Nigeria is at a turning point. The Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is working hard to reposition the economy and cushion the effects of the harsh times. Subsidy savings are being redirected, student loans are flowing, and new economic policies are being introduced to stabilize the country.
But federal efforts alone are not enough. The real change must happen at the state level. This is the time for a good, creative governor to wake up and say boldly: *"This state is ready for business, and my people are ready to work."*
It is no longer time to commission another roundabout or paint another bridge. Those are beautification projects, not liberation projects. What our people need now is direct intervention in their lives and livelihoods.
The Model That Will Create One Million Jobs
Imagine a governor who announces a clear, measurable empowerment plan:
*200 indigenes supported to establish poultry farms*
*200 indigenes supported to establish piggery farms*
*200 individuals supported to establish juice manufacturing companies*
*200 individuals supported to establish nail and allied manufacturing establishments*
And many more in fish farming, cassava processing, garment making, soap making, and food packaging.
Not loans with double-digit interest that send people to an early grave. Not bank loans that commercial banks will never approve for ordinary citizens.
But direct state-backed support: equipment, working capital, land, training, and market linkage, with a clear agreement to allow the beneficiary *48 months to recoup the investment* before the state recycles the money to the next set of beneficiaries.
If one poultry farm employs 5 people directly and supports 10 more indirectly, 200 farms alone create thousands of jobs. Multiply that across 10 to 20 sectors, and you are looking at employment for at least one million citizens in a single state.
That is real governance.
I Can Imagine 200 Taxis For Ile-Ife
I can imagine 200 units of state-supported Taxis in Ile-Ife. That alone would save a lot of lives, prevent countless accidents, and save the legs of our old people who are currently exposed to the dangers of Okadas around the General Hospital and Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Ile-Ife.
Safe, affordable transport is not just convenience. It is public health. It is economic protection for our elderly and our students.
I Can Imagine 3 Mega State-Owned Hotels
I can imagine how 3 mega state-owned hotels, one in each senatorial district, can boost tourism and create massive jobs for the citizens.
Late Bisi Onabanjo did it in Ogun State, and it helped Ogun State tremendously. It created employment, attracted visitors, kept money circulating within the state, and gave the state a source of independent revenue.
Our states are blessed with culture, history, and natural beauty. Ile-Ife alone, as the cradle of the Yoruba race, can fill a 5-star hotel every weekend if we build the infrastructure to host the world.
A creative governor will not wait for foreign investors to do this. He will lead it, build it, and let the wealth remain at home.
States Must Unite, Local Governments Must Unite
No state can do it alone, and no local government should be left behind.
States within a region can unite to establish joint businesses, share factories, share tourism infrastructure, and share markets. Local governments within a state can do the same among themselves, pooling resources to create processing centers, transport unions, and agro-industrial hubs.
We must wake up to the reality and begin to create wealth. Wealth is not created by budgets alone. Wealth is created by production, by vision, by courageous governors who dare to invest.
This Is Not The Time For Frivolous Activities
This is not the time for governors to be jetting out at intervals for ceremonies and frivolous activities. This is the time to show that you care.
People are hungry. Youths are idle. Artisans are frustrated. Parents cannot pay school fees. The answer is not another billboard or another overseas trip. The answer is to put production tools directly into the hands of the people.
A creative governor understands this difference. A creative governor knows that building bridges is good, but building businesses is better. Building a flyover is good, but building 1,000 factories is legacy.
Commercial banks have failed the common man. Their double-digit loans are a trap, not a ladder. If the state does not step in, who will?
The Time Is Now
To every governor listening: Your state is ready. Your indigenes are ready. Give them the support, give them the 48 months, and watch what they will produce.
This is what it means to be a creative governor in this era. Not just sharing palliatives, but creating producers. Not just spending budgets, but investing budgets.
Let us move from beautification to empowerment. From commissioning to production. From talk to tangible jobs.
The people are watching, and history will remember the governor who dared to invest directly in his people.
