In this piece, ABIODUN NEJO writes that Ekiti residents are urging Governor Biodun Oyebanji to prioritise industrialisation, job creation, youth development and other key sectors in his second term
October 16, 2026, was a red-letter day for several residents of Ekiti State as Governor Biodun Oyebanji was sworn in for a second term in office. Amid pomp and pageantry, Oyebanji swore his oath of office as administered to him by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye. It was all drumming, dancing and singing for supporters, followers of Oyebanji and residents of the state who thronged the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion to behold the governor they elected officially begin his second term in office. Both the low and mighty were present to bear witness to Oyebanji’s inauguration.
Among the dignitaries who witnessed the inauguration were Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu; former and serving governors; past and present federal lawmakers; representatives of the business community; private-sector heads; and notable political figures.
Suffice it to say that the inauguration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji for a second term in office on October 16 meant different things to different people. For several residents of Ekiti State, Oyebanji’s inauguration for a second term was a referendum that one good term deserves another. Interestingly, the inauguration came about two weeks after the state celebrated the 30th anniversary of its creation. Some residents argue that implementation of the 30-year (2026–2056) plan should be a starting point for the administration’s second-term agenda.
The State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Oluwasegun Bankole, urged the governor to prioritise the creation of employment opportunities and the expansion of the frontiers of youth development. Bankole declared that Oyebanji performed creditably in the first four years but urged him to consolidate on matters concerning youths. He advised the governor to bring together stakeholders to aggregate their opinions on expectations in different sectors over the next four years.
He said stakeholders, including youth leaders, traditional leaders, community leaders, religious leaders, labour leaders, political leaders, the business community, private-sector representatives, financial institutions, farmers, artisans and civil society organisations, should be brought together to come up with their expectations.
Bankole said, “The governor should give attention to industrialisation and entrepreneurship development. This time around, we should have industries in the state. There have been efforts to ensure an enabling environment for investment; the governor should step up efforts to attract investors. Industrialisation will provide jobs for youths and grow the state economy.
“The governor should prioritise the economy, ensuring the participation of youths in the state. Though we are already included in government, there is room for youths to fully participate in decision-making. I want the government to prioritise youth development,” the NYCN leader said.
The Chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu-Alagbado, lauded Oyebanji for his achievements in the first term, particularly in infrastructure development and education.
For the second term, Oba Adu-Alagbado urged the governor to consolidate on his achievements, saying, “Infrastructure development in the state can never be enough. So, the governor should continue. Every village, every town, every city must be accessible.”
The monarch also identified the imperative of an industrialised state. “He is taking steps to make Ekiti attractive to investors. We need industries, we need industries that will employ our people and generate revenue for the government. That is one area he should concentrate more on to get investors to Ekiti.
“I know that the governor has the charisma to talk to people; it is easy for him to make friends. He should take advantage of that and go to Lagos and even outside to talk to people to come and invest in Ekiti. Let us have industries.
“He should continue with education, with emphasis on science and technology. I want to plead with the governor to challenge the universities. He is the visitor to Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, and Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti. The two should be challenged. Let us see results. What are the things that we lack? What are the gaps that can be closed through research?” the traditional ruler said.
The State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Lanre Omolase, said that Oyebanji’s re-election as a sitting governor, the first in the state, showed that the people had confidence in him. He urged him to build on the reasons Ekiti people re-elected him in the interest of the state’s development.
The PDP chairman hailed Oyebanji for running an inclusive government in his first term, saying, “The governor brought people from different political divides together and was able to ensure peace in the state. He should continue in that manner. He has almost all the leaders of political parties in the state on his side. If he continues that way, I am sure he will be able to tap from their wealth of experience. Such will make him succeed in this second term.
“The first term has allowed him to get enough experience. The second term should be to consolidate on his first-term achievements and build further on them. Governor Oyebanji has tried in the area of infrastructure, but I will still advise that the governor should concentrate more on the creation of jobs and industries and do more in the agricultural sector so that the teeming youths in Ekiti will be able to take an active part in government.”
Omolase advised the governor to continue, in his second term, with efforts to strengthen security in the state, noting, “As far as security is concerned, the state is moving forward, but he should not rest on his oars. He should build on it.”
Labour leader and the State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Dr Omotola Farotimi, who described Oyebanji’s successive elections as “a new thing happening in Ekiti”, said the governor’s various landmark achievements in his first term earned him a convincing victory at the poll.
She said, “As a labour centre of the organised labour, we expect the governor to continue with the good works he started in his first tenure.
“Also, he should look into the payment of outstanding leave bonuses and gratuities. The government should partner with private and international companies to industrialise Ekiti State so that the state can move beyond being solely a civil servant state.”
Farotimi assured the government of the organised labour’s “continuous unflinching support as partners in progress for the citizens and the state as a whole.”
Also, the Bishop of the Diocese of Ekiti, Anglican Communion, Olusola Ajayi, said that what God expected of Oyebanji in his second term was to serve humanity.
The bishop said, “This position is for the governor to serve God and humanity. So, making people happy should be your utmost interest. Render selfless service and help the people to grow better.
“People are saying good things about him. He should continue in this goodness. He should also maintain his integrity. He is a man of integrity. Two things must go together: integrity of heart and stiffness of hands. He doesn’t deceive people; that is why Ekiti people trust him.”
The cleric also advised Ekiti people to fulfil their obligations through the payment of taxes and levies and comply strictly with the laws guiding governance to ensure smooth governance in the second term.
The governor, in his address upon his inauguration for a second term, had canvassed the support and cooperation of Ekiti people for the task ahead, saying, “To Ekiti sons and daughters across Nigeria and in the diaspora: keep bringing your knowledge, experience, investment and networks home. There is work here that your contribution can help accomplish.
“This second mandate brings a greater responsibility to deliver. I know that public trust must be earned afresh every day. I will remain accessible. I will listen. I will welcome honest counsel and work with people across our political and social divides.
“Where we have done well, we will build further. Where we have fallen short, we will make corrections. Where our people still face hardship, we will keep seeking practical answers. Four years ago, we set out to keep Ekiti working. In the four years ahead, we must make sure that our work yields more for our people.”
Oyebanji promised that the administration would remain committed to supporting technology, innovation and the responsible use of artificial intelligence, while institutions and businesses would also be encouraged to solve real problems, develop useful products and prepare young people for emerging opportunities.
Also, while speaking in a chat with journalists, Oyebanji said, “The focus of our second term is clear. During the first three years of the first term, 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. We are also placing considerable emphasis on agriculture.
“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.”
He also promised, “We will not 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.
“The central objective of our second term is to catalyse productivity. That is a clear mandate, and it is reflected in the 2027 budget that we have presented to the State House of Assembly. We will do everything possible to ensure that our economy becomes more productive.”
Recall that opinions expressed during celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the state’s creation pointed towards consolidating the existing development in the state and creating an economy capable of sustaining opportunities for future generations.
The state was created out of the old Ondo State on October 1, 1996, by the administration of former military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, following years of agitation for its creation by the state’s founding fathers.
In 2026, 30 years later, Ekiti people are reflecting, counting their blessings and charting a course for another 30 years and, indeed, the future of unborn generations.
Governor Oyebanji, in his 30th-anniversary broadcast on October 1, 2026, said, “Although the state encountered many challenges and unpleasant experiences within the period, its people have reasons to celebrate the three-decade milestone because of the remarkable progress recorded in all indices of development.”
Oyebanji said his administration had decided to use the 30th anniversary as the launchpad for a 30-year transformation agenda, noting that the creation of the state 30 years ago, 120 years after the Kiriji War, completed an epic struggle for independence started by Ekiti forebears in the liberation war of 1877 to 1893.
The governor paid glowing tributes to members of the Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State, led by its chairman, Chief Oladeji Fasuan; legal icon Aare Afe Babalola; the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe; and other monarchs, whom he described as “incubators of the state creation struggle”. He also lauded the patriotic sacrifices of heroes and heroines of the struggle who had joined their ancestors.
He also hailed all his predecessors in office, former deputy governors, and former heads of the legislature and judiciary for their contributions while in office.
Oyebanji said, “The vision of the founding fathers was to have a state where Ekiti people can utilise their God-given natural and human resources in the most efficient, effective and inclusive manner for the prosperity of our people.
“The state’s founding fathers envisioned an industrialised Ekiti, where private-sector capital is at the centre of the economic nervous system of the state and where enterprise and productivity are the pillars of prosperity.”
As part of the celebrations marking the 30-year milestone, the state government brought stakeholders together at the “Ekiti at 30 Future Summit”, with the focus on developing a plan to sustain growth and prosperity in the state for future generations.
Oyebanji said the summit was deliberately designed to provide a platform for young people and other stakeholders to discuss the state’s future and develop ideas that could shape government policies and future development plans.
The governor said the 30th anniversary was “a significant milestone that should provide an opportunity for the people to reflect on where the state started, assess its present condition and collectively determine the kind of Ekiti they wished to bequeath to future generations.”
On the occasion, he unveiled a 30-year vision for Ekiti, challenging the present generation to “embark on innovations that will ensure that future generations remember you not merely as people who celebrated the achievements of the past, but as those who planted the seeds of a new era.”
According to Oyebanji, the anniversary theme, “Ekiti: Celebrating the Past, Creating the Future”, should inspire people to remember the past with gratitude, accept the present with honesty and approach the future with confidence and determination.
The governor said, “I envision an Ekiti that becomes a major centre of the knowledge economy. The intellectual capital of our people must be transformed into economic capital. We must produce software developers, digital creators, researchers, designers, engineers and technology entrepreneurs who can work for the world without abandoning their communities.
“I envision an Ekiti that attracts investment because it is peaceful, secure, well-governed and welcoming to enterprise. Government cannot and should not be the sole employer of labour. Our responsibility is to establish the conditions in which businesses can start, survive and grow. The private sector, cooperatives, development institutions and our people in the diaspora must become active partners in building the Ekiti economy.
“The development will only be meaningful when it improves the lives of ordinary citizens. Roads must shorten journeys and open economic opportunities, electricity must support businesses, education must improve lives, agriculture must become profitable and healthcare must be accessible,” he said.
While calling for greater private-sector participation, investment, infrastructure and promotion to unlock the sector’s potential, Oyebanji challenged young people to take responsibility for shaping the future, urging them to acquire useful skills, embrace technology, identify problems around them and develop solutions.
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr Tunji Olowolafe, who was the lead speaker, examined Ekiti State’s educational heritage, the need for reliable power supply and quality physical infrastructure, as well as strategies for accelerating development.
Olowolafe stressed that the future of Ekiti depended on the ability to translate knowledge acquired through education into practical innovations capable of creating jobs, reducing poverty and improving people’s quality of life. He added that industrial partnerships were critical to the state’s development.
The entrepreneur harped on the need to connect education with power, skills, enterprise and innovation to create sustainable economic opportunities. He charged Ekiti people, particularly youths, to move beyond acquiring knowledge to finding practical ways of applying it to solve problems, create progress and eradicate poverty in the state.
Traditional rulers, including the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, and the Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Adewole, acknowledged the sectoral development recorded over the past three decades and hailed the summit’s focus on shaping a better future.
The traditional rulers called for a comprehensive development plan capable of sustaining growth and prosperity for future generations. They also canvassed greater collective efforts to sustain the state’s development, stressing the need for the people to preserve the values, unity and identity that had shaped Ekiti State since its creation.
Earlier, the state House of Assembly brought together an array of stakeholders at a public hearing, as part of the 30th-anniversary celebrations, to chart a way forward for the state in a bid to deepen development.
The stakeholders 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.
A former governor, Chief Segun Oni, who congratulated Ekiti people on the anniversary, said, “The state has achieved considerable stability and growth in the three decades of its existence.” He urged Ekiti people to support the Oyebanji administration and contribute to promoting the state’s ideals and development aspirations.
Oni 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 examine the state’s 30-year journey, 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.
“Thirty years is both a milestone and a moment of reflection. It gives us an opportunity 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.”
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 Ekiti had laid important foundations during the past three decades, stressed that “the responsibility of the present generation is to strengthen those foundations and create an economy capable of generating sustainable opportunities for generations yet unborn.”