BY ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA
No national government or subnational government can survive in isolation. The 21st Century world is a world that thrives on friendship, collaborations and partnerships, at bilateral and multilateral levels.
Since assuming office in October 2022, Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, recognizes this fact hence his resolve to reach out to institutions, agencies, organizations and individuals that have the means to assist in translating the dream of Shared Prosperity to reality.
Before reaching out, the Governor ensured the deep entrenchment of the policy framework that would smoothen the wheel of governance, investment-friendly polices, provide the needed infrastructure and create an enabling environment to fast-track the ease of doing business in Ekiti State.
Shortly after settling down in office, institutions like banks and other corporate organizations paid the Governor courtesy visits with a view to exploring areas they could do business with the State to consolidate what was achieved with the immediate past administration in which he meritoriously served as the Secretary to the State Government.
One area in which Mr. Governor has taken the notch up further is reaching out to entities that could be of support and help to the government and the people of the state which he has done with gusto. For Ekiti to get the very best of the pie within and outside Nigeria, the Governor cannot sit down in his office in Ado Ekiti; he has to go out to look for funds, grants, credit facilities and openings for deserving citizens of the state, local and foreign investors.
It is a fact that cannot be controverted that Governor Oyebanji is a very respected face at the Presidency when it comes to pushing for the interests of Ekiti and his cause has been further helped by the love President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has for him and his administration which has opened the doors of opportunities from which the state has benefitted immensely.
Almost two years down the line, the benefit of Governor Oyebanji’s contacts, visits, reaching out and collaboration with federal agencies, institutions, development partners and investors are already yielding bountiful harvests in the interest of Ekiti and its people.
Agencies of the Federal Government the Governor has made representations to include Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and Ministry of Power.
Others are Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Nigeria Export Processing Zonal Authority (NEPZA), Agriculture Development Bank, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Niger Delta Power Holding Company.
Development partners Governor Oyebanji has established a good relationship with in the interest of Ekiti are World Bank, Africa Development Bank (AfDB), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United States African Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and some Embassies and High Commissions in the country.
This piece will not be complete without citing a few examples of how Governor Oyebanji’s deepening of relationship with all these aforementioned institutions, agencies and development partners is benefitting Ekiti and its people in the key sectors that align with the five-pillar agenda of the administration.
The Governor’s visit to the Ministry of Defence resulted in attracting an Air Force Base to the state with the foundation personally laid by the Chief of Air Staff. The presence of an airport in the state is expected to complement the operations of the men of the Nigerian Air Force when it is fully operational.
NAMA and Ekiti State Government recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as part of the ongoing Ekiti Airport certification process which is the last stage of approval for commercial flight operations by the nation’s aviation authorities.
The Governor’s working relationship with the Ministry of Defence and particularly the Nigerian Army led to the deployment of more soldiers which has helped to curb security breaches in some flashpoints in the state.
The Governor’s meeting with Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, earlier this week focused showed his relentless pursuit of benefits for the Land of Honour and its citizens. The visit, among others, was aimed at securing the Federal Government’s support for the fiscal development of the state.
The Governor used the forum to restate his commitment to exploring opportunities for collaboration with federal agencies, private sector players and development partners in order to create economic opportunities for citizens’ socio-economic growth and development of the state in line with the Shared Prosperity agenda.
Governor Oyebanji has taken the state’s working relationship with the World Bank to a higher pedestal since coming on board through official visits and articulation of Ekiti’s interests in some of its products that are beneficial to the state.
These include the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), interventions in agriculture sector and water sub-sector. Different percentages of work have been done on many rural roads through RAAMP and this will rub off positively on agriculture in terms of timely evacuation of farm produce to the markets and providing amenities to rural dwellers.
Though AGILE, many schoolgirls have been empowered with laptops and cash grants to keep them in school and provide the state-owned schools with instructional materials while capacity building programmes were organized for principals and teachers.
Ekiti is also benefitting from the World Bank-assisted Nigeria for Women Project, United States African Development scheme while the state is also benefitting from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the area of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The AfDB has provided huge support for the Ekiti Knowledge Zone (EKZ) and most especially its flagship Model Smart School. The Governor’s commitment to payment of counterpart funds to UBEC has given the state opportunities to access funds to turn around the basic education sub-sector.
During Governor Oyebanji’s visit to Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, he was assured by the minister of the Federal Government’s commitment to reconstruction and rehabilitation of federal roads that are in deplorable conditions in the state with the minister paying a follow-up visit to Ekiti for an on-the-spot assessment of the roads concerned which are already receiving attention.
Time and space will not permit mentioning the benefits Ekiti has derived from the Governor’s working relationship with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment through its agencies like SMEDAN, Bank of Industry, NEPZA, Agriculture Development Bank, among others.
The train of development of Ekiti State being piloted by Governor Oyebanji is moving at a faster pace and it is very sure that he won’t relent in his fruitful engagement with federal agencies and development partners until the Ekiti of his dream is achieved.
Ogunmola is the Senior Special Assistant on Print Media to the Governor