VISION, SACRIFICE MADE ONDO AN OIL-PRODUCING STATE — OLANIPEKUN
• Golden Jubilee a moment to shape Ondo’s future, says Gov Aiyedatiwa
• Verheijen, Oyedele call for heritage preservation, sustainable growth
• Oyedele announces N500,000 scholarship for best graduating students
Akure
Former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, on Monday said Ondo’s emergence as an oil-producing state was the product of visionary leadership, strategic sacrifice and collective resolve, warning that neglecting history and the counsel of elders could endanger the state’s future development.
Olanipekun spoke at the Golden Jubilee public lecture held at the International Centre for Culture and Events (The Dome), Akure, themed “Ondo State: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.” He traced the journey that led to Ondo being recognised as an oil-producing state alongside Abia and Imo States in the 1990s, describing it as a painstaking process driven by foresight and collaboration.
Chairman of the lecture, Olanipekun reflected on his tenure under the administration of the late Governor Bamidele Olumilua, explaining that sustained advocacy and legal groundwork culminated in the drafting of the decree that enabled Ondo to harness its hydrocarbon resources.
“Leadership requires humility, a willingness to listen and fidelity to truth. Ignoring advice born of experience is dangerous for any society. We are still young, and we want you to lead us well,” he cautioned.
He stressed that Ondo’s progress was no accident but the result of deliberate planning, strategic decisions and respect for legacy, urging the preservation of the contributions of past administrations, families and institutions as a compass for future generations.
Declaring the lecture open, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa described the state’s 50th anniversary as a defining milestone to chart a bold and sustainable future anchored on industrialisation, innovation and youth empowerment.
“Fifty years is not just a number; it is a milestone that challenges us to shape the next era with wisdom, courage and innovation,” the governor said.
Aiyedatiwa highlighted the state’s transition from an agrarian economy to an emerging industrial hub, citing projects such as the Sunshine Free Trade Zone, Golden Ceramics Industrial Plant, Ore Ethanol Plant and the Ondo Deep Sea Port as drivers of value addition, exports and job creation.
He also underscored tourism and culture as growth catalysts, pointing to coastal and eco-tourism initiatives capable of stimulating entrepreneurship and local economies, while noting that infrastructure development — roads, bridges, transport corridors and energy projects — remained central to economic expansion.
“Our youth are our most strategic resource,” the governor said, adding that scholarships, vocational training, digital literacy programmes and innovation hubs were being deployed to prepare young people for global competitiveness.
In her keynote address, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, praised the role of ordinary citizens in building Ondo State and identified gas infrastructure development, revival of the Odigbo power plants and modular LNG projects as key enablers of industrial growth.
She also cited major infrastructure investments, including the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, road expansions in Akure, upgrades of teaching hospitals and the Ondo Deep Sea Port, noting that such projects would create jobs, boost revenue and improve quality of life.
“Value addition is the foundation for job creation, revenue generation and the dignity of our people,” Verheijen said, urging the state to blend its cultural heritage with modern innovation for sustainable progress.
The guest lecturer, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Prof Taiwo Oyedele, hailed the vision of Ondo’s founding fathers for prioritising education and opportunity, which, he said, produced generations of leaders and innovators.
In a major highlight of the event, Oyedele announced a Golden Jubilee scholarship of N500,000 each for the best graduating student in every public secondary school in the state this year.
He noted that Ondo’s rich endowments — fertile land, a 180-kilometre coastline, the Idanre Hills and vast bitumen deposits — position it for accelerated growth through industrialisation, infrastructure development and cultural tourism, guided by the long-term Agenda 2076.
Calling for unity across political, religious and generational lines, Oyedele urged stakeholders to work collectively to realise the state’s aspirations.
Earlier, the Secretary to the State Government and Chairman of the Anniversary Committee, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti, described the Golden Jubilee celebrations as nostalgic and emotional, thanking past leaders, royal fathers and elder statesmen, and disclosing that eminent citizens, including octogenarians and nonagenarians, would be honoured.
Dignitaries at the event included the First Lady, Mrs Esther Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa; Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami; Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Olusegun Odusola; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt Hon Olamide Oladiji; former Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; traditional rulers, political leaders, security chiefs and other eminent personalities.
