From Promise to Performance: Rebuilding Ogun Under Dapo Abiodun

An examination of how focused leadership and strategic investments are redefining development in the Gateway State.

By Kayode Akinmade

History is often unkind to leaders who inherit complexity. It demands instant miracles while ignoring the weight of what came before. Yet, every so often, a leader emerges who understands that transformation is not always loud or dramatic, but steady, deliberate, and ultimately undeniable. In Ogun State, that leader has been Prince Dapo Abiodun.

When he assumed office as governor, Ogun was widely acknowledged as a state of immense promise, yet burdened by deep contradictions. Its land attracted industries, but its infrastructure lagged behind demand. Its people were industrious, yet opportunities were uneven. Though it bordered Lagos—Africa’s commercial capital—it often bore the spillover costs without enjoying proportional benefits. What Abiodun brought to this reality was not noise, but order; not populism, but planning.

Today, Ogun no longer pleads for relevance. It asserts it.

Leadership with Direction, Not Drama

From the outset, Abiodun’s administration made it clear that governance would be anchored on a clearly articulated development philosophy. The ISEYA agenda was not presented as a slogan, but as a governing compass—one that placed infrastructure, social development, education, youth empowerment, and agriculture at the centre of public policy.

This clarity of purpose has defined the administration’s approach. Rather than scatter efforts across unrelated initiatives, projects have been tied to long-term outcomes. Ministries and agencies operate through coordination rather than competition. The result is a state that moves with coherence instead of confusion.

Infrastructure That Speaks for Itself

If governance is best judged by what citizens can see and feel, then Ogun’s roads have become some of the most eloquent advocates of the Abiodun administration. Across the state, long-forgotten corridors have been restored to life. Roads in Abeokuta, Ota, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode, Ilaro, and numerous rural communities now bear the mark of purposeful governance.

The reconstruction of strategic routes such as the Sagamu–Interchange–Abeokuta corridor, the Atan–Lusada–Agbara axis, and key intra-city roads has redefined mobility and commerce. These are not ceremonial projects; they are economic arteries, carrying goods, people, and opportunity across senatorial boundaries.

More profoundly, these roads have reunited communities with the promise of development. Farmers reach markets with ease. Traders move goods without losses. Families access schools and healthcare without dread. Under Abiodun, infrastructure has become a tool of dignity.

Taking Ogun to the Skies

Perhaps no project captures the audacity of Abiodun’s vision more clearly than the Gateway Agro-Cargo Airport at Iperu. In a country where airports are often criticised as prestige projects, Ogun’s facility stands apart as a statement of economic intent.

Designed as a cargo and logistics hub, the airport aligns seamlessly with the state’s agricultural and industrial ambitions. It reflects a governor who understands supply chains, export competitiveness, and the demands of modern commerce. By integrating the airport with road and rail infrastructure, the administration has positioned Ogun as a natural gateway for goods moving between farms, factories, ports, and international markets.

This is infrastructure with purpose—conceived, initiated, and delivered by one administration, and one of its kind in Nigeria.

Restoring Investor Confidence, One Policy at a Time

Under Abiodun, Ogun has regained its standing as one of Nigeria’s most investment-friendly states. Through consistent engagement with the private sector, regulatory clarity, and strategic infrastructure support, the government has sent a clear message: Ogun is open, ready, and reliable.

Industrial hubs in Agbara, Ota, Sagamu, and Abeokuta have witnessed renewed activity. Manufacturers continue to expand operations, encouraged by improved access roads, responsive institutions, and a government that listens. Strengthened investment facilitation agencies have reduced bureaucratic friction, allowing investors to focus on production rather than paperwork.

The revival of discussions around the Olokola Free Trade Zone and inland logistics infrastructure further underscores the administration’s strategic outlook. Development is not pursued in isolation, but through regional collaboration and long-term positioning.

Sustaining Ogun’s Place in Education

Education reform under Abiodun has been quietly transformative. Public schools have seen extensive rehabilitation, improved learning environments, and a gradual restoration of confidence in public education. Teachers, long neglected, have received renewed attention through recruitment, training, improved welfare, and prompt payment of salaries and allowances.

Digital learning initiatives and model schools reflect an understanding that education must evolve with the times. The administration’s support for tertiary institutions through infrastructure upgrades and partnerships reinforces Ogun’s historic reputation as a centre of academic excellence. The launch of the OgunDIGI Class during the COVID-19 pandemic was widely praised for keeping learning uninterrupted.

In tangible terms, the administration has built and renovated well over 1,000 blocks of classrooms across all 236 wards, identifiable by their distinctive yellow roofs. More than 50,000 desks and chairs, along with essential learning materials, have been supplied. The government approved the construction of 12 blocks of 900 smart classrooms in flagship schools across the zones and employed over 4,000 teachers through initiatives such as OgunTeach.

Additional reforms include improved rural and transport allowances, the absorption of OgunTeach interns into permanent positions, the clearance of promotion backlogs, and the abolition of illegal levies and indiscriminate fees to guarantee free and accessible basic education. Governor Abiodun also secured significant UBEC intervention funds to clear backlogs from 2014–2019, earning commendations from the National Parents-Teachers Association (NPTA) and praise from the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS).

A People-Centred Healthcare System

Healthcare reforms under Abiodun have prioritised access, quality, and sustainability. Primary healthcare centres across communities have been renovated and equipped, bringing essential services closer to the people. Functional facilities, supported by reliable power solutions, have significantly improved service delivery.

The Ogun State Health Insurance Scheme stands as one of the administration’s most people-centred policies, reducing out-of-pocket expenses and expanding access to care. In health infrastructure, the administration secured full accreditation and upgraded the state’s Schools of Nursing to collegiate status, inaugurated the Sexual Therapy and Assault Referral Centre (STAR) at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, completed and concessioned the 250-bed Medical Centre of Excellence in Abeokuta, and commissioned key projects at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, including a consultant complex and ward extensions.

Redefining Agriculture

Agriculture in Ogun is no longer an afterthought. Through mechanisation support, farmer data systems, and market integration, the Abiodun administration has elevated farming from subsistence to enterprise.

Farm settlements have been revitalised, access roads constructed, and rural markets improved. The alignment of agricultural policy with logistics infrastructure—particularly the agro-cargo airport—demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of value chains and export potential.

Key initiatives include the development of a 20,000-hectare rice farmland in Yewa, a pilot rice project yielding 1,400 metric tonnes, and the empowerment of thousands of agripreneurs in cassava production. The creation of the Ogun State Investment Promotion Agency (OGUNIPA), youth-focused agricultural programmes, and the Ijebu Development Initiative for Poverty Reduction (Eriwe) to develop the fish sub-sector further reflect this strategic focus.

Youth Empowerment Rooted in Skills

Rather than rely on token empowerment schemes, the Abiodun administration has invested in skills development and employability. Job centres, digital platforms, technology hubs, and vocational training programmes have expanded pathways for young people to earn, create, and innovate.

These initiatives acknowledge a simple truth: empowerment without skills is charity; empowerment with skills is development.

Governance Anchored on Stability

Beyond physical projects, Abiodun’s greatest strength may lie in the tone of his governance. Regular consultations, town hall engagements, and collaboration with traditional institutions have fostered trust and inclusion. Fiscal discipline and transparency have ensured that ambition does not outpace capacity.

Strategic security partnerships and community engagement have helped preserve Ogun’s reputation as a stable environment for investment and living—an achievement often undervalued until it is absent.

A Quiet but Enduring Transformation

The transformation of Ogun under Dapo Abiodun is neither accidental nor exaggerated. It is evident in roads that endure, institutions that function, and policies that align with lived realities. While challenges remain, the direction is firm and the momentum unmistakable.

What Ogun has witnessed is leadership that understands that development is not about grandstanding, but about groundwork; not about applause, but about permanence.

In redefining governance with calm authority and strategic intent, Dapo Abiodun has not merely governed Ogun State—he has restored its confidence, reclaimed its relevance, and repositioned it for a future that now feels attainable.

*Akinmade is Special Adviser on Media to Governor Dapo Abiodun