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Lessons from Kigali: Transforming Osun State for a Sustainable Future

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By Bamikole Omishore

Effective governance has proven to be an essential phenomenon in today’s world. This is the reason the journey of transformation started by the government in Osun State draws a striking parallel with the remarkable progress witnessed in Kigali, Rwanda. I was privileged to accompany Governor Ademola Adeleke on a leadership retreat to Kigali, Rwanda, and he was no doubt impressed by the level of orderliness and organization right from the airport. As the airport gates opened in Kigali, it was impossible not to notice the seamless order and organization that guided the process. This experience sets the stage for lessons that will shape the basis of learning for Osun State.

The hallmark of Kigali’s transformation is not merely its infrastructural advancements but the leadership mindset that propelled it forward. Rwanda’s leaders dared to dream big, inspiring unity and a shared vision of growth. In a similar vein, Governor Adeleke has committed himself to leading by example in Osun State. From improved healthcare services to enhanced education initiatives, the Governor is already sowing the seeds of positive change. And this is only the beginning.

One cannot help but be impressed by the lush greenery that envelops Kigali. The city’s commitment to climate sustainability is a testament to responsible governance. It is heartening to note that just a few days ago, Governor Adeleke pledged to plant over 100,000 trees in Osun State. This will not only help to beautify the state, but also help to combat climate change. Besides, this isn’t just an environmental gesture; it’s a solid commitment to a healthier, greener future for the good people of our state.

To further catalyze growth, Adeleke recognizes the importance of fostering an environment that nurtures innovation. According to Governor Adeleke during the visit, “We are taking steps to improve the ease of doing business in Osun, ensuring that startups with groundbreaking ideas have the support they need to flourish. These startups hold the potential to address local challenges with fresh solutions, driving not just economic progress, but social betterment as well.

“To encourage start-ups that will address local problems in Osun State, I have identified five steps that we need to take to improve the ease of doing business. These steps include: Simplifying the process of registering a business in Osun State, providing access to funding for start-ups, creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive, providing training and mentorship for budding entrepreneurs and encouraging collaboration between businesses and the government,” the Governor said.

Furthermore, the governor’s aspirations don’t only stop at the state’s borders. By initiating a culture of peer review and challenge, it is hoped, the visit will spark a nationwide revolution in leadership, starting with his counterparts that also undertook the trip. “Just as Rwanda’s success story inspired me, I believe that our commitment to change will inspire the other governors across Nigeria. Together, we can set the stage for a new era of cooperative governance that transcends political boundaries,” Governor Adeleke said.

But the journey doesn’t end there. Governor Adeleke intends to harness the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a blueprint for innovation and development in Osun. According to him, the SDGs provide a framework for driving development in Osun State.

He said: “Here are four ways that we can aggressively use the SDGs to drive development in Osun State in the next seven years: We will focus on providing access to quality education for all children in Osun State. This will help to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living in the state.

“We will work to provide access to clean water and sanitation for all residents of Osun State. This will help to improve health outcomes and reduce the incidence of water-borne diseases.

“We will focus on promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls in Osun State. This will help to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living for women and girls in our state.

“Above all, we will work to provide access to affordable and clean energy for all residents of Osun State. This will help to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living in the state. Besides, by aligning our efforts with these global objectives, we will not only foster growth but also contribute to a more sustainable world.”

As a leader of impact, Governor Adeleke understands the profound impact of setting a personal example. Just as Rwanda’s leaders led the way in creating a clean, green city, he has committed to leading Osun by example.

“By ensuring that our cities are clean and sustainable, we’re not just building a better environment; we’re instilling a sense of pride and responsibility in our citizens.

“From Rwanda’s orderly airport to Osun’s pledge for a greener future, the lessons are clear: visionary leadership, sustainability, and innovation are the cornerstones of progress.

“As we navigate this path of transformation, I am confident that Osun State will emerge as a shining example of positive change – a testament to what’s possible when leadership is driven by a passion for growth, a commitment to the people, adherence to due process and rule of law and an unwavering belief in a better tomorrow.”

Moreover, it is hoped that as Governor Adeleke focuses on creating enabling environments, businesses will find Osun state as the most suitable destination in Africa to do business.

He said: “From investing in the value chain of agriculture such as cassava to starch, to opportunities in energy and mineral sectors, to driving an agrotech-led agricultural transformation, to building on the tourism opportunities, to investing in sports as a business, Osun State is open and ready for investments and we welcome investors home and abroad to come to our dear state.”

Governor Adeleke at the leadership retreat organized by United Nations Developmental Partners and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, reiterated his administration’s readiness to drive sports development through public-private partnerships. The Governor made this known while responding to an address by Masai Michael Ujiri, a British born Nigerian-Canadian professional basketball executive and President of the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ujiri, during his brief interaction with the Nigerian delegation described sports as an important sector that needs proper attention by the government in order to drive the needed development in the sector. He said the government needed to bring in private investors and cited examples of how commercializing sports had helped many developed countries. Governor Adeleke, who assured the delegation of the readiness of his administration to develop sports in the state, extended an invitation to Ujiri to further consolidate his administration’s plans and efforts for the sector. “I will invite you to Osun state in Nigeria. Come with sports’ investors. Osun is open for sports as a tool for economic development,” Governor Adeleke said.

Instructively, during a workshop session at the retreat, Tolani Alli, ex-aide of former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, referenced Governor Adeleke’s giant strides of completing multiple projects by his predecessor and embarking on groundbreaking projects without taking any loans.

In conclusion, Governor Adeleke’s visit to Kigali remains a lesson in leadership and development, and he is committed to implementing the lessons learnt in Osun State to make it a shining light among the league of states. It therefore behooves all residents of Osun State to join hands with the performing Governor on this journey towards a better Osun State.

Bamikole Omishore is the Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals and Multilateral Relations to Governor of Osun State.

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British-Nigerian, 14, Killed in Knife Attack in UK

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UK police named a 14-year-old boy killed in a sword attack in London this week as Daniel Anjorin, as officers released more details about how the violent rampage unfolded.

Anjorin, a British-Nigerian pupil attended Bancroft’s private school in Woodford Green – also attended by Nottingham attack victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar.

He died on Tuesday morning as he walked to school in Hainault, in the east of Britain’s capital, when he was attacked by a man wielding what appeared to be a Samurai-type sword.

Police tasered and arrested the suspect, a 36-year-old man who remains in custody on suspicion of murder. He has not been named and was not previously known to police.

The independent school attended by Anjorin said in a statement Wednesday that they had been left in “profound shock and sorrow” at the pupil’s death.

“He was a true scholar, demonstrating commendable dedication to his academic pursuits. His positive nature and gentle character will leave a lasting impact on us,” Bancroft’s, in Woodford Green, near Hainault, said.

London’s Metropolitan Police force said Tuesday’s horror unfolded just before 7:00 am (0600 GMT) when the accused crashed a van into a house fence, hitting a 33-year-old man before stabbing him in the neck.

A 35-year-old man was then attacked inside a nearby property, causing lacerations to his arm, before Anjorin was killed.

Police arrived on the scene 12 minutes after the first emergency call and attempted to neutralise the suspect with incapacitant spray and a Taser gun but these had little effect.

The suspect seriously injured two police officers, both of whom required surgery on Tuesday and remain in hospital.

One, a woman, suffered severe injuries to her arm and nearly lost a hand, the Met said.

The man fled again as terrified witnesses took cover in houses before police used a Taser to overpower him, detaining him 22 minutes after the initial call.

Police have said the attack was not terror-related.

It came amid a rise in stabbings in the United Kingdom and shortly before voters decide whether to re-elect London mayor Sadiq Khan for a record third term in local elections Thursday.

Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has criticised the opposition Labour Party’s Khan for his record on crime.

Anjorin’s death is the second recent tragedy to hit Bancroft’s, after a former pupil, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, was killed in Nottingham last year as she tried to save her friend from a knife attacker.

Valdo Calocane was sentenced to indefinite detention in a psychiatric hospital for stabbing to death 19-year-old O’Malley-Kumar, fellow student Barnaby Webber and 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates.

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Adebogun Commends Tinubu over Rehabilitation of Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe Road

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Renowned educationist, and Proprietor/Chief Executive Officer, Caleb Group of Schools, Dr. Oladega Adebogun, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for speedy and comprehensive rehabilitation of the Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe Road, which formerly ranked as one of the worst in Nigeria, and had been albatross to past administrations.

A statement signed by the Director, Public Relations, Caleb University, Imota, Mr. Abimbola Olulesi, and made available to this medium, noted that Adebogun gave his commendation during an interactive session with the media, affirming that President Tinubu, by his singular action, has renewed the hope of residents, motorists and commuters, who had lost hope that the road will ever be repaired, considering its total deplorable state.

He recollected that the Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe road, before the rehabilitation, ranked among the worst roads not just in Lagos State but across the country.

“The road usually gets abandoned during the rainy season, and had posed a recurring nightmare to motorists and commuters along the Ikorodu through Imota to Itoikin axis, and as far as Epe. It was a particularly harrowing experience for road users during vacation and festive periods,” Adebogun said.

The Proprietor joyfully noted that it was a huge sigh of relief for residents when the rehabilitation was completed in March this year, reducing Ikorodu to Epe travel time from about two hours to less than thirty minutes.

He added that the rehabilitation of the road is a positive pointer and attestation to the fact that many more development projects promised by the people-oriented, focused and egalitarian government of President Tinubu would be completed and delivered.

Adebogun also commended the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Dr. Dave Umahi, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru for the various roles they played in the actualization of the rehabilitation of Ikorodu-Imota road.

He recalled that Governor Sanwo-Olu had personally visited to access the deplorable condition of the road early this year while Senator Abiru had moved a motion in 2021 on the floor of the Nigerian Senate on, “The Urgent Need for the Rehabilitation of the the Ikorodu-Sagamu and Ikorodu-Itoikin-Epe Roads to further bridge the Infrastructure Gap and Enhance Economic Growth in Nigeria”.

Senator Abiru also has to his credit many laudable achievements which earned him the appellation of “Doing Good Senator” such as: The Senator Abiru Innovation Lab(SAIL), which is “the first of its kind innovation hub” in Lagos East Senatorial District which he set up for young people and entrepreneurs; N300 Million Naira Constituency Intervention Revolving Loan, Health facilities and construction of blocks of classrooms he facilitated across the district, provision of grant to 1,250 market women, award of bursary to 600 higher institution students and monthly support for over 2500 vulnerable constituents. Others include provision of many transformers across Lagos East Senatorial District, building of Epe Sports Complex as well as sponsorship of many legislation and motions of national significance.

Adebogun also remarked that, in less than one year of assuming office, President Tinubu had performed beyond expectation and deserves the goodwill and support of all Nigerians to actualise all aspects of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He further paid tributes to President Tinubu for the promise announced by the Honourable Minister of Works, Dr. Dave Umahi, that the dualization of the Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe Road would commence in earnest as the second phase of the road repair project.

He therefore appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians to put aside mundane differences and join hands with the government for the full realization of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

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No Such Deals Exist, Maersk Debunks $600m Investment Agreement with Nigeria

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A report from Lloyd’s List has debunked the statement of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government that Maersk has concluded and signed an agreement for a $600 million into the port sector.

The paper’s report reads:

A $600m investment into Nigeria’s port sector from Maersk, announced personally by the West African state’s president Bola Tinubu on Sunday, appears to be less solid than the government initially claimed.

Despite a presidential statement from Tinubu detailing how he had secured the purported investment during a World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh over the weekend, Maersk officials have confirmed that no such agreement is in place and no deals have been signed.

The Nigerian government statement detailed how A.P Moller-Maersk chairman Robert Maersk Uggla had discussed the investment with president Tinubu on the sidelines of a meeting discussing energy development and growth. The statement even included a direct quote attributed to Uggla saying: “We believe in Nigeria, and we will invest $600 million in existing facilities and make the ports accommodating for bigger ships”.

But according to Maersk, that deal does not exist.

Company officials said while Uggla did meet the president, no such deal had been signed.

“Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to develop opportunities for growth to people, the port sector and businesses locally,” the company said in a statement to Lloyd’s List.

“Therefore, it is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration. However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks.”

Maersk is due to report first-quarter results on Thursday, meaning that management are in a regulatory quiet period limiting what they can say publicly about the company’s activities.

Nigeria has promised to revamp its ports, including in the commercial capital Lagos, to ease congestion.

Tinubu’s statement explained that his government would support the modernisation and automation of its ports to improve trade, reduce corruption and boost efficiency. He claimed that the purported Maersk investment would “complement the administration’s ongoing $1bn investment in seaport reconstruction across the eastern and western seaports of Nigeria”.

“A bet on Nigeria is a winning bet. It is also a bet that rewards beyond what is obtainable elsewhere,” he said. “We need to encourage more opportunities for revenue expansion and minimise trans-shipments from larger ships to smaller ships.”

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