An erstwhile president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has urged the Yoruba nation to begin immediate and deliberate preparations for political and economic relevance beyond President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure.

The eminent lawyer warned that the region cannot afford complacency while power remains at the centre.

He said the presidency would not remain in the Southwest indefinitely, stressing the need for strategic planning, unity, and purposeful leadership to safeguard the future of Yoruba land.

Olanipekun spoke yesterday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at a public lecture, titled: “Ondo State: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” at the International Culture and Events Centre (The Dome), as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of Ondo State.

The former NBA president noted that although President Tinubu may serve until 2031, the Southwest must start preparing for political happenings in the region afterwards.

“I’m not just asking us to prepare for post-2031 because President Tinubu will not be there forever. He will be there till 2031. So, we should be prepared for post-2031,” he said.

Olanipekun warned that internal division could weaken the Southwest’s influence in national politics, calling for stronger cohesion among political leaders, traditional rulers and stakeholders.

“We must hold ourselves together; stay united. There should be cohesion, unity, love, respect and thoughtfulness. Otherwise, the way I see it, we may be lost,” he added.

Olanipekun described development in the region as a collective responsibility that requires courage, strategic thinking and sustained engagement beyond partisan interests.

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said his administration was focused on strengthening existing institutions and laying foundations for long-term growth rather than creating new structures.

The governor emphasised reforms in key sectors, including health, education, and security.

“Amotekun has come to stay. We will make it work better, recruit more personnel and equip them. With state policing in view, it will be able to handle sophisticated weapons against bandits and marauders,” he said.

Aiyedatiwa also highlighted his administration’s plans to drive industrialisation, agriculture and the blue economy.

The governor noted that value addition to cocoa production through processing plants would boost the state’s revenue and job creation.

According to him, ongoing projects, such as the coastal highway and a proposed refinery, would transform the state’s economy, improve connectivity with Lagos and attract investments.

“The coastal highway is a game changer. It will drive industry and movement of people. Tourism, hospitality, health and education will naturally grow as development spreads,” the governor said.

He added that the state had adopted five-year and 10-year rolling development plans centred on human capital development, while youths had been engaged through an essay competition to envision Ondo’s future over the next 70 years.

“I won’t be here in 50 years anyway, but we are projecting to the future for the state as the one or the saddle at this time during this 50th year anniversary of the creation of the state. We have seen what the past leaders have done, their contributions, landmark projects, programmes and policies that have been driving the state before I became governor.

“We have to continue to strengthen that because that is a structure that we cannot change but to improve on that, which we call continuous service improvement, which I believe strongly in.

“We continue to strengthen our institutions, for example, you are not starting a new ministry of health, but you can make that one work better. You can’t create a new ministry of education; it’s been there, it’s a structure we can make more functional, to deliver better.” (The Nation)

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