State of the StatesState Of States: Oyo State

State Of States: Oyo State

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January 31, (THEWILL) – Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria was created on February 3, 1976 from the former Western State. Ibadan, the state capital is the largest indigenous city in Africa, south of the Sahara. Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the east by Osun State and to the west by Ogun State and the Republic of Benin.

Cocoa house
Cocoa house

The climate is equatorial, notably with dry and wet seasons and relatively high humidity.

The dry season lasts from November to March, while the wet season starts from April and ends in October. The average daily temperature ranges between 25 °C (77.0 °F) and 35 °C (95.0 °F), almost throughout the year.

Glo

The state economy remains largely agrarian, with Shaki (a town in the state) as the breadbasket. Cassava, cocoa, and tobacco are among the most important crops to the state’s economy. The state is also noted for its cottage industries, consisting of cotton spinning, weaving, dyeing, leatherworking (sheep and goat skins), wood carving, and mat making industries. The people of Iseyin (a town in the state) predominantly blacksmiths engage in metalwork. The town is the headquarters of a local government area and it has several Christian missionary schools and a hospital.

The state is the seat of most first institutions and establishments in the country thus prides itself as the pace-setter. Oyo is home to Nigeria’s premier university,

the University of Ibadan; one of the oldest teaching institutions, St Andrew’s Teacher’s College; the first television station and Nigeria’s first skyscraper, Cocoa House.

Oyo also has the largest numbers of research institutes in the country: medical, zoological, agricultural and horticultural. The state is also known to have specialised institutions such as the Federal School of Survey, Federal School of Statistics, College of Co-operative and over 36 tertiary institutions. Industries in the state include a cannery, brewery, publishing company, tobacco-processing factory, wood- and steel-furniture factory.

Mineral Resources:

Tin, gold, columbite and marble exist in commercial quantities.

Agricultural Resources:

The state is rich with tobacco, cocoa, palm produce, beans, plantain, cassava, maize, kolanuts, tea, cotton and groundnuts.

Tourist sites

Oke-Ado Mountain, Iyake Lake, Agodi Park, Zoological Garden of the University of Ibadan, Mapo Hall, Bowers Tower, IITA Forest Reserve, Odua Museum, Irefin Palace and Mbari Arts Center.

Oke-Ado Mountain
Oke-Ado Mountain

Agricultural and Rural Development

To fast-track rural community development, the government moved to revive the 210-hectare facility known as Rural Community Development Centre (RCDC), Awe in June 2020, in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) with whom they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Oyo State-IITA Youth Agribusiness Incubation Park Centre was thereafter established in August 2021. About 70 youths who were part of the Oyo Hub of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) harvested baskets of tomato during the year.

The initiative driven by Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), as a sub-component of OYSADA’s Youth in Agribusiness Programme is strategic. The Lead Management Person, IITA at the Oyo State-IITA Youth Agribusiness Incubation Park Centre, Dr Chris Akem, said it was the first time any government in Nigeria had signed an MOU with the IITA clearly outlining the terms of engagement and responsibilities of the organisation and the Oyo State Government.

Mokola Roundabout
Mokola Roundabout

The Director-General of the IITA, Dr Nterayan Sanginga, is a familiar hand and he has initiated several youth incubation programmes. Also, the IITA is renowned for attracting funding for its programmes. The partnership has indeed proved mutually beneficial. Aside from training the IFAD-Agrihub cohorts, IITA now carries out most of its practical youth training at this site. Speaking on this, Dr Akem confirmed that IITA is now implementing various youth programmes such as the ENABLE TAAT programme, and the Youth in Agricultural Enterprises programme funded by GIZ at the centre.

Furthermore, the Director-General of the state’s OYSADA, Dr Debo Akande, said the agency was providing the infrastructure to ensure that the centre remains operational. He disclosed that the state has set up an integrated power system that includes solar energy. The government is also rebuilding the dilapidated hostel, providing security and fencing and also providing boreholes for the various enterprises.

Transportation
Transportation

The 133 hectares presently includes the once-moribund 22 hectares of oil palm and10 hectares of cashews which has now been resuscitated by the state. Another 100 hectares of land for field crop production serves as the basis of the IITA supported processing centre now operating at the facility. Dr Akande added that the processing facility does not only serve the youths at the centre but has also become a hub for smallholder farmers in the Awe area to process their crops.

Supermarket
Supermarket

The site also boasts a livestock section and a palm processing facility. Dr Akande said that with the new approach to agribusiness by the Oyo State Government, opportunities abound in agribusiness. “Agriculture is no longer just about putting seeds in the ground and watching them grow, there is a whole value chain and various enterprises to pursue. Our youths should make themselves available for these opportunities and be prepared to put in the work required,” he said.

FACT-FILE:

LGA: 33

Land Area: 10.986sqmi

Population: 7.540million @ 2020

Registered businees: 318

Public primary schools: 2.992 @ 2010

Public secondary schools: 324 @ 2010

University (9): Federal – 1, state – 2, private – 6

Polytechnic (11): Federal – 1, state – 2, private – 8

College of Education (5): Federal – 1, state – 2, private – 2

College of Agriculture (7): Federal – 5, state – 1, private – 1

Nursing School Health Technology: State – 2

Technical School (2): State – 2

School of Statistic: Federal – 1

Local Restaurant
Local Restaurant

School of Survey: Federal – 1

College of Cooperative: Federal – 1

Total Revenue: N71.50bn @ 2020

Total Tax: N21.29bn @ 2020

IGR: N38.04bn @ 2020 (41.48% of total revenue)

FAAC: N53.6bn @ 2020 (58.52% of total revenue)

Domestic Debt: N94.49bn @ 2020

External Debt: $83.70m @ 2020

Unemployment rate: 17.99% @ 2020

Airport: 1

Oyo Drives Infrastructure Development Through APFA

Oyo State government has embarked on the construction of Oyo-Iseyin Road, a major project in the state. The government stated that the rehabilitation was essential as it would become a vital link between the farming communities of Oke-Ogun and Oyo, providing the much-needed market linkage between these zones.

Food Production
Food Production
Craft/Aso-Oke
Craft/Aso-Oke

The construction, which was originally billed to cost N8.4 billion, was increased to N9.9 billion last month. The state government explained that the increment was as a result of requirements by the Federal Government. According to Gov. Seyi Makinde, “This is a federal road being reconstructed by the Oyo State Government. So, after consultation with the federal government, we were given specifications to comply with. For example, we had to increase the width of the road from 10.75m to 12.75m to meet with the federal government specifications”

The Oyo-Iseyin Road due to be completed in seven month will cost N9.9 billion, while the dualisation of the Airport Road and several adjoining roads totalling 10.82 kilometres will cost N4.9 billion.

Guest House
Guest House

The government assured that the project would not strain the economy of the state, adding that the road would be built by Messrs Kopek Construction, through the Alternate Project Funding Approach (APFA). “We are executing the project using the Alternate Project Funding Approach (APFA),” Makinde said.

“Let me take a few minutes to talk about our approach to executing projects in Oyo State. Some people are confused as to how we are still flagging off projects when some states are finding it difficult to pay salaries. They do not understand how we are raising Oyo State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), building our economy and engineering a modern Oyo State. The governor further said there is no need for hidden debt. The projects is the Alternate Project Funding Approach (APFA). The process has always been transparent from take-off.

Auto Repairs
Auto Repairs

“With APFA, the contractor funds the project, and we pay back over an agreed period of time.

“And let me make this clear: you have my word that not one Naira will be left unpaid to any contractor under APFA at the end of our current tenure.

“For example, for this project, which was awarded in June this year, the repayment period is seventeen (17) months. This means that the project will be completed before all the repayments are made. However, the last repayment will be made by December 2022.

“So, do not allow anyone to confuse you. Road construction is a big part of our engineering in modern Oyo State. The building of roads forms the foundation of the development of all other sectors of the four pillars of our governance as clearly outlined in our Roadmap to Accelerated Development in Oyo State, 2019-2023.

Phone Repairs and Accessories
Phone Repairs and Accessories

“You need good roads to drive to healthcare centres. Without good roads, our children cannot go to school. How will our farmers get to the markets if the roads are bad? And no matter how many vehicles we give to security agencies, how will they be able to get to people in trouble when the roads are bad?

“So, we will continue to build a viable road network for our dear state. This is the path to sustainable development.”

Food Processing
Food Processing

The government revealed that inner roads are being fixed by the Oyo State Ministry of Works, Infrastructure and Transportation, working with the local government authorities. It reassured that the whole exercise is geared towards engineering a modern Oyo State, building structures and systems that will lead to sustainable development.

Challenging Factors: Insecurity, excesses of revenue officials, poor electricity supply, deplorable road network.

*** BY SAM DIALA & OLAYEMI SHABA

About the Author

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Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.

Sam Diala, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.

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