South-west govs collaborating for region’s development —Oyebanji

…as DAWN commission unveils three key areas for development

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has declared that the six South West governors are putting behind political differences and collaborating towards ensuring the development of the region.

Oyebanji explained that the governors under the leadership of his counterpart in Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu are putting ideas and policies together alongside other stakeholders for the socio-economic development of the states.

According to him, the era of state governments independently approaching governance programmes without synergy from others is gone, saying that only through collaboration would afford the region opportunities for economic and social growth.

The governor spoke on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital while declaring open the fifth edition of South West Secretaries to the State Government Forum, tagged, ‘Strategic Partnership for Regional Development’.

While emphasizing the strategic roles of the Secretaries to the State Government to the success of any administration, the governor called on the six participating SSGs to remain committed to offering quality and actionable advice to their respective governors.

Oyebanji acknowledged the efforts of the Development Agenda For Western Nigeria (DAWN) commission in their quest for the regional development, revealing that the three areas of focus in agriculture, rail line and AI are critical in changing the narratives and positioning the region for accelerated development.

The governor said, ” I want to commend the DAWN commission for their efforts and job well-done and particularly the three thematic areas in rail line, agriculture and Artificial Intelligence, because this is the game changer. What will happen to us as a race will depend on how we will catch up with the world.

” In Ekiti State, I just met some stakeholders where we discussed how to empanel AI as a tool for our primary and secondary schools,we want to catch them young.

” The establishment of the South West Development Commission(SWDC) is the outcome of collaboration, so between the South West governors Forum, DAWN commission and the SWDC, the three structures should be able to put in place the roadmap for development of our zone.

” The best government we have had as a zone was during Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and it was regional government when they leverage on the comparative advantages of the regions then to develop South West and everything we depend on today were done during that era.

” There is a limit to what we can do alone and I must commend Governor Sanwo-Olu for leading us well in the region.”

On his part, by the Director-General, DAWN Commission, Dr. Seye Oyeleye lauded the forum of the SSG, adding that it would provide a platform for sharing ideas and policies towards regional development and progress.

Oyeleye urged the state governments to set machineries in motion alongside the SWDC in implementing the three key areas rail infrastructure, livestock agriculture and Artificial Intelligence as developed by the commission.

He said, ” To this end, we immediately embarked on the preparation of comprehensive concept notes and position papers focused on the three critical sectors identified as key to driving our regional transformation: regional rail infrastructure, livestock agriculture, and artificial intelligence.

” This work has been guided by a commitment to excellence and the ambition to position the Southwest as a leader in these strategic areas.To ensure the highest level of expertise and innovation, we have engaged some of the most accomplished professionals and thought
leaders in these fields.

” Today, they will share with us their insights and well-researched
strategies through detailed presentations that promise to provide actionable frameworks for development. We selected regional rail infrastructure, livestock agriculture, and artificial intelligence as
priority sectors through careful deliberation, not arbitrary choice.

” The Southwest possesses significant comparative advantages in these areas, which also present unique opportunities for cross-state collaboration yielding benefits exceeding what states could achieve independently.”

Welcoming the delegation to the state, the Ekiti State SSG, Professor Habibat Adubiaro reaffirmed the commitment of the forum in coming up with actionable resolutions that will shape the future of the southwest region for the better.

” This forum provides an opportunity for us to critically evaluate our regional developmental strategies, identify areas of mutual interest and explore sustainable frameworks for cooperation,” she said.

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