With Fisayo Akinduro
Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, devoted the week to a series of coordinated interventions spanning industrial revival, governance reinforcement, security restructuring and environmental assessment, in what reflected a sustained push to reposition the state’s economic architecture.
The week opened with a renewed focus on the long-dormant Olokola Free Trade Zone (OKFTZ), as the governor inaugurated a Technical Committee at the Governor’s Office in Akure. He described the move as a critical turning point for a project conceived in 2005 as a joint initiative between Ondo and Ogun States, but which had remained largely unrealised.
Aiyedatiwa recalled that the project was designed to leverage its Atlantic coastal corridor as a strategic maritime, industrial and logistics hub for the South-West and the national economy. He noted, however, that progress had been stalled for nearly two decades by policy inconsistencies, fragmented coordination and unresolved structural bottlenecks.
He disclosed that renewed investor interest had begun to reshape the project’s prospects, following engagements with the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
According to him, the discussions opened opportunities for a major industrial expansion that could reposition Olokola as a leading free trade and industrial zone, with potential investments in cement production, gas infrastructure, independent power generation and a more liberal investment framework to attract large-scale capital.
To convert the renewed interest into implementation, the governor set up a high-level technical committee chaired by Chief Bode Sunmonu, drawn from relevant professional backgrounds. The committee was given six weeks to review legal and institutional frameworks, resolve land disputes, address encroachments, settle community compensation matters and harmonise interests across stakeholders, including federal agencies, NEPZA, the Dangote Group and neighbouring states.
On the same day, Aiyedatiwa moved to strengthen institutional capacity by presenting utility vehicles to the Ondo State Law Commission. He said effective law reform required field engagement, not office-bound processes alone, stressing that mobility was essential for investigations, consultations and statutory reviews. The intervention, he added, was aimed at improving efficiency and removing operational constraints.
Security reform took centre stage on Tuesday, when the governor announced plans to recruit 1,000 youths into the State Forest Guard during a meeting with the Ondo State Youth Parliament in Akure. The initiative, aligned with federal security objectives, is intended to enhance forest surveillance and improve response capacity across rural and forested areas of the state.
He stated that recruitment would be restricted to persons below 39 years owing to the physical demands of the role, assuring that safeguards would be introduced to ensure proper protection of personnel in the field. He cited the Amotekun Corps as a reference point for sub-national security operations, noting its record of zero fatalities among operatives since inception.
Aiyedatiwa also cautioned against compromise in the selection process, urging youth representatives to ensure that only credible candidates were presented. He further approved a utility bus for the Youth Parliament and reiterated government commitment to youth participation in governance and policy formulation.
Environmental concerns featured prominently later in the week, when he received leaders of the Niger Delta Youth Movement, who raised issues of coastal erosion affecting riverine communities. The governor described the phenomenon as complex and uneven, noting that while some areas were losing land, others were experiencing land gains due to shifting coastal patterns.
He revealed that technical experts had already been deployed to study affected zones, stressing that government response would be strictly guided by scientific findings. He warned that infrastructure development in coastal areas could fail if erosion dynamics were not properly addressed, adding that planning was being recalibrated towards more sustainable intervention models.
He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth inclusion and pointed to ongoing industrial initiatives, particularly the revitalisation of the Olokola Free Trade Zone, as central to job creation and economic expansion.
Beyond Ondo State, the governor participated in the commissioning of the refurbished Premier Hotel in Ibadan, an asset of Odu’a Investment Company Limited. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, described the project as a symbol of regional economic renewal and value restoration.
Aiyedatiwa, in his remarks, said the project represented restoration rather than mere renovation. He noted that the rebirth of the hotel reflected the enduring vision of the South-West’s development philosophy and marked a transition from decline to recovery.
He added that the project demonstrated strengthened collaboration among South-West states and reinforced investor confidence in the region’s economic direction, aligning with broader national reforms aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and attracting investment inflows.
The week ended with a policy engagement with members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, where the governor defended the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and called for intensified public sensitisation.
He acknowledged that the reforms had initially triggered economic hardship but maintained that early signs of stabilisation were emerging across key sectors, including infrastructure, foreign exchange management and youth-targeted programmes.
He attributed public resistance to misinformation and weak awareness, stressing the need for structured communication to bridge the gap between policy design and public understanding. He also referenced ongoing federal infrastructure projects as long-term investments intended to enhance connectivity and economic productivity.
Across the week, Aiyedatiwa’s engagements underscored a clear administrative direction: stalled industrial projects revived, governance structures strengthened, security recruitment expanded, environmental risks addressed through technical assessment and economic messaging aligned with national reform priorities.