With the eight-year administration of Engr. Seyi Makinde gradually winding up, momentum is already gathering over who will emerge as the next Governor of Oyo State. Political conversations have begun, consultations are ongoing, alliances are being formed, and campaign structures are gradually taking shape.
While the political class may focus on electioneering campaigns, slogans and endorsements, any serious campaign team must do far more than seeking votes. Beyond winning elections, they must develop practical, actionable and measurable plans to strengthen institutions, build a resilient economy, improve public service delivery, and transform Oyo State into one of Nigeria's leading sub-national economies.
Engr. Seyi Makinde, despite his limitations, shortcomings and inevitable governance challenges, has recorded notable milestones that should not be ignored. His administration has significantly improved the state's internally generated revenue, with Oyo State now consistently ranking among the top three to four contributors to the Federation Account among Nigerian states—an indication of stronger fiscal management and improved economic activities. Prompt and regular payment of workers' salaries, pensions and gratuities has also restored confidence in government, while several infrastructure projects have improved connectivity across different parts of the state.
However, governance is a continuum. The next administration must consolidate these gains while boldly addressing areas where greater improvements are required.
As a state whose economy is largely driven by the informal sector and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the next governor must deliberately create an environment where small businesses can thrive. Beyond occasional grants, government should facilitate access to single-digit interest loans, affordable credit facilities, business advisory services, digital market opportunities, tax incentives for startups, and policies that reduce the burden of doing business.
Whether it is the women trading at Beere Market, the traditional pot makers in Saki, the Aso-Oke weavers in Iseyin, leather workers in Oyo, artisans in Ibadan or farmers across the state's agrarian communities, every productive citizen should have access to opportunities that enable businesses to grow, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to the state's economy.
The youthful population of Oyo State must also become a strategic investment rather than a demographic statistic. Young people should not merely be seen as campaign mobilisers or political foot soldiers during elections. They should be empowered to become innovators, employers of labour and drivers of economic growth.
Oyo State can borrow a leaf from Lagos State's Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) by establishing a well-funded and professionally managed Oyo Youth Enterprise and Innovation Trust Fund. Such a fund should provide affordable financing, entrepreneurship support, vocational training, technology incubation and business development services, particularly for young entrepreneurs, women-owned businesses and enterprises in underserved communities.
Education must equally receive renewed attention. While the provision of books and learning materials remains important, the focus should shift towards restoring dignity to public education through massive rehabilitation of existing infrastructure. Many public primary and secondary schools across Oyo State have deteriorated classrooms, leaking roofs, broken furniture, inadequate sanitation facilities and poor learning environments.
Rather than embarking on construction of new schools where existing ones are abandoned, the next administration should prioritise renovating classrooms, upgrading laboratories and libraries, improving water and sanitation facilities, providing modern learning equipment and creating environments where both teachers and students can thrive.
Waste management is another critical area that requires urgent and innovative intervention. Interestingly, during the swearing-in of the current Commissioner for Environment, Governor Seyi Makinde openly admitted that waste management remains one of the sectors where his administration had not achieved its desired expectations. This reality is visible across many parts of the state, particularly within the Ibadan metropolis, where indiscriminate waste disposal, overflowing dumpsites and blocked drainage systems have become recurring challenges.
The next governor must adopt an entirely different approach that goes beyond merely evacuating refuse. Waste should be viewed as an economic resource. Through modern recycling systems, waste-to-energy initiatives, effective waste sorting, private sector participation, community-based sanitation programmes and strict environmental law enforcement, Oyo State can become one of Nigeria's cleanest and most environmentally sustainable states.
Agriculture remains one of Oyo State's greatest comparative advantages. With its vast arable land, favourable climate and strategic location, the state has everything required to become Nigeria's leading agricultural hub. The next administration should aggressively invest in mechanised farming, irrigation infrastructure, agro-processing industries, commodity value chains, storage facilities and export-oriented agriculture.
Rather than merely producing raw agricultural commodities, Oyo State should position itself as one of Nigeria's largest processors and exporters of agricultural products, creating thousands of jobs while increasing internally generated revenue.
No meaningful development can take place where the security of lives and property is not guaranteed. Investors are attracted to stable and secure environments, while citizens can only maximise their potential when they feel safe.
The next governor must strengthen community policing initiatives, invest in security technology, improve intelligence gathering, enhance collaboration with conventional security agencies and equip local security outfits to respond more effectively to emerging security threats across urban and rural communities.
Healthcare, digital governance, urban planning, transportation and housing should also receive strategic attention if Oyo State truly desires sustainable and inclusive development.
Ultimately, the conversation ahead of 2027 should not merely revolve around personalities, political parties or campaign promises. It should focus on competence, vision, policy direction and the capacity to build on existing achievements while courageously confronting unresolved challenges.
Conclusively, residents and citizens of Oyo State must demand more than rhetoric from those seeking to govern them. They must ask difficult questions, scrutinise policy proposals and insist on practical solutions to the challenges confronting the state. Elections should not only determine who occupies the Governor's Office; they should determine the future direction of Oyo State.
The next governor must not simply aspire to succeed Engr. Seyi Makinde. The task is much bigger than succession. The responsibility is to build a more prosperous, inclusive, secure and globally competitive Oyo State for generations yet unborn.
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