Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has unveiled a 30-year transformation agenda aimed at repositioning the state as a major hub for technology, agriculture, education, tourism and commerce.
Oyebanji announced the plan in a statewide broadcast marking the 30th anniversary of Ekiti State, which was created on October 1, 1996, alongside Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Gombe, Nasarawa and Zamfara states by the military administration of the late General Sani Abacha.
The governor said the anniversary provides an opportunity for the people of Ekiti to reflect on the state’s journey, assess its current position and set a clear direction for the future.
He noted that Ekiti had faced significant challenges since its creation and receives one of the lowest allocations from the Federation Account, but argued that the state had recorded notable progress in human development and other areas.
Oyebanji said the 30th anniversary theme, “Ekiti at 30: Celebrating the Past and Creating the Future,” would serve as the launchpad for a long-term development plan designed to move the state beyond its traditional dependence on the civil service.
According to him, the plan will focus on agricultural production and agro-processing, technology and innovation, education and research, skills development, tourism, culture, the creative economy and youth entrepreneurship.
He identified the ongoing multi-billion-naira Ekiti Knowledge Zone as a key component of the administration’s economic strategy, describing it as a technology park and economic ecosystem designed to support young people’s innovation and creativity.
Oyebanji said the government hopes to transform Ekiti from a state widely associated with civil service into a technology hub and major commercial centre within the next three decades.
He also announced plans for the take-off of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone, saying the project, alongside the Ekiti Knowledge Zone, would help reshape the state’s economic outlook and support the government’s Shared Prosperity Agenda.
The governor said the state would hold a conversation with Ekiti youths on October 7, 2026, at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic and Convention Centre in Ado-Ekiti as part of activities marking the anniversary.
He said the engagement would focus on remembering the sacrifices that led to the creation of Ekiti, honestly assessing the present and developing a confident and determined approach to the future.
Oyebanji also paid tribute to individuals and groups that contributed to the struggle for the creation of Ekiti State, including members of the Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State, traditional rulers, legal practitioners, politicians, bureaucrats and community leaders.
He specifically acknowledged the contributions of Chief Oladeji Fasuan, Aare Afe Babalola, the late Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, and other traditional rulers involved in the state creation struggle.
The governor, who served as Secretary of the Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State before becoming governor, described his journey from the struggle for state creation to leading the state at its 30th anniversary as humbling.
He also recognised the contributions of his predecessors, including Niyi Adebayo, Ayo Fayose, Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi, as well as former military administrators, deputy governors and leaders of the legislature and judiciary.
Oyebanji said the vision of Ekiti’s founding fathers remained relevant, particularly their aspiration for a state driven by enterprise, productivity, private-sector investment and the effective use of its human and natural resources.
He, however, urged Ekiti residents to support President Bola Tinubu at the January 16, 2027 presidential election, citing what he described as the Federal Government’s support and favourable treatment of the state since 2023.
