Governors of the South-West states on Thursday launched a comprehensive 262-page economic blueprint aimed at fast-tracking regional development and integration through enhanced infrastructure, collaborative security strategies, and broad sectoral reforms.
The document, titled “Plan of Action for the Economic Development of the Region, Nigeria”, was unveiled during a high-level event at the Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan.
Organised by the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries (ARHOSPS-SWN), in collaboration with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, the event brought together key stakeholders from all six South-West states.
The action plan covers critical areas including transportation, security, agriculture, education, industrialisation, governance, health, energy, solid minerals, arts, and tourism.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, represented by his deputy Bayo Lawal, hailed the initiative as a timely response to the region’s pressing challenges. He emphasised that regional integration through inter-state road development and localised security structures would enhance prosperity and safety.
“Regional integration through inter-state road networks will improve development in South-West,” Lawal stated. “Security localisation has already helped tackle armed banditry in the region.”
Echoing the need for tailored security solutions, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, represented by Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi, reaffirmed his support for state policing.
“State police is the way to go, as this will further enhance the security architecture in the region,” he noted, pledging Osun State’s full commitment to the plan.
The governors of Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, and Ondo—Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dapo Abiodun, Abiodun Oyebanji, and Lucky Aiyedatiwa—were represented by their respective Heads of Service, who all expressed strong support for the initiative.
Ebenezer Okebukola, Regional President of ARHOSPS-SWN, described the blueprint as the result of years of collaboration and insight from retired top bureaucrats in the region.
“This book represents our unwavering dedication to the land that has nurtured us and to the generations that will follow,” Okebukola said.
DAWN Commission Director-General Seye Oyeleye praised the plan’s depth, calling it “a rich repository of insights, strategies, and actionable recommendations” that will guide South-West Nigeria’s development trajectory.
Also in attendance were the Oyo State Head of Service, Olubunmi Oni, and various delegates and stakeholders from across the region.