17 Interesting Things Adeola (Yayi) Says He Will Do for Ogun People and Journalists If Elected Governor

By Charles Segun Adegbite 

The Ogun State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has unveiled a broad development agenda for the state, promising to pursue major reforms and investments across transportation, infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, industrialisation, employment, security and human capital development if elected governor in 2027.

Adeola made the promises during a courtesy and familiarisation visit to the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the Iwe Iroyin Press Centre, Abeokuta, where he also unveiled his proposed nine-pillar ITESIWAJU development agenda.

The senator described journalists as partners in progress and urged them to hold him accountable for the commitments he made before them.

According to him, the agenda was developed over about two years after examining some of the challenges confronting Ogun State. He described it as a “covenant, a plan and intent” for transforming the state's economy and improving public services.

Here are 17 interesting things Adeola says he will do for Ogun people and journalists if elected governor:

1. Strengthen Support for the Ogun NUJ

Adeola pledged sustained and increased support for the Ogun State Council of the NUJ, saying journalists should be treated as partners in the development of the state.

He dismissed reports that he had brought consultants to take over the responsibilities of the Ogun NUJ, describing such information as false.

He also urged journalists to hold him accountable for the commitments contained in his proposed development agenda.

2. Build a Statewide Bus Mass Transit System

Adeola proposed an Ogun State Bus Mass Transit Programme that would connect major population and economic corridors across the state.

The proposed network would include interconnected terminals linking Abeokuta, Ilaro, Sagamu, Ijebu and Lagos, with the aim of improving movement of people and goods.

3. Pursue Commuter Rail Connectivity

The APC candidate said he would work with the Nigerian Railway Corporation towards establishing commuter rail connections between Abeokuta, Lagos and Ogun's industrial corridors.

He said improved rail transportation would complement road infrastructure and support the movement of workers, businesses and goods.

4. Introduce the “Ogun Ride” Mobility Scheme

Adeola also proposed “Ogun Ride”, a state-backed mobility platform covering cars, tricycles and motorcycles.

Under the proposal, operators could benefit from health insurance, vehicle financing and cooperative arrangements, potentially linking transportation with social and economic welfare.

5. Develop New Towns and Expand Housing Opportunities

According to Adeola, his infrastructure programme would go beyond roads to include housing, water transportation, digital connectivity and new towns along high-growth corridors.

He said planned settlements would help accommodate population growth while preserving older communities and family heritage.

6. Turn Tourism and Culture Into Economic Opportunities

Adeola identified Ogun's historical and cultural assets, including Abeokuta, Olumo Rock, Egungun festivals and Ogun Waterside, as opportunities for expanding the state's visitor economy.

He proposed promoting film, fashion, music and Adire, alongside flagship cultural events and a digital tourism portal.

He also said he would build on existing tourism interventions rather than abandon them.

7. Improve Schools and Introduce AI Education

Adeola promised to expand classroom and learning infrastructure while strengthening technical and vocational education.

He also proposed improving the quality and global competitiveness of graduates from Ogun's tertiary institutions and incorporating Artificial Intelligence into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools.

8. Establish an Ogun State Security Trust Fund

On security, Adeola proposed establishing an Ogun State Security Trust Fund, drawing partly from his stated experience with the Lagos State Security Trust Fund.

He said industries and other stakeholders should participate in funding security, while government would continue making annual budgetary provisions for protecting lives and property.

9. Expand Healthcare and Health Insurance Coverage

Adeola proposed expanding healthcare infrastructure in underserved communities and increasing investment in doctors, nurses and community health workers.

He also proposed universalising the state health insurance scheme, with a target of two million enrollees.

The senator further said he had facilitated the construction of more than 100 primary healthcare centres and would build on existing healthcare initiatives.

10. Establish Mega Vocational Centres for Skills Development

For women, youths and other residents seeking economic opportunities, Adeola proposed establishing mega vocational centres across Ogun's four divisions.

The centres would provide training in areas such as tailoring, catering and other trades, with programmes lasting between six months and one year.

He said beneficiaries would subsequently be positioned to establish businesses or access employment opportunities.

11. Mechanise Agriculture and Improve Farmers' Access to Finance

Adeola proposed greater agricultural mechanisation, farmer financing and climate-smart agriculture.

He also spoke of expanding agricultural processing and establishing an agro-industrial park to create stronger links between farming, processing and industrial production.

He said he had already distributed more than 40 tractors and other agricultural equipment to farmers in Ogun as part of his existing interventions.

12. Create a Better Market for Farmers' Produce

Adeola proposed what he described as a Commodity and Exchange Commission to create an organised market and offtake mechanism for agricultural produce.

Under the proposal, government could purchase produce from farmers, process the commodities and facilitate access to local and export markets.

He said such a system could help reduce post-harvest losses while ensuring farmers have the resources to return to production.

13. Create More Jobs Through Industrial Partnerships

Adeola said Ogun should derive greater economic benefits from the industries operating within the state.

He questioned whether the state was receiving sufficient economic value when some companies maintained their headquarters in Lagos despite having major factories and operations in Ogun.

He promised to pursue stronger partnerships with industries and encourage them to give qualified Ogun residents greater access to employment opportunities.

14. Make Ogun Less Dependent on Lagos for Jobs and Accommodation

One of Adeola's broader economic objectives is to reduce the dependence of Ogun residents on Lagos for employment and accommodation.

He said he wanted to develop Ogun into a state where people could live and work around the clock.

The proposal involves strengthening industrialisation, infrastructure, transportation, housing and economic activity within the state.

15. Fight for Greater Value From Ogun's Mineral Resources

Adeola also promised to pursue greater economic benefits from Ogun's mineral resources.

He said the state should play a stronger role in mining-related opportunities and declared that he would fight for mining certificates in the state.

His stated objective is to ensure that the state's mineral wealth contributes more directly to its economic development.

16. Strengthen Accountability and Partnership With Journalists

Adeola specifically challenged journalists to preserve the commitments he made during the NUJ engagement and question him about their implementation if he eventually becomes governor.

“You are the custodians of public memory,” he told the journalists, stressing that they should ask him what happened to the promises he made after one or two years in office.

His position places the media as part of the accountability mechanism envisaged around his proposed administration.

17. Continue Existing Development Projects Rather Than Abandon Them

Adeola said he would seek to build on the achievements of the current administration rather than discard existing projects because of a change in government.

He argued that major infrastructure projects could not necessarily be completed within one or two years and therefore required continuity and coordinated planning.

His proposed approach covers infrastructure, transport, housing, rail, water transportation, agriculture, healthcare, education, industrialisation and other sectors.

A Proposed Development Blueprint for Ogun

Adeola said the ITESIWAJU agenda was designed around nine cardinal pillars and six catalysts of institutional reform, covering infrastructure; tourism and culture; education and human capital development; security and law enforcement; health and wellbeing; women and youth empowerment and poverty alleviation; agriculture and food security; job creation and industrialisation; and urban, environmental and physical development.

Earlier, Ogun NUJ Chairman, Comrade Akinwale Olanrewaju, appreciated Adeola for visiting the council and called for intervention in the state's broadcasting stations, which he described as being in critical condition.

He also raised issues concerning the development and welfare of the media community as well as the union's infrastructure.

The NUJ subsequently conferred on Adeola the title of Ogun NUJ Golden Jubilee Ambassador as the council prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The Golden Jubilee celebration is scheduled for October 26 to November 1, 2026, with the theme, “Truth, Trust and the Press – Protecting Democratic Choice and Rebuilding Public Confidence in Journalism.”

Adeola's delegation included the APC deputy governorship candidate, Alhaja Kudirat Abiodun Adegunwa-Balogun; Director-General of the APC Campaign Council, Senator Lekan Mustapha; former Speakers of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Titi Oseni-Shodunke and Hon. Tunji Egbetokun; and APC Ogun West senatorial candidate, Hon. Jimoh Ojugbele.

The APC candidate said the ultimate objective of the proposed agenda was to transform Ogun's economy, improve infrastructure and public services, create employment opportunities and strengthen the state's position as an industrial and commercial hub.

He again urged journalists to preserve the promises made during the engagement and hold him accountable should he eventually assume office.

Story from NUJ Ogun-East Independent Chapel