Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has celebrated the state’s progress 30 years after its creation, while unveiling a 30-year transformation agenda aimed at driving its future development.
Oyebanji spoke in a statewide broadcast to commemorate Ekiti’s 30th anniversary, describing the milestone as an opportunity to reflect on the state’s journey, acknowledge its challenges and plan for the future.
Ekiti State was created on 1 October 1996 by the military administration of the late General Sani Abacha, alongside Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Gombe, Nasarawa and Zamfara states, bringing Nigeria’s total number of states from 30 to 36.
The governor said that despite being among the last states created and receiving one of the lowest allocations from the Federation Account, Ekiti had recorded notable progress across various human development indicators.
He also paid tribute to those who campaigned for the creation of the state, including members of the Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State led by Chief Oladeji Fasuan, legal icon Aare Afe Babalola, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, and other traditional rulers and community leaders.
Oyebanji said the creation of Ekiti followed years of advocacy by its people and described the struggle as part of a longer history of efforts by Ekiti forebears to secure greater autonomy and development.
He congratulated Ekiti indigenes and residents on the anniversary, while also remembering those who contributed to the state creation struggle but had since died.
The governor, who served as secretary of the Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State, described his position as governor 30 years after the state was created as “very humbling”.
He also acknowledged his predecessors, including Col. Inua Bawa, Navy Capt. Atanda Yusuf, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Ayo Fayose, Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi, as well as former deputy governors and heads of the legislature and judiciary.
Oyebanji said his administration remained committed to the vision of the state’s founding fathers, particularly the development of an industrialised economy driven by private-sector investment, enterprise and productivity.
Unveiling the anniversary theme, “Ekiti at 30; Celebrating the Past and Creating the Future,” he said the milestone would serve as a launchpad for a 30-year Transformation Agenda.
According to him, the agenda will focus on agricultural production and agro-processing, innovation and technology development, education, research and skills development, tourism, culture and the creative economy, youth entrepreneurship and sustainable development.
The governor said his administration would also hold a conversation with Ekiti youths on 7 October 2026 at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic and Convention Centre in Ado Ekiti.
He said the engagement would provide an opportunity to reflect on the past, assess the present and consider the state’s future with confidence and determination.
“Our agenda is therefore to work aggressively to ensure that the socio-economic infrastructures we have built in these thirty years lead to real economic growth that produces quality employment, crystallize productivity, support enterprise and enhance quality of life,” Oyebanji said.
He identified the ongoing Ekiti Knowledge Zone (EKZ) as one of the projects expected to support the state’s technology and innovation ambitions.
The governor said the long-term objective was for Ekiti to move beyond its traditional description as a civil service state and develop into a technology and commercial hub.
He also mentioned the planned Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ), saying the two projects were expected to contribute to the state’s economic development and support his administration’s Shared Prosperity Agenda.
Oyebanji further urged Ekiti residents to participate in the 2027 presidential election and called for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu, citing what he described as the support and favourable treatment the state had received from the Federal Government since 2023.
His call relates to the presidential election scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for 16 January 2027.
Oyebanji has previously called on Ekiti residents and political stakeholders to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, while the state government has also highlighted federal support as a factor in its development efforts.
The governor congratulated the people of Ekiti on the 30th anniversary and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building on the state’s achievements while pursuing its long-term development ambitions.
