Governors of Nigeria’s South-West states have thrown their weight behind a bold new plan aimed at fast-tracking the region’s economic growth and integration.
The 262-page document, titled “Plan of Action for the Economic Development of the Region, Nigeria,” was officially launched on Thursday, May 22, at a high-level summit held at the Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan.
Put together by the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries (ARHOSPS-SWN) in collaboration with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, the plan outlines practical steps to boost infrastructure, tackle insecurity, and reform key sectors across the region.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who was represented by his deputy, Bayo Lawal, praised the initiative, calling it a timely response to the South-West’s most pressing challenges.
“Regional integration through inter-state road network will improve development in South-West,” Lawal said. He also noted that empowering local security networks had already made an impact in curbing armed banditry.
Backing the call for stronger regional security, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, through his deputy, Kola Adewusi, said the time had come to embrace state policing.
“State police is the way to go, as this will further enhance the security architecture in the region,” he said. He added that Osun would take time to study the plan and align with it.
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Governors of Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, and Ondo, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dapo Abiodun, Abiodun Oyebanji, and Lucky Aiyedatiwa, also sent representatives and voiced strong support for the strategy.
Speaking on behalf of ARHOSPS-SWN, Regional President Ebenezer Okebukola described the plan as the product of years of collaboration and reflection by experienced former public servants.
“This book… represents our unwavering dedication to the land that has nurtured us and to the generations that will follow,” he said.
According to him, the plan covers vital sectors including education, healthcare, power, solid minerals, agriculture, tourism, transportation, and industry.
DAWN Commission Director-General, Seye Oyeleye, commended the quality of the work, describing it as a roadmap filled with smart solutions.
He called it a “rich repository of insights, strategies, and actionable recommendations that will guide our regional development efforts.”
The summit brought together officials from all six states in the South-West, including Oyo State’s Head of Service, Olubunmi Oni, and other key stakeholders committed to charting a new economic future for the region.