Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state
on Tuesday presented a proposed budget of ₦1.115 trillion for the 2027 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly for consideration and approval.

The proposal, tagged the “Budget of Sustained Progress”, is valued at ₦1,115,341,378,359.90.

Presenting the budget at the assembly complex in Agodi, Ibadan, Makinde said it was designed to consolidate the gains of his administration and lay a foundation for sustainable development beyond its tenure.

He described it as the final budget proposal of his administration, saying it would sustain the state’s development momentum and ensure continuity after the transition to a new government.

“As we prepare to hand over the baton to the next administration, we bring before you the 2027 Budget of Sustained Progress. It is designed to consolidate our gains, sustain public services and carry our state’s development forward through the transition period and beyond,” he said.

The governor said the proposal prioritised infrastructure, community development and the strengthening of public institutions, with significant allocations for capital projects in health, education and road infrastructure.

He added that his administration was committed to leaving behind clear records, properly documented processes and institutions capable of sustaining efficient service delivery.

Highlighting his administration’s achievements, Makinde said Oyo State’s Internally Generated Revenue increased by 288 per cent, from ₦26.59 billion in 2019 to ₦103.25 billion in 2025.

Makinde also noted that the state ranked third nationally in the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business Assessment.

The governor said targeted interventions and partnerships had helped return about 65,000 out-of-school children to classrooms, alongside investments in educational infrastructure, recruitment and service delivery.

He, however, said the administration’s performance should be measured beyond revenue figures and rankings.

“Figures alone cannot fully assess our administration. The real measure of success is the impact we have made on the lives of our people and the institutions we have built to serve them beyond May 29, 2027,” he said.

He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to women’s inclusion in governance, pledging to sustain the 35 per cent affirmative action policy for women.

On infrastructure and agriculture, he said the government had prioritised strategic road projects to connect economic corridors, improve market access and create opportunities for farmers, businesses and rural communities.

He said the establishment of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency had helped reposition agriculture as a viable business sector, while the Oyo State Agribusiness Transformation Centre had become a hub for agricultural investment.

According to him, the centre hosts 16 agribusinesses with investments valued at more than ₦20 billion, while over 30,000 farmers have been captured in the state’s agricultural database to improve planning and interventions.

He added that the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) was improving access to markets, agricultural productivity and rural economies.

In the health sector, the governor highlighted the induction of 3,933 newly recruited primary healthcare workers to strengthen service delivery and support investments in healthcare infrastructure.

He also said construction work on several ongoing projects would accelerate during the dry season following approvals by the Executive to accommodate increased project costs arising from inflation, exchange rate fluctuations and rising energy prices.

Makinde urged the Speaker and lawmakers to continue working with the Executive in the interest of residents and give the budget proposal expeditious consideration.

In his remarks, the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, commended the governor for what he described as remarkable achievements since the beginning of his administration.

Ogundoyin said the presentation marked the final budget cycle of the Omituntun 2.0 administration and provided an opportunity to consolidate seven and a half years of development across key sectors.

He listed investments in road construction and rehabilitation, school infrastructure, healthcare facilities, agriculture and workers’ welfare among the achievements of the administration.

The Speaker assured the governor that the Assembly would subject the proposal to thorough legislative scrutiny and give it the attention it deserved in the interest of the people.

The event was attended by a former governor of the state and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, among other dignitaries.

…as Encounter 2026 holds in Ikeja

The Convener of the Encounter Series, Seun Oyedeji, has described the 2026 edition of The Encounter Symposium as timely, saying Artificial Intelligence has become an integral part of modern life with far-reaching implications for education, communication and society.

The symposium, headlined by renowned comedian Ali Baba and other speakers, was held at the Radisson Blu, Ikeja, and brought together students, educators, parents and young professionals for conversations on the responsible use of AI.

Speaking at the event, Oyedeji, a seasoned broadcast journalist, acknowledged the benefits of AI in research, creativity and information dissemination, but warned that the technology could also facilitate misinformation, manipulated videos and other forms of digital deception.

“Artificial intelligence is good. It has come to make life easier for us. It is a blessing, but it could become a curse if we are not intentional about how we deploy it,” she said.

Oyedeji expressed concern over children’s increasing exposure to digital devices, noting that some were already finding ways to circumvent parental controls. She urged parents to monitor the platforms their children access, determine appropriate ages for introducing digital devices and encourage responsible technology use.

She further cautioned that excessive reliance on AI could undermine creativity, originality and independent thinking, insisting that the technology should complement rather than replace human intelligence.

One of the participants, Ezekiel David of Platform College, described AI as more of a friend than an enemy, saying it could help young people acquire knowledge, adapt to emerging trends and prepare for the demands of a changing economy.

A major highlight of the symposium was the inter-school debate competition. Platform College emerged winner, while Government Senior College came first runner-up and Mandate Private School finished third.

Oyedeji said the symposium was designed to encourage young people to explore the positive applications of AI and resist pressures to use the technology for harmful purposes.

She expressed optimism that its responsible adoption would enable Nigerian youths to develop innovative solutions to national and global challenges.

The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that his promise to gift each councillor in Abuja N10 million if they deliver their wards for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections is reward for political mobilisation.

Wike, who made the clarification while speaking with journalists in Abuja during monitoring of ongoing projects, said the N10 million pledge is not a vote-buying strategy.

On Monday, the FCT minister told councillors to deliver their wards for Tinubu in the 2027 elections and get the cash reward.

Wike made the promise during a rainbow coalition stakeholders’ meeting attended by traditional rulers, political stakeholders and residents in the Kwali area council of the FCT.

Doubling down on his earlier remarks, the FCT minister juxtaposed his promise with a parent’s pledge to purchase a car or house for a child who graduates with a first-class degree from the university.

Wike said he did not ask the FCT councillors to collect money to purchase votes during the elections.

The FCT minister added that reward system is a global practice, noting that politicians in other climes also hand incentives to facilitate political mobilisation.

“It is only trained journalists or reasonable persons who understand the difference between a reward and a bribe,” NAN quoted the minister as saying.

“You tell your son, ‘I want a first class from you. Get a first class, and you get a house or a brand new car.’ Just go and work hard.

“That is what we are bringing. I didn’t say take this money and go and buy voters; I said go and work and show commitment.

“Vote-buying is giving someone money to go and vote for a specific candidate.

“Media houses collect millions for prime-time advertisement slots to let voters know what candidates offer, but when you tell your constituents or party workers you will reward their hard work, critics call it bribery.”

The FCT minister dismissed allegations that opposition parties are not being given the level playing field to campaign due to restriction of access to facilities.

“Who is not allowing the opposition to campaign? I know they held a rally the other day in a state stadium,” the FCT minister said.

“In Rivers, I don’t think anybody has complained to you that we are not allowing them to campaign.

“Let them go to the main stadiums, mobilise, and talk to the people.”