Investment, industrialisation will be my priorities this second term —Oyebanji

Ekiti State governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, in this interview with selected journalists, including ‘YOMI AYELESO, speaks on his administration’s second-term priorities, including industrialisation, transportation, women’s development and security.

AS you begin your second term, what will be your focus regarding infrastructure, particularly road connectivity between major roads and inner roads. Also, what is responsible for the persistent water supply challenges in the state, despite the government’s substantial investments in the sector?

On road connectivity, we are still developing the master plan for the State. You will recall that during our first term, we undertook several interventions on township roads. As we speak, we are reactivating work on nearly eighty kilometres of township roads. You are also aware that Ado-Ekiti continues to expand daily, with development spreading into new areas. Unfortunately, some approvals have been granted for buildings that ought not to have been approved, particularly those constructed on waterways. Regarding the recent flooding in the city, you will recall that, apart from an incident in 2022, during the first year of this administration, we have not experienced flooding of that magnitude in the subsequent years. This is because we are proactive in ensuring that waterways are regularly dredged with the necessary equipment. However, despite these efforts, people continue to dump refuse indiscriminately into waterways. The recent flooding was largely man-made because many houses had been built on waterways. To prevent a recurrence of such an unfortunate incident, I have directed the Ministry of Environment to conduct a comprehensive inventory of all houses built on waterways. Those that are obstructing waterways will be removed; they will go down. There is no doubt about that. I will need your support when the affected property owners begin to complain and come to you. We have to take this decision. If we fail to do so, we may experience a worse situation in the future. I have also informed members of the State House of Assembly that, once the inventory is completed, we will distinguish between buildings that obtained formal approval, for which compensation may be payable where applicable, and those erected illegally. The illegally constructed buildings will have to go. That is the solution.

On water supply, Ekiti State is blessed with substantial water resources. We have four major dams that are functioning well. The World Bank has also intervened in the sector, helping us rehabilitate the dams and undertake other necessary work. However, the challenges go beyond the dams and pumping equipment. We have replaced pumps, procured generators and undertaken several interventions, but the system still faces difficulties. Some of the water pipes were installed many years ago. They are asbestos pipes that are no longer suitable and we have started replacing them. When we began these interventions some years ago, water started flowing again in some areas. The major challenge is not necessarily the dams or the pumps; it is power, the cost of pumping and distributing water, as well as the state of the distribution network.

To fill the reservoirs, we sometimes have to pump water continuously for 24 to 26 hours. When you run generators on diesel for that length of time, the cost is enormous, particularly when consumers are unwilling to pay for the water they use. We have also discovered cases where consumers bypass their metres. Some people have even dug underground connections around their houses and connected directly to the water supply system without passing through the proper metering process. These are some of the issues we are addressing.

The dams are in good condition, and the pumps are working. The challenge is largely with reticulation and distribution. Once water reaches the reservoirs, it must be distributed through a network of pipes, many of which are old, broken or no longer fit for purpose. In this second term, we have a comprehensive programme to address these challenges, with a major focus on replacing the old pipes. We have also established water consumers’ committees in communities to help ensure that the system works effectively.

The 2026 governorship election has been won and lost, and you are now looking ahead to the next four years. As you prepare for the next phase of your leadership, what fresh ideas and initiatives should the people of Ekiti State expect?

The result of the election showed that the APC polled 85.45 per cent of the total votes cast, an unprecedented performance in the political history of the state. That outcome imposes a great responsibility on us. In terms of fresh ideas, I believe we are fortunate because we already have a development plan that guides our administration. We are reviewing the plan in the light of changing circumstances to ensure that it remains relevant to current realities. Our budgets are also derived from that development plan. The focus of our second term is clear: During the first three years, we concentrated on laying the foundation for increased productivity. We constructed roads, connected communities that had never enjoyed electricity, improved township roads and developed farm roads. By the end of this year, we would have constructed close to 400 kilometres of roads. We are also placing considerable emphasis on agriculture, and our internally generated revenue has grown significantly over the past three to four years.

The next phase is to ensure that these investments in infrastructure translate into greater productivity and economic prosperity. Over the next three years, I want to see more of the agricultural products produced in Ekiti processed locally and converted into finished goods that can generate greater economic value. Our next major focus, therefore, is industrialisation and support for small businesses. That is the only way we can deepen our shared prosperity agenda.

We invested substantially in infrastructure during the first term, and I believe we have made considerable progress. This does not mean we will abandon infrastructure development, but we will now give greater attention to industrialisation and supporting small businesses- welders, tailors, hairdressers, barbers and other small-scale entrepreneurs must have access to affordable funds to grow their businesses.

Our farmers must also be able to produce at scale and have reliable off-takers who can purchase their produce and supply it to companies that will add value through processing. Our airport must equally play a critical role in the state’s economic development agenda. We want to ensure that it operates for 24 hours rather than shutting down at 6 p.m. or being unable to accommodate aircraft during adverse weather conditions. We have been working on these issues. We installed an Instrument Landing System (ILS), and the certification team is on the ground assessing it. Once the system satisfies the necessary requirements, we will move to the next stage. The next stage involves illuminating the airport and installing the necessary lighting infrastructure to enable the ILS to function at night. The contract for that work has been awarded, and the project is progressing. Once we complete these interventions, our airport will be able to operate round the clock. It will no longer be a situation where aircraft cannot land because of darkness or certain weather conditions. By next Monday or Tuesday, I will also be commissioning the fuel depot at the airport. It is a private-sector initiative designed to enable aircraft to refuel in Ekiti. You will discover that some airlines cannot operate certain flights without adequate fuel arrangements at their destinations. With the availability of fuel at our airport, aircraft will be able to refuel here, making operations more convenient. A lot is being done in this regard.

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The central objective of our second term is to catalyse productivity. That is a clear mandate, and you will see it reflected in the 2027 budget we have presented to the State House of Assembly. We will do everything possible to ensure that our economy becomes more productive.

 Stakeholders have called for greater attention to industrialization during your second term. The people of Ekiti want to know specifically what industries your administration intends to attract or establish, the products they will manufacture and the jobs they will create. Also, transportation remains a major challenge, particularly within Ado-Ekiti and other towns because residents face high transport fares. What specific plans does your administration have to attract private investment into the transport sector, create employment and reduce transportation cost?

Let me address the two issues: industrialisation and transportation. On industrialisation, the best thing a government can do is to put the necessary structures in place to attract investment and investors into the state. Capital will flow to any place where it is treated well. That is why we have invested in infrastructure and introduced executive orders and other measures to improve the ease of doing business. In recent years, Ekiti State has performed very well in assessments relating to the ease of doing business. We have simplified several processes to make it easier for investors and residents to obtain necessary approvals and carry out business activities. We are also reforming our land administration system to make land transactions more efficient and investor-friendly. At the same time, we are streamlining taxation to ensure that people are not subjected to excessive tax burdens.

We are in the process of establishing a one-stop shop for investors in the state. This will make it easier for prospective investors to obtain the information, approvals and services they need without going through unnecessary bureaucratic processes.

But that is only one aspect of the work. We are also making efforts to secure the environment and create an ecosystem in which investments can thrive and generate significant economic returns. Our interventions in the agricultural sector have already attracted considerable investment into Ekiti State. If you visit our Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone, you will find several players in the agricultural sector who have committed billions of naira to investments in the zone. There are organisations and businesses operating in the area. Many people have not even visited these facilities, so they may not appreciate the level of investment taking place.

Arog Agro-Allied and other agricultural businesses are also part of the emerging investment landscape. Agbeyewa Farms, for instance, has what has been described as one of the largest cassava farms in the world, located in Ekiti State. Yet, many people are unaware of the scale of the operation. To improve access to such investments, we have awarded the contract for the road from Ayetoro to Iyemero Ekiti to open up the area and facilitate movement.

The African Development Bank has also selected Ekiti State as a Tier-2 State under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone programme. Studies are being conducted on Itapaji Dam to determine the possibility of providing irrigation facilities. The responsibility of government is to create an enabling environment for investors to come in establish businesses and create jobs.

That is why we are reforming our investment promotion agency to make it more effective in attracting investments into the state. Government is not necessarily in the business of establishing industries itself; rather, it must create the conditions that encourage the private sector to invest. We are working hard to strengthen the agency and ensure that it delivers on that responsibility.

On transportation, my position is that we are not in government to drive existing businesses out of operation. Members of the road transport unions and other associations are in business, and we must recognise their interests. The way the government can intervene is by ensuring fair competition and creating alternatives that will benefit the people. We are currently testing a pilot mass transit scheme. We want to assess how well it performs and how much impact it can make before deciding on the scale of further investment in the sector. If the pilot scheme succeeds, the government will invest in transportation by procuring more vehicles that can compete with existing operators. I do not want to drive transport operators out of business. That is the point. The most effective way to reduce transportation costs significantly is to move towards Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs). As long as vehicles depend entirely on petrol, operating costs will remain a challenge. Let us be honest with ourselves, many of the commercial drivers operating under the transport unions acquired their vehicles through instalment payments and other credit arrangements. They have financial obligations to meet. I am not in government to inflict hardship on anybody. I understand the challenges these operators face, and I will not introduce policies merely to win applause from some people at the expense of others. We must ensure fair competition and very soon, you will see us rolling out more electric and CNG-powered vehicles. With CNG vehicles, however, we must also develop the necessary infrastructure. We need conversion centres and adequate gas refuelling stations across the state to support a wider transition.

Electric vehicles offer another opportunity. Once charging points are available, users can charge their vehicles, including at home where the facilities permit, and use them without depending on petrol. We intend to transition towards these alternatives, and we are already in discussions with a company that will roll out the initiative soon. It will not be limited to cars. We are also looking at tricycles and motorcycles as part of the broader transportation strategy.

Your administration has been regarded as gender-friendly, particularly in the areas of women’s empowerment and child development. In this new dispensation, are there any new and significant initiatives that women and children should expect?

We have a gender policy in Ekiti State, and we will continue to implement it and ensure that it remains a living document rather than something that exists only on paper. We are also working to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. I am particularly concerned about issues such as female genital mutilation and domestic violence. I am equally concerned about the difficulties faced by women traders in accessing markets and carrying out their businesses. We are examining these issues to determine what more we can do to address them. It is an ongoing conversation, and we will continue to engage stakeholders to ensure that women are not disadvantaged. We must ensure that the policies we introduce translate into practical benefits for women across the state.

What should the people of Ekiti State expect from your administration regarding security during your second term?

Security is not something I like to discuss openly in detail. I would rather assure you that we will continue to do everything possible to protect our people and secure the state. So, I will not go into details. But I assure you that we will continue to work to ensure the safety and security of our people.