How vision, sacrifice made Ondo oil-producing state — Olanipekun • Fifty years, a milestone to shape Ondo’s future, says Aiyedatiwa • Oyedele announces N500,000 scholarship for best graduating students. By Lai Gidado

How vision, sacrifice made Ondo oil-producing state — Olanipekun

• Fifty years, a milestone to shape Ondo’s future, says Aiyedatiwa

• Oyedele announces N500,000 scholarship for best graduating students

Former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has attributed the state’s emergence as an oil-producing entity to visionary leadership, strategic sacrifices and collaborative governance, warning that neglecting the wisdom of elders and the lessons of history could jeopardise its development.

Olanipekun stated this on Monday at the International Centre for Culture and Events (The Dome), Akure, during the Ondo State Golden Jubilee public lecture titled “Ondo State: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”

He recounted the painstaking efforts in the 1990s that positioned Ondo alongside Abia and Imo states as Nigeria’s oil-producing states, describing the process as deliberate, strategic and demanding.

Reflecting on his tenure as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice under the administration of late Governor Bamidele Olumilua, Olanipekun said their collective efforts, in collaboration with other stakeholders, culminated in the drafting of the decree that enabled Ondo to tap into its hydrocarbon potential.

“Leadership requires humility, the willingness to listen and adherence to truth. Ignoring advice born of experience is dangerous for any society. We are still young and we want you to lead us on,” he said.

He stressed that Ondo’s achievements were not accidental but the outcome of careful planning, foresight and strategic choices, urging the preservation of legacies bequeathed by past administrations, prominent families and individuals as a means of safeguarding the state’s identity and guiding future generations.

Declaring the lecture open, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa described the golden jubilee as a defining milestone that calls for renewed commitment to shaping Ondo’s future with wisdom, courage and innovation.

“Fifty years is not just a number. It is a milestone that challenges us to rise to the responsibility of shaping the next era with wisdom, courage and innovation,” the governor said.

He noted that the state has steadily transformed from a largely agrarian economy into a hub of industry and enterprise, highlighting major projects such as the Sunshine Free Trade Zone, Golden Ceramics Industrial Plant, Ore Ethanol Plant and the Ondo Deep Sea Port, all designed to boost industrial processing, value addition and export-driven growth.

Aiyedatiwa also underscored the importance of tourism and culture as drivers of opportunity, citing coastal and eco-tourism initiatives capable of stimulating entrepreneurship and strengthening local economies.

He added that infrastructure development remains a critical growth driver, with investments in roads, bridges, transport corridors and energy projects, including the Onyearugbulem–Irese Bridge, to enhance trade, connectivity and mobility.

“Our youth are our most strategic resource. Through scholarships, vocational training, digital literacy and innovation hubs, we are preparing a generation ready to compete globally,” the governor stated.

He further acknowledged the role of the diaspora, describing their skills, networks and capital as vital to accelerating development and positioning Ondo on the global stage.

In her keynote address, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, lauded the contributions of ordinary citizens, farmers, teachers, civil servants, artisans and entrepreneurs to the growth of the state.

She identified gas infrastructure development, the revival of the Odigbo power plants and modular LNG projects as key drivers of industrial expansion, adding that investments in the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, road expansions in Akure, teaching hospital upgrades and the Ondo Deep Sea Port would create jobs, generate revenue and improve living standards.

“Value addition is the foundation for job creation, revenue generation and the dignity of our people,” she said, stressing the need for Ondo to blend its rich heritage with modern innovation for sustainable development.

Delivering the Golden Jubilee lecture, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Prof Taiwo Oyedele, commended the foresight of Ondo’s founding fathers, whose emphasis on education, creativity and opportunity produced generations of leaders, innovators and global icons.

He announced a N500,000 Golden Jubilee scholarship for the best graduating student of every public secondary school in the state this year.

Oyedele highlighted the state’s vast natural endowments, including fertile soil, a 180-kilometre coastline, the Idanre Hills and enormous bitumen deposits, second largest globally, noting that industrialization, infrastructure and cultural tourism are reshaping the economy, while Agenda 2076 provides a roadmap for a diversified and innovation-driven future.

He called for unity across political, religious and generational divides, urging collaborative efforts to realise the state’s aspirations.

In his welcome address, the Secretary to the State Government and Chairman of the Anniversary Committee, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti, described the celebration as nostalgic and emotional, recalling his youthful memories of the creation of the state.

He expressed gratitude to past leaders, traditional rulers, elder statesmen and members of the planning committee, revealing that eminent citizens, including octogenarians and nonagenarians, would be honoured during the festivities.

Dignitaries at the event included the First Lady, Mrs Esther Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa; Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami and his wife, Mrs Abosede Adelami; Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Olusegun Odusola; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt Hon Olamide Oladiji; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; Head of Service, Mr Bayo Philip; former Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; former Deputy Governors, Alhaji Abdulazeez Oluboyo and Otunba Omolade Oluwateru.

Others included the State APC Chairman, Engr Ade Adetimehin; traditional rulers, including the Chairman of the State Council of Obas, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye and the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, as well as other eminent personalities.