Fayemi, global brand at 61

By Segun Dipe

TURNING 61 is a milestone that can evoke a mix of emotions. For persons who are career-restless, it marks the beginning of a new chapter, filled with opportunities for growth, reflection, and giving back. It’s such a time to leverage experience, expertise, and networks to make a lasting impact. As Deborah Baker, American biographer and essayist, puts it, “At 61, I’m healthier, stronger, and more fit than ever.” One such person is Dr John Kayode Fayemi CON, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State. He is constantly on the go, seeking new challenges, innovation, and growth. He becomes quickly bored, disengaged, or unfulfilled in stagnant or predictable roles. Outside the government house, Fayemi busied himself with very important and most times, highly visible engagements, the way a Bill Clinton would do in the United States. He became sucked into the vortex of international diplomacy, CSO activism, giving lectures and so on.

Yet, every 9 February is Fayemi’s stock-taking day. Now at 61, the former Governor is a true reflection of a global human brand. He’s a renowned academic, security expert, and politician. He has served two terms as Ekiti State Governor (2010-2014 and 2018-2022) and was in-between the Minister of Mines and Steel Development under President Muhammadu Buhari (2015-2018). Fayemi’s influence extends beyond Nigeria’s borders. He lectures in Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia. He advises governments and institutions on transitional justice, regional integration, and security sector reform. He is also a Fellow of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Ibadan, and Adjunct Professor of Security Studies at the African Centre for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, Washington D.C. Throughout his career, Fayemi has demonstrated remarkable resilience and courage. From his early days as a pro-democracy activist to his current role as a respected statesman, he has remained committed to serving the people. Fayemi’s leadership has been marked by intellectual depth, good governance, and strategic vision. His unwavering commitment to democracy, human rights, and development has earned him recognition and respect globally. He is a strong advocate for decentralisation, believing that effective regional integration is key to Nigeria’s development.

Fayemi’s impressive resume includes serving as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and emerging pioneer president of the Forum of Regions of Africa (FORAF). He has made significant impacts in governance, security, and constitutionalism, earning recognition worldwide. Fayemi’s leadership took Ekiti State to a new height, introducing transformative policies like free education, healthcare, and social security for the elderly. Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s policies and impact on Nigerian politics are quite impressive. As Ekiti State Governor, he introduced several transformative policies, including abolition of levies and taxes on public schools, making education free for all, and introduction of free healthcare services for vulnerable citizens. He implemented a monthly stipend of ₦5,000 for elderly citizens without livelihoods. In the area of agricultural development, he initiated large-scale irrigation farming and established the Youth in Commercial Agriculture Development (YCAD) programme. He did not fail in infrastructure development either, as he constructed over 952 kilometers of roads, built schools, hospitals, and fast-tracked the building of an international cargo airport.

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Dr. Fayemi’s view on Nigeria’s economic development was to focus on transforming the country through strategic investments in human capital, infrastructure, and economic diversification. He believes youths and women should be adequately captured in budgetary allocations to drive growth, a passion he passed on to his successor, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji. He also saw to the transformation of Ekiti State into a knowledge-based economy, leveraging its intellectual capital and strategic location. As Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Fayemi repositioned the Mining Sector by enforcing the “use or lose” clause, revoking dormant mining licenses and attracting investments. He Increased Revenue by Generating over ₦30 billion in intervention funds and secured a $150 million World Bank support.

Regionally, Fayemi worked to promote regional cooperation, serving as the first elected president of the Forum of Regions of Africa (FORAF). His view on regional integration emphasises collaboration and economic cooperation among states cannot be ignored. He believes Nigeria’s development hinges on effective regional integration, citing the need for geo-economic zones focused on production rather than resource sharing. Fayemi advocates for granting regional commissions autonomy, ensuring transparency, and fostering sustainable intergovernmental collaboration. History will not forget how Dr. Fayemi’s second term as governor of Ekiti State (2018–2022) was crowned by a seamless handover of power to his chosen successor, incumbent Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji. This transition was significant because it was the first time in the history of Ekiti State that a sitting governor would hand over to a successor from the same political party, thus breaking a recurring “jinx” of the ruling party losing elections in the state.  Happy Birthday, Your Excellency, Dr. John Olukayode Fayemi, CON. You’re such an enigma, yet an inspiration, a rock, and a joy to everyone around you. May your day be filled with the same happiness, strength, and blessings you bring to the world.

•Dipe is the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State.