Oyebanji urges Ekiti youths to invent solutions for economic prosperity

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has disclosed that his administration would continue to build and focus more on innovation, competence, enterprise, and the ability to translate knowledge into economic value in the drive to reposition the state by 2056.

The Governor projected the state as a future global hub for the knowledge economy, with technology, culture and tourism identified as key drivers of sustainable growth and prosperity over the next three decades.

Governor Oyebanji, who stated this while delivering his keynote address at the Ekiti AT 30 Future Summit, organised as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of Ekiti State in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, noted that certificates alone could no longer build industry, create jobs, mechanise agriculture, develop tourism or compete in a technology-driven global economy, but an economy driven by innovation.

The governor, who used the opportunity to unveil a 30-Year Vision for Ekiti, urged youths to drive innovation and prosperity as he called for a deliberate shift from celebrating the state’s achievements to building a more productive, innovative and prosperous future.

He said the summit was deliberately designed to move beyond celebrations and provide a platform for young people and other stakeholders to discuss the future of the state and develop ideas that could shape government policies and future development plans.

Oyebanji described the 30th anniversary as a significant milestone that should provide an opportunity for the people to reflect on where the state started, assess its present condition and collectively determine the kind of Ekiti they wished to bequeath to future generations.

According to him, the anniversary theme, “Ekiti: Celebrating the Past, Creating the Future,” should inspire the people to remember the past with gratitude, accept the present with honesty and approach the future with confidence and determination.

The Governor explained that development would only be meaningful when it improved the lives of ordinary citizens, noting that roads must shorten journeys and open economic opportunities, electricity must support businesses, education must improve lives, agriculture must become profitable and healthcare must be accessible.

Looking ahead, Governor Oyebanji said he envisioned an Ekiti where agriculture would become a modern, technology-driven and profitable enterprise, with the state developing a complete value chain covering production, processing, packaging, logistics and export.

He also projected Ekiti as a major hub of the knowledge economy, where the state’s intellectual capital would translate into economic opportunities through software development, digital creation, research, engineering design and technology entrepreneurship.

The Governor said young Ekiti people should be able to work for clients across the world without abandoning their communities, while institutions such as the proposed innovation and technology ecosystem would help connect education with the needs of the modern economy.

On tourism, Governor Oyebanji identified Ekiti’s waterfalls, warm springs, historic sites, festivals, cuisine, music and artistic traditions as economic assets capable of creating jobs for farmers, transport operators, hoteliers, performers, photographers, tour guides, artisans and food vendors, as being imperative to Ekiti’s development.

He called for greater private-sector participation, investment, infrastructure and promotion to unlock the sector’s potential.

The Governor also challenged young people to take responsibility for shaping the future, urging them not to depend solely on government employment but to acquire useful skills, embrace technology, identify problems around them and develop solutions.

Looking ahead to the state’s 60th anniversary in 2056, Governor Oyebanji challenged the present generation to embark on innovations that would ensure that future generations remember them not merely as people who celebrated the achievements of the past, but as those who planted the seeds of a new era.

The Governor seized the occasion to pay tribute to the founding fathers and mothers of Ekiti State, traditional rulers, community leaders, professionals, civil servants, academics, political actors, journalists, women’s organisations and youth groups whose sacrifices contributed to the creation of the state.

He also acknowledged the role of the then Head of State, General Sani Abacha, in the creation of Ekiti State in 1996.

According to him, “I envision an Ekiti that becomes a major centre of the knowledge economy. The intellectual capital of our people must be transformed into economic capital. We must produce software developers, digital creators, researchers, designers, engineers and technology entrepreneurs who can work for the world without abandoning their communities.

“I envision an Ekiti that attracts investment because it is peaceful, secure, well-governed and welcoming to enterprise. Government cannot—and should not—be the sole employer of labour. Our responsibility is to establish the conditions in which businesses can start, survive and grow. The private sector, cooperatives, development institutions and our people in the diaspora must become active partners in building the Ekiti economy.

“As we celebrate thirty years of statehood, let us remember the sacrifices that brought us here. Let us appreciate the progress we have made. Let us confront our present challenges honestly. Above all, let us commit ourselves to creating a future worthy of the dreams of our founding fathers and mothers.” the governor said.

The lead speaker at the summit, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, who examined the state’s educational heritage, the need for reliable power supply and quality physical infrastructure, as well as strategies for accelerating development, emphasised that the future of Ekiti depends on the ability to translate the knowledge acquired through education into practical innovations capable of creating jobs, reducing poverty and improving the quality of life of the people.

While maintaining that industrial partnership was critical to the development of the state, Dr Olowolafe stressed the need to connect education with power, skills, enterprise and innovation to create sustainable economic opportunities. He said the state must deliberately build an environment where knowledge, skills and enterprise could work together to drive economic growth.

The Chancellor of Ekiti State University charged Ekiti people, particularly the youths, to move beyond acquiring knowledge to finding practical ways of applying it to solve problems, create progress and eradicate poverty in the state.

Earlier in their separate remarks, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, and Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Adewole, reflected on the struggles and sacrifices that preceded the creation of the state on October 1, 1996, despite the absence of take-off grants at the time.

The monarchs, who acknowledged the sectoral development recorded over the past three decades, commended the focus of the summit on shaping a better future and called for a comprehensive development plan capable of sustaining growth and prosperity for future generations.

They called for more collective efforts to sustain the development of the state, stressing the need for the people to preserve the values, unity and identity that had shaped the state since its creation.

In her welcome address, the Ekiti-born African and World Spelling Bee Champion, Miss Damilola Adeolu, called on youths across the state to take an active role in shaping the future of the state, stressing the need to explore opportunities for building a stronger and more prosperous future for the state.

The Co-chairman of the 30th anniversary of the state, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, commended Governor Oyebanji for approving the summit for the youths in celebrating the state’s creation.

The high point of the event was the presentation of cheques to winners of the Ekiti at 30 essay competition, with Mr Peace Ogunjemilua emerging as the first-prize winner and receiving N1.5 million, while Miss Blessing Adelusi, who came second, received N1 million. Mr Ayomide Lafiaji, the third-prize winner, received N750,000. All of them also received free laptop computers.

Also, 15 other finalist participants received N500,000 each as consolation prizes for their participation in the competition, which challenged the young Ekiti people to present “my dream and agenda for the next thirty years” and articulate practical and innovative ideas for building the Ekiti they want to see by 2025.