proposed development strategy.
Environment, sanitation and physical planning
Adeola said an incoming administration would need to tackle waste management and environmental degradation as part of urban development.
He proposed a “Clean Ogun Initiative”, the relaunch of the Ogun State Waste Management Agency and the licensing of private operators for door-to-door waste collection.
His proposals also include recycling hubs, waste-to-energy facilities and street sweeping along major roads.
He said his administration would target the elimination of open defecation by 2031 and combine sanitation measures with slum rehabilitation, improved water supply and enforcement of physical planning regulations.
The environmental proposals are tied to his stated objective of creating cleaner and more orderly communities as the state experiences continued urban expansion.
Security and technology
Security formed another major component of the proposed agenda.
Adeola commended the current administration for its efforts in the sector but said he would seek to expand funding and technological capacity if elected.
He proposed strengthening the Ogun State Security Trust Fund and developing partnerships with industries and betting and lottery companies to provide additional resources for security operations.
He also proposed a Cybersecurity and Security Operations Centre and a Residents Identity Management Agency.
Adeola said the measures would provide government and security agencies with better information and technological tools for responding to threats.
He further said he was prepared to take personal responsibility for security leadership across the state’s industrial sector, declaring, “I’m ready to be the chief security officer of every company in Ogun State.”
Healthcare and Ilera D’ero
In healthcare, Adeola said his proposed administration would build on existing initiatives rather than discard them.
He referred to the current administration’s free healthcare interventions and said he would seek to expand access to healthcare through investments in primary health centres and hospitals.
He proposed revitalising the Ilera D’ero health insurance programme with a target of reaching two million residents.
The plan would also include attention to the welfare of doctors, nurses and community health workers.
Adeola said more than 100 primary healthcare centres had already been facilitated through interventions associated with him, and that future investments should strengthen the facilities and improve their ability to provide basic healthcare closer to residents.
Education, vocational training and artificial intelligence
Education under the proposed programme would combine conventional schooling with technical and vocational training.
Adeola said there would be recruitment and further training of teachers, rehabilitation of classrooms and stronger support for technical education.
He also proposed introducing artificial intelligence training into primary and secondary education, reflecting his emphasis on preparing young people for a more technology-driven economy.
The digital-skills programme for 100,000 young people would complement this education agenda by extending technology training beyond the formal school system.
Agriculture and food security
Adeola’s agricultural proposals are built around increasing production while creating a guaranteed route to market for farmers.
He proposed mechanisation, access to finance, climate-smart agriculture and agro-industrial parks.
A State-Supported Produce Market and processing hubs would also be established under the plan, with the aim of reducing post-harvest losses and improving farmers’ access to markets.
Adeola said government would play a role in purchasing farm produce after harvest rather than leaving farmers entirely dependent on uncertain market conditions.
“They don’t have to wait to sell, we will off-take the farm products from them. We want ensure that they would farm all year round to achieve adequate food production. That is the only way to achieve food security,” he said.
He also referred to agricultural interventions in which he said he had facilitated more than 40 tractors and other agricultural equipment.
Another proposal is the development of a large dairy operation in the Yewa area, beginning with about 5,000 cows and potentially expanding to 15,000 within a year.
Tourism, culture and creative industries
Tourism and the creative economy also feature in the ITESIWAJU programme.
Adeola cited Abeokuta’s heritage, the Ojude Oba festival, Ogun Waterside, Adire, film, fashion and music as resources that could support tourism and employment.
He specifically praised Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration for work at Olumo Rock, arguing that the development had strengthened the site’s tourism appeal and revenue potential.
Adeola said an administration led by him would continue and improve projects that are already delivering value rather than abandoning them simply because they were initiated by a previous government.
He also proposed a digital tourism platform through which cultural and tourism attractions could be promoted to visitors within Nigeria and internationally.
Sports and youth development
Sports would be treated as both a youth-development programme and an economic opportunity under the proposed agenda.
Adeola said the state would revive its football development structure through talent identification and grassroots programmes.
He proposed an annual Ogun Sports Festival, a Governor’s Cup and multipurpose sports complexes in each senatorial district through public-private partnerships.
The plan also includes grassroots talent centres, an Ogun Youth Sports Academy and support in the form of scholarships and insurance for athletes.
He said industries operating in Ogun should play a greater role in sports development through corporate social responsibility and sponsorship.
Continuity rather than wholesale abandonment
One of the recurring themes in Adeola’s presentation was continuity.
The APC candidate said no administration could realistically complete every major project within one or two terms and argued that a new government should assess ongoing projects before deciding whether to continue, modify or discontinue them.
His position follows the continuity argument he has made during recent engagements in the state, where he has cited Lagos as an example of successive administrations building on previous projects rather than starting over with every change of government.
He said his intention would therefore be to identify viable projects already underway and complete those capable of delivering public value.
Civil service and public assets
Adeola also proposed reforms in the civil service, justice sector and public administration.
He said government workers would require improved training, welfare and remuneration, while institutions would be expected to operate against clearer performance standards.
He proposed auditing and valuing underutilised government assets, including public land and industrial properties, with the possibility of responsible commercialisation to raise resources for development.
The broader fiscal objective, he said, would be to improve revenue without relying solely on new taxes.
A new relationship with the media
The meeting with the NUJ was not limited to Adeola presenting his political programme. The union also used the occasion to raise issues concerning the welfare and infrastructure of journalists.
Ogun NUJ Chairman, Wale Olanrewaju, highlighted interventions in the union during the past three and a half years and said the council had completed 26 projects after inheriting facilities he described as being in poor condition.
The union has also called for a permanent secretariat, with the site allocated to it dating back to 1987. Recent reporting on the engagement said the NUJ presented demands covering infrastructure, journalists’ welfare, digital newsroom development and press freedom.
Adeola was inducted as a Golden Jubilee Ambassador as part of activities marking the Ogun NUJ’s 50th anniversary.
He subsequently announced ₦50 million in seed funding towards the development of a new NUJ secretariat and pledged a utility bus for the union.
He also promised regular press briefings and described the media as a partner that should scrutinise government rather than simply report official activities.
