By: Adebayo Davies
As the new year settles into its first full week of work, Ogun State continues to bask in the gains recorded in 2025. One sector, in particular, steps into 2026 not from a place of uncertainty, but from a position of strength, poised at the edge of something bigger and deeper.
The State Housing Sector has been widely commended for delivering massive affordable housing projects across the State in the year just concluded, with clear assurances that 2026 will not merely sustain the momentum but decisively raise the bar. There is a quiet confidence in the air, a growing sense that the story ahead will be even more compelling.
At the heart of this unfolding narrative is the Housing Sector led by Jagunmolu Jamiu Omoniyi Akande, a thoroughbred Chartered Accountant whose leadership style blends professional discipline with grassroots sensitivity. Known simply as “Jagun,” he has made quality service delivery a culture rather than a slogan, deliberately promoting local content and indigenous capacity through his direct labour initiatives. With the firm support of the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, by engaging local artisans, suppliers, and professionals, he has turned housing delivery into a tool for grassroots empowerment, ensuring that development is felt not just in structures, but in livelihoods.
Looking ahead, the signals are unmistakable. The Sector is prepared to roll out legacy projects that promise to redefine the infrastructural landscape of the State. A state-of-the-art International Conference Centre in Iperu, an Appeal Court complex in the State capital and a 2,500-capacity Banquet Hall are on the horizon, projects that speak quietly now, but will soon speak loudly in form, function, and economic impact.
Even more intriguing are plans to breathe life into dormant public assets. The long-abandoned Block E Complex at the State Government Secretariat is set for completion and conversion into a Revenue House for the State Internal Revenue Service. Added to this are the proposed Legislators' and appointees’ quarters at the Ibara Housing Estate, alongside a 563-unit housing project at Siun, projects that reflect strategic thinking, asset optimization, and a deliberate push toward urban efficiency.
Since 2019, under the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration, "Jagun" has remained a loyal and effective team player, steadily proving naysayers wrong. From Kobape to Idi-Aba, Iperu to the ongoing Ibara GRA Urban Regeneration, Housing projects have reshaped skylines and rewritten narratives. These interventions have firmly placed the State on the national map of urban development and city re-planning, earning the trust and affection of subscribers who see the results and believe in the process.
Beyond policy and projects, Jagunmolu represents something more symbolic. He is an asset from Joga-Orile to the Gateway State, a source of pride to YewaLand, and a living reminder that local roots can produce global standards. His work reflects an understanding that true development must begin at the grassroots, grow through local hands, and ultimately serve the collective good of the State.
As anticipation builds, one thing is clear: 2026 will add measurable value to the ISEYA agenda. With housing positioned not just as a social service but as a key enabler of economic growth, the sector is set to boost productivity, stimulate jobs, and deepen urban prosperity. For those watching closely, the signs are there. The Housing Maestro is not done yet and when the next chapter unfolds, the State may well discover that the best is still ahead.
Adebayo writes from Kobape, Obafemi-Owode Local Government
