Three years after taking office, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has presented what he described as a “transformative” record of governance, insisting that the state has witnessed a major turnaround under his watch. In a statewide address titled “My Stewardship in Three Years,” Adeleke reflected on the state he inherited in 2022 and outlined sector-by-sector achievements he said have reshaped Osun’s development trajectory.
Adeleke recalled that his administration met “a fractured system” marked by unpaid pensions, abandoned infrastructure projects, poor health access, declining education outcomes, a troubled mining sector and what he called “a climate of insensitive leadership.”
“Three years later, the Osun story is positively different,” he declared, adding that the state had become “a national reference point in good governance.”
Water & Utilities: Reviving Abandoned Projects
Adeleke said his government tackled the state’s water crisis by reviving the corruption-plagued Ilesa Water Project, rehabilitating urban water schemes in major towns and drilling motorised boreholes across all 332 wards. He added that the long-abandoned Ora-Igbomina Water Scheme had been re-awarded and returned to active construction.
Sports: New Commission, Stadium Upgrade
On sports development, the governor highlighted the remodelling of the Osogbo City Stadium and the establishment of the Osun Sports Commission to professionalise sports administration. He also disclosed the creation of the Osun State Sports Development Fund to ensure sustainable financing.
Digital Governance & Land Reforms
Adeleke described land administration as one of the most transformed sectors, noting the introduction of a fully digitalised Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) system processed within 45 days — a reform he said had boosted investor interest and eliminated forgery, double allocation and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Public Service: Salaries, Promotions and Pension Relief
He said his administration had “restored dignity to the civil service,” clearing pension and salary arrears inherited from previous administrations — estimated at nearly ₦100 billion — while backing staff promotions with cash, improving audit systems and adopting international public sector accounting standards.
Technology & Innovation: Policies and Infrastructure
According to Adeleke, Osun had no ICT or innovation policy in 2022. He listed the development of an ICT policy, a tech innovation policy, the domestication of the national Start-Up Act, improved Google mapping and the constitution of a digital economy advisory board as milestones positioning Osun for tech-driven growth.
Climate Action & Mining Reforms
Adeleke said the state had earned multiple national and international recognitions for its climate initiatives, noting flood control interventions and reforms in the mining sector. For the first time, Osun secured a shareholding stake in the Segilola mining project and revalidated old mining licences to ensure environmental compliance and community benefit.
Healthcare: PHC Revamp and Insurance Expansion
The governor said over 200 primary health centres had been rehabilitated, with another batch of almost 200 ongoing. He cited the expansion of the Osun Health Insurance Scheme to pensioners and the free surgical outreach, which he said had reached more than 70,000 beneficiaries. Osun, he noted, recently won $500,000 as the best-performing state in the South-West on Universal Health Coverage.
Education: Exam Ranking Jumps, Schools Rebuilt
Adeleke said the government rehabilitated more than 120 schools, extended major infrastructure projects in Osun State University and the University of Ilesa, restored bursaries and invested in teacher training. He said the state moved from 33rd to 7th position in national exam performance ratings, with Osun students representing Nigeria at global competitions.
Agriculture: Tractors, Seedlings and Subsidies
Highlighting agricultural reforms, he said his administration revived abandoned tractors, purchased 31 new ones and distributed subsidised inputs including hybrid cocoa and cashew seedlings. Adeleke said cocoa pods sold for ₦1,100 were subsidised to ₦300, while palm pods were sold at ₦500 instead of ₦1,500. Thousands of poultry farmers, he said, were supported under the out-grower scheme.
Cooperative Empowerment: Over 2,000 Societies Supported
The governor reported disbursing nearly ₦2 billion to cooperative societies across 30 LGAs and the Area Office. He said beneficiaries exceeded 30,000 under ward-based cooperatives alone, with additional support to diaspora-based Osun natives.
Cultural Economy: Festivals and Tourism Development
He listed the revitalisation of the Osun Osogbo Festival, the Adire Osun Àgbáyé Fiesta, the rehabilitation of cultural sites and new partnerships — including one with the British Museum — as major steps toward expanding Osun’s creative and cultural economy.
Infrastructure: “We Reduced Osun’s Deficit by 50%”
Adeleke claimed his administration reduced the state’s infrastructure deficit from above 80 percent to nearly half in three years. He said 255 kilometres of roads had been completed, 160 kilometres were ongoing, and major flyover and dualisation projects , such as the Ilesa dual carriageway, Ife flyover and Lameco bridge, were in advanced stages.
