Year of accelerated development

(New Year State broadcast by His Excellency, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, Governor of Ekiti State)

EKITI kete, it gives me a lot of excitements to address you on the dawn of this New Year 2025.  I am grateful to God for making us see last year to its dusk and to witness the birth of a New Year. I want to joyfully congratulate you on witnessing another promising year in spite of the numerous challenges and threats that daily confront us. Each year comes with its foreseeable and unforeseeable challenges, we have to thank God for seeing us through the year 2024 which began with damning economic challenges and dreadful insecurity, but thankfully, ended with easing economic situation suggestive of a positive curve for our State and country. The security situation of the State has also improved, tremendously.

Let me also express my profound appreciations to you, the good people of Ekiti State, for the overwhelming support we have continued to receive from you since we assumed office in 2022. In spite of the challenges that come with being a leader, your generosity of spirit, fervent prayers and remarkable cooperation have eased the task for us. I therefore want to thank you most sincerely, for standing with, and by us at all times.

Many appreciations to our leaders at all levels, especially former governors, former deputy governors, former and current members of National Assembly, former and current leaders of the state’s legislative and judicial arms of government, party leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders and leaders of other segments of the State too numerous to mention.

More importantly, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, for his special interest in our dear State and his fatherly support to us at all times. I want to extend my appreciation to the federal government and its agencies in Ekiti for their cooperation. Many appreciations to our development and financial partners for their continuous support to us.

Let me also sincerely register my profound appreciation to all Ekiti people both home and abroad for their goodwill since we assumed office. I am deeply touched by your show of love and solidarity. I am grateful for your advice, prayers, suggestions and constructive criticisms.

Ekiti kete, this day last year, I addressed you in a speech I entitled: Consolidating on the Shared Prosperity Agenda, during which I emphasized that our goal for the year 2024 would be to consolidate on different ongoing projects that we inherited and expedite effort on the new ones that we undertook upon our assumption of office. I am thrilled to report that we have made a remarkable millage in our journey to prosperity in line with our continuity and shared prosperity agenda. Accordingly, development in the last one year has been phenomenally exciting, a fact which many have acknowledged.

In the course of the last year, we have completed and commissioned a considerable number of inherited and new road projects which include: De-Head – Faglo Basiri Road, Agric Olope Road, Ikole Township Roads, Ajebandele-Omisanjana Road, Okeiyimin-Okeila Road, Erijiyan Ilawe-Link Road and GRA 3rd Extension Road (Phase I), while other projects are in various stages of completion.

In the current year, we will accelerate work on the ongoing 2nd overhead bridge in Ado Ekiti, just as we will work very aggressively to ensure the Central Business District project at Atikankan is completed on time. The Ring Road has also advanced impressively, we will double up to bring the work up to an appreciable level of completion within the year.

In the just concluded year, we were able to connect more communities to electricity through the provision of transformers and the rehabilitation of collapsed power lines. Government has also intervened in the supply of cheaper meters to some rural communities to eliminate the unfair practice of imposition of community bulk meters and other sharp practices. It is disheartening that some of the rehabilitated electricity networks are now being vandalized across the State. I have subsequently directed security agencies to fish out these criminal elements with a view to bringing them to justice.

As part of effort to ensure Ekiti people enjoy better electricity services, we recently established the Ekiti State Electricity Regulatory Bureau (EKSERB) which now regulates issues around electricity generation and distribution in Ekiti. I urge you to take advantage of the Bureau to resolve issues around electricity services.

In the course of the 2024, we delivered on our promise on the Independent Power Project as the project has been commissioned and already in operation. Currently, massive work is underway on the installation of the substation lines in Ijesa-Isu and Ilupeju Ekiti, these projects will improve electricity supply in Ekiti upon completion.

Similarly, we are rehabilitating the buildings at our secondary hospitals at Ijero, Ikole, Iye, Aramoko, Iyin, Emure, Ise, Ikere, Ilawe Ekiti, among others. In addition, about twenty basic health clinics are currently undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation across the State, while plan is ongoing to commence additional renovation of close to 100 facilities in year 2025. A new facility is also being built EKSUTH to improve the quality of care. We have also concluded a plan on massive engagement of more Doctors and Nurses in conjunction with our National Assembly members. My sincere appreciation to our NASS members for their patriotism and commitment to the development of Ekiti State. They are indeed worthy representatives. We are committed to ensuring all these ongoing rehabilitation projects are completed and made available for the use of our people soonest.

We have embarked on the Health Insurance services to many local government, just as the Ulera Wa Health programme has helped to guarantee access to basic health services to our people at no cost. Our public health policy and effective surveillance system has ensured that we did not experience any break out of epidemic disease in the State in the course of last year. Our success in the health sector has been commended nationally and globally.

Our commitment to staff welfare remains unwavering. We have demonstrated this in the liquidation of the outstanding salaries and other emoluments we inherited and the different incentives we have offered the workers including car loans, housing loans, free transport shuttles, work from home for junior workers and many more. I am glad to note that Ekiti has started the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage across cadres, it is to be further noted that our salary adjustment table remains one of the best so far across the country. The adjustment is as generous to all cadres of workers in the government employment and the retired ones who are on pension.

Within the last year, I approved the retirement Grade of the primary school teachers from Grade Level 15 to Grade 16; I also approved the recognition of first degree certificates for recruitment into primary schools. Some of the just employed teachers who possessed a degree in Education before their employment, have been placed appropriately, according to their level of education.

In line with my promise to workers and pensioners, we remain committed to the prompt payment of salaries and pension,  And by God’s grace, in the new year, we will work harder to double up on the liquidation of the outstanding gratuity obligation to our senior citizen.

Ekiti kete, while we are thankful to God for the modest achievements we have recorded in the year 2024, I want to assure you that we will accelerate on the current achievements and set higher bars in the current year.

Currently, work is ongoing and nearing completion on the first phase of the Ring Road construction, Ilawe to Ikere Road, Ikere-Ise-Emure, Igbara-Odo to Ikere and Ikole-Ara- Isinbode Road. Also, rehabilitation of the dual carriage, Ado-Ifaki road is almost completed, just as Igbara-Odo-Ikogosi, Itawure-Okemesi Road, Okemesi-Ido Ile, Itapa-Omu Ijelu, Iloro-Ijurin are progressing according to timetable.  We have also awarded the contract for Ayedun-Oke Ako Road and many internal roads in Ado-Ekiti metropolis.

Meanwhile, the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) is currently constructing rural roads in different parts of Ekiti totaling about 200 kilometers. More of such roads are slated for construction in the new year as some of the current contracts are expected to be delivered before the middle of the year.

As I promised in my speech last year, we have begun in full force, the development of Ado-Ekiti Central Business District with the commencement of work at Atikankan as part of our urban development plan. We have also started construction of Ekiti Cultural Center to meet our aspiration to create the enabling environment for the development of artistic and cultural industry of our people. In addition, we have also started work on the Sports Complex to encourage indoor games and recreational activities in the State. As at 30th December last year, I laid a foundation for the construction of Ekiti State Revenue House to enhance our State’s revenue generation and tax administration.

The education sector will continue to receive priority attention in qualitative and quantitative terms. We will continue the ongoing total rehabilitation of schools, increase school and instructional material supply as well as enhance teachers’ capacity through continuous training and re-training.

I am glad to inform you that our vision for the actualization of Ekiti Knowledge Zone is already on track as we have secured a significant investment of $80 million funding from the Africa Development Bank. Similarly, we have concluded feasibility study and infrastructure development activities billed to start in earnest in this new year.

I am proud to announce that Ekiti State Airport is now completed and ready for operation. The federal government through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), on December 13, 2024, granted the airport a six-month licence to commence non-scheduled flight activities at the Airport. This period of six months is for the airport to test its systems and prepare for full operation as from June 15 this year. This, in my view, is the best new year gift to Ekiti people.

I want to thank Aare Afe Babalola, especially, for his support in achieving this major infrastructure development for our dear State. We will continue to ask him to assist in ensuring that the Airport come to full operation as scheduled.

For us in Ekiti, the commencement of flights at the airport is a validation of our continuity mantra, it also marks a significant milestone in our strategic vision of linking the economy of our State to the rest of the world, as well as the expansion of  Ekiti economy into new arena of prosperity and opportunities. Our ultimate hope is to become the Agro-Allied  export hub of the the country. We are very thrilled by the potential that this breakthrough portends for our State.

As Government, we understand the socioeconomic importance of agriculture to the total  economic profile of our State. Agriculture remains the mainstay of our economy contributing about 80% to our GDP. We are addressing critical challenges associated with poor yield, access to credit, land clearing, among others. We will continue to supply farmers with high-yield seedlings, fertilizer and other necessities at subsided rate.

In this year, our budget plans already indicate that we are devoting more resources to agriculture and food security. We will open more lands for large-scale farming in the new year. I am glad about the progress we have made in our youth in agriculture projects including the Erifun Livestock hub and the Bring-Back-the-Youths to Agriculture programs in such locations as Oke-Ako, Iyemero, Ise, Aramoko/Erio/Eporo/Emure, Ado and Gede. This is in addition to the efforts of private sector players like YSJ, Agbeyewa, FMS, Promise Point, MAO Organic, JMK and other investors in the Agric Value Chains. The massive land clearing in those locations has tremendously reduced criminal activities in the State.

Additionally, as part of our plans to trigger massive economic activities for the accelerated economic activities of the State, we will invest in more land clearing, tractorization of more farm lands, construction of farm markets, abattoirs, farm dormitory and provision of farm inputs in the new year.

We will also leverage the Livestock Productivity Resilience Support (L-PRES) project of the World Bank to empower livestock farmers to optimize their productivity and profitability. We will also continue to support our farmers to ensure reduction  in cost of production and stability in price through market guaranteed buyback. To achieve this, we have established Ilu-Eye Trading Company to engage in off-taking buying during surplus production so as to ensure fair price recovery for the farmers and price stability for the consumers of farm produce.

Availability of portable water continues to receives a boost in the State. While a significant milage has been attained already, there is still a lot to be done to ensure the dividend of the investment in water assets gets to our people. In furtherance of the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygienic (SURWASH) program, assisted by the World Bank, more money is being devoted to the rehabilitation of water infrastructure, especially, boreholes in rural areas. We have done hundreds of such rehabilitation already, but, more places will be covered in this year. Our objective is to ensure our people must have access to clean and hygienic water for their daily use.

Before I end this broadcast, let me appreciate all the government officials who are working with me, especially the members of the executive council, the honourable members of the Ekiti State Assembly, and other political appointees for their cooperation and support.

As government,  we are very hopeful that the economic outlook of the nation will be more stable and some of the macroeconomic policy will begin to yield the desired results. We are very optimistic that 2025 will be a year of positive economic resurgent for the country, as indicators point to increased economic activities that will engender higher income and improved revenue; in Ekiti, this is our year of ACCELERATED GROWTH in our shared prosperity journey. Ekiti is going to witness massive improvement in food production, infrastructure and better government services than we have ever seen.

As I end this New Year address as your governor, I want to thank our traditional, religious and community leaders for the critical roles they play at all times. I would like to continue to solicit your support and cooperation in the New Year.  I thank everyone who has been of help in the past, just as we look forward to more opportunities for support and cooperation in year 2024. Thank you.  Happy and prosperous New Year for you all. God bless Ekiti State.

Biodun Oyebanji

Governor,

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