Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said that the Oyo State @ 50 celebration will continue over the next year with the commissioning of key projects and building of stronger institutions.
The governor stated this on Tuesday, at the closing ceremony/award night to celebrate the state’s golden jubilee, held at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan.
Governor Makinde declared that some projects that will transform transportation, logistics, and economic growth across Ibadan and beyond, such as the upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola Airport and the 32-kilometre first segment of the Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road, would be commissioned before the end of the first quarter.
He further stated that the surveillance aircraft purchased to fortify security in the state would soon be delivered, adding that modern electric buses would also soon be delivered as part of his administration’s commitment to expanding transport infrastructure and ensuring that public transportation remains efficient and affordable for the people.
According to the governor, all past leaders of the state have made specific and general impacts on the state, laying strong foundations, which successive administrations continue to build on, leading to the state having an advanced public service and improved education and social development.
The governor noted that part of such impact was the free education introduced by the former Governor Bola Ige, which he (Makinde) benefited from as a student in the state, stressing that his government is also leaving a legacy of delivering long-term, system-driven infrastructure and transport reforms targeted at further expanding the economy of the state.
He said, “As we draw the curtain on this 10-day celebration of Oyo State at 50, I am reminded of a simple but enduring truth: government will come and go; administrations will begin and end, but Oyo State will remain.
“What we celebrate tonight is not the achievement of one government. It is not the achievement of one political party. It is not the celebration of one moment in time. We are celebrating a living state.
“This state has been shaped by many themes. You saw from General David Jemibewon, as the first military governor of Oyo State, how he contributed his own quota. His team contributed, and then successive administrations also did. Interacting with them, what we have seen is we’re celebrating a state shaped by many themes, strengthened by many sacrifices, and carried forward by generations of people who believe that Oyo State will always be a place better today than it was yesterday.
“From the foundational years, after Oyo State was created in 1976, when early administration, beginning with the military government of then, Colonel David Jemibewon, focused on establishing the structures of governance to the Second Republic, when Chief Bola Ige’s administration emphasised public service, education, and social development, our state continued to evolve through different national seasons.
“Subsequent military administration carried on with the task of developing Oyo State. With the return of democracy in 1999, attention shifted towards rebuilding democratic institutions, strengthening urban governance, and responding more directly to the expectations of our people.
“In the years that followed, infrastructure renewal, security reforms, and urban modernisation became defining priorities, reshaping how our cities function and how communities experience governance.
“Let us not forget that Oyo State has passed through moments of tension, transition, and institutional testing. And each time, we emerged stronger, wiser, and more committed to stability and progress.
“Today, we are building on all that has come before, delivering long-term, system-driven infrastructure, transport reforms, and economic projects that will be commissioned throughout this anniversary year. So, people may think this is the end of Oyo at 50. Well, it is just the beginning. We will celebrate throughout the year.
“We have projects to be commissioned, and we have structures to be built as well. So, this anniversary is not an isolated achievement, but it is part of a continued promise to future generations. So, this celebration will continue with the steady commissioning of projects that reflect both continuity and progress.
“In the coming months, we will formally commission the completed Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport. It has been upgraded to an international airport, providing an important gateway to the world.
“We will also continue to work and commission key sections of the Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road project, a transformational infrastructure that reimagines mobility, logistics, and urban growth across Ibadan and beyond. As a matter of fact, within this first quarter, the first segment of that road will be commissioned. That is before the end of March 2026.
“Beyond roads, the future we are building is already arriving. I spoke with my chairman, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. We spoke about the surveillance aircraft that we ordered. Well, as we speak, we are tracking the vessel. Three days ago, it was at Lome. Now, the vessel is at the port in Lagos. So, that is also being delivered. And it will help us, both Oyo and Kwara, to ensure that we can have surveillance across our common areas and deep into our states.
“Also, as part of this celebration, we have ordered modern electric buses. This will also be delivered later in the year. It will expand our transport infrastructure and ensure that our public transportation system becomes efficient and affordable for our people. So, we have a lot of projects in the pipeline because development is not a spectacle, it is a system, and systems endure when they are designed for people, not optics, not politics.”
The governor, who also congratulated the recipients of the Oyo State Merit Award, charged the coming generation of Oyo State residents to contribute their quotas to the development of the state, Nigeria and the betterment of society, noting that such efforts will be duly honoured in the future.
A total of 74 people from different spheres of life, such as governance, public service, philanthropy, business, sports, academia, military/paramilitary, entertainment, banking/finance, judiciary/law, religion, and medical sciences, were presented the Oyo State Merit Award for contributing to the development of the state.
In his goodwill message at the event, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak, commended Governor Makinde for reclaiming the former glory of the state through various projects.
AbdulRazak, who lauded Governor Makinde for embarking on the total rebuilding of infrastructure in Ibadan and other parts of Oyo State, noted that he had passed through the state more than 20 times, adding that knowing how the state used to be and how it is now, Makinde deserved to be commended for building on the foundations and legacies left by successive leaders.
He challenged Nigerians asking for how governors had been spending improved resources accruing to their states to come to Oyo State and see Makinde’s works, pointing out how he (AbdulRazak) flagged off the 76km Iseyin-Fapote-Ogbomoso Road, and how he was a part of its commissioning about 18 months after as well as the ongoing upgrade of Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport and the Ibadan Circular Road, among others.
Similarly, some of the former administrators/governors, including Major General David Jemibewon (Rtd), the Olubadan of Ibadanland; Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, who served as the 14th Governor of Oyo State; family members of former Governors Bola Ige, Omololu Olunloyo, Alao-Akala and Abiola Ajimobi, who were honoured at the event, as well as recipients of the Oyo State Merit Award, congratulated the people of the state, while also lauding the governor on the historic event.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Oyo at 50 Committee, Hon. Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, thanked the governor for the opportunity to celebrate the state, describing him as a leader who believes in the development of others irrespective of their political affiliations.
