By Our Correspondent
The Ogun State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Solomon Adeola, has unveiled a nine-point development agenda aimed at transforming the state’s economy and improving infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture and human capital development if elected governor in 2027.
Adeola unveiled the agenda on Friday 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 was received by more than 300 journalists.
The APC candidate said his proposed administration would prioritise infrastructure development; tourism and creative arts; education and human capital development; security and law enforcement reform; inclusive healthcare; women and youth empowerment; agricultural transformation; job creation and industrialisation; as well as urban renewal, environmental sustainability and physical planning.
According to him, the agenda is designed to reposition Ogun State as a more productive and inclusive economy capable of creating opportunities for its growing population.
Adeola also promised to establish a strong relationship with the media, urging journalists to hold his administration accountable to the promises made during the electioneering period.
He said: “You are the custodians of public memory. Whether you call me Senator, or one day a Governor, you will be the ones who ask me, in one year, in two years, ‘what happened to that promise you made in Abeokuta?’
“That is exactly the relationship I want with this Union.”
On infrastructure and transportation, Adeola said he would work with the Nigerian Railway Corporation to develop commuter rail connectivity linking Abeokuta with Lagos and the state’s industrial corridors.
He also pledged to expand digital connectivity, promote affordable housing and facilitate the development of new towns along high-growth corridors.
On youth employment, the APC candidate promised to train 100,000 youths in digital skills by 2031 and establish a Youth Enterprise Hub in Abeokuta within his first six months in office, with satellite hubs across the state.
He said the initiative would be supported with microcredit for young entrepreneurs, with the broader objective of reducing unemployment and facilitating the creation of more than 500,000 jobs.
In the healthcare sector, Adeola promised to expand healthcare infrastructure in underserved communities and revitalise the state’s health insurance programme, Ilera D’ero, with a target of enrolling two million residents.
He also proposed the establishment of multipurpose sports complexes in each senatorial district, grassroots talent centres and an Ogun Youth Sports Academy, alongside scholarships and insurance support for athletes.
On agriculture, the APC candidate said his administration would focus on mechanisation, farmer financing, climate-smart farming and agro-processing hubs.
He further proposed the establishment of a State-Supported Produce Market to strengthen the agricultural value chain and improve market access for farmers.
Earlier, the Ogun State NUJ Chairman, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, commended Adeola for his interventions in the journalism community and his support for the union.
Olanrewaju disclosed that the NUJ had completed 26 projects at its facilities within three and a half years, describing the development as unprecedented.
He recalled that the union inherited a facility that was in poor condition, with inadequate working materials and basic infrastructure, but said the situation had changed significantly.
The NUJ chairman specifically appreciated Adeola for providing a solar-powered borehole at the NUJ Secretariat Annex, describing the intervention as more than just a source of water.
He noted that the land where the facility is located had been allocated to the NUJ since 1987, adding that Adeola’s intervention had helped unlock its potential.
Olanrewaju said the NUJ decided to use the occasion not only as an interface with the APC governorship candidate but also to acknowledge his contributions to journalism and the welfare of journalists in Ogun State.
