* APC gov candidate promises media partnership, accountability...

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has pledged sustained and increased support for the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council, if elected governor in 2027.

Adeola made the pledge on Friday during a courtesy and familiarisation visit to the Ogun State NUJ at the Iwe Iroyin Press Centre, Abeokuta, where he also unveiled his proposed nine-pillar development agenda for the state.

Addressing journalists, Adeola dismissed reports that he had brought consultants to take over the responsibilities of the Ogun NUJ, describing the information as false.

“The information that Yayi has brought in consultants to take up NUJ Ogun State's job is a blatant lie,” he said, stressing that he considered journalists partners in progress.

He promised that, if elected governor, his administration would support the NUJ in a manner he said journalists had not experienced before.

Adeola also asked journalists to hold him accountable for the promises contained in his proposed development blueprint, saying he deliberately chose to document his commitments before the fourth estate rather than simply make verbal assurances.

“You are the custodians of public memory. Whether you call me a senator or one day governor, you will be the ones who ask me in one year, in two years, what happened to the promises you made in Abeokuta?” he told the journalists.

He described the proposed agenda as a “covenant, a plan and intent” and said it was developed over about two years after examining the challenges confronting the state.

Adeola said his ITESIWAJU agenda was built around nine cardinal pillars of development and six catalysts of institutional reform, covering infrastructure, tourism and culture, education and human capital development, security and law enforcement, health and wellbeing, women and youth empowerment and poverty alleviation, agriculture and food security, job creation and industrialisation, and urban, environmental and physical development.

On infrastructure, Adeola proposed an Ogun State Bus Mass Transit programme covering major corridors, with interconnected terminals linking Abeokuta, Ilaro, Sagamu, Ijebu and Lagos.

He also promised to work with the Nigerian Railway Corporation towards establishing commuter rail connectivity between Abeokuta, Lagos and the state's industrial corridors.

Another proposed initiative, “Ogun Ride”, would provide a state-backed mobility platform for cars, tricycles and motorcycles, with operators expected to benefit from health insurance, vehicle financing and cooperative arrangements.

Adeola said his infrastructure plan would not be limited to roads, but would also cover housing, rail transportation, water transportation, digital connectivity and new towns along high-growth corridors.

He proposed the development of new town areas across the state, arguing that planned settlements would help accommodate population growth while preserving older communities and family heritage.

On tourism and culture, the APC candidate identified Abeokuta's history, Egungun festivals, Ogun Waterside and other cultural assets as opportunities for developing the state's visitor economy.

He said his administration would promote film, fashion, music and Adire, while developing flagship cultural events and a digital tourism portal.

Adeola commended Governor Dapo Abiodun's administration for its intervention at Olumo Rock, saying he would build on existing achievements while expanding attention to other tourism and cultural assets.

In education, he promised to expand classroom and learning infrastructure, strengthen technical and vocational education and improve the quality and global competitiveness of graduates from Ogun's tertiary institutions.

He also proposed incorporating Artificial Intelligence into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools.

On security, Adeola proposed the establishment of an Ogun State Security Trust Fund, modelled partly on his stated experience with the Lagos State Security Trust Fund.

He said industries and other stakeholders should participate in funding security, while government would continue to make annual budgetary provisions for the protection of lives and property.

In the health sector, he proposed expanding healthcare infrastructure in underserved communities, universalising the state health insurance scheme with a target of two million enrollees, and increasing investment in doctors, nurses and community health workers.

Adeola also said he had facilitated the construction of more than 100 primary healthcare centres and would build on existing healthcare initiatives in the state.

For women, youths and poverty alleviation, he proposed establishing mega vocational centres across Ogun's four divisions where people could receive training in tailoring, catering and other trades.

He said training would last between six months and one year, after which beneficiaries could establish businesses or access employment opportunities.

On agriculture, Adeola proposed greater mechanisation, farmer financing, climate-smart agriculture, agricultural processing and the establishment of an agro-industrial park.

He also proposed what he described as a Commodity and Exchange Commission to create an organised market and offtake mechanism for farmers.

According to him, government could buy agricultural produce from farmers, process the commodities and facilitate access to local and export markets, thereby reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring farmers have the resources to return to their farms.

Adeola claimed that he had distributed more than 40 tractors and other agricultural equipment to farmers in Ogun State as part of his existing interventions.

On industrialisation and employment, Adeola questioned whether Ogun was receiving adequate economic benefits from the industries operating within its territory.

He argued that some companies with factories in Ogun maintain their headquarters in Lagos, resulting in some executive-level tax revenues accruing to Lagos while Ogun bears much of the industrial activity.

He said his administration would seek to reverse the trend and ensure greater economic value for Ogun.

Adeola also proposed stronger partnerships with industries to give qualified Ogun residents greater access to employment opportunities.

He said his administration would encourage industries operating in Ogun to prioritise qualified residents in their recruitment, with the aim of reducing unemployment and encouraging people to live, work and pay taxes in the state.

On mining, he said Ogun should derive greater value from its mineral resources and promised to pursue greater state involvement in mining-related opportunities.

“I will be the chief miner of the state. I will fight for every mining certificate in the state,” Adeola said.

He also spoke of his intention to develop Ogun's economy in a way that would reduce the dependence of residents on Lagos for employment and accommodation, saying he wanted Ogun to become a state where people could live and work around the clock.

Adeola further said he would seek to build on the achievements of the current administration rather than discard existing projects, noting that infrastructure development could not be completed within one or two years.

He said the objective of his proposed administration would be to address infrastructure, transport, housing, rail, water transportation, agriculture, health, education and other sectors through a coordinated development plan.

Earlier, the Ogun NUJ Chairman, Comrade Akinwale Olanrewaju, appreciated Adeola for his visit and called for his intervention in the state-owned broadcasting stations, which he described as being in a critical condition.

Olanrewaju also raised other issues concerning the development and welfare of the media community and the union's infrastructure.

The NUJ chairman thereafter conferred on Adeola the title of Ogun NUJ Golden Jubilee Ambassador as the council prepares to mark its 50th anniversary.

The Golden Jubilee celebration is scheduled for October 26 to November 1, 2026, with the theme, “Truth, Trust and the Press – Protecting Democratic Choice and Rebuilding Public Confidence in Journalism.”

The senator's delegation included the APC deputy governorship candidate, Alhaja Kudirat Abiodun Adegunwa-Balogun; Director-General of the APC Campaign Council, Senator Lekan Mustapha; former Speakers of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Titi Oseni-Shodunke and Hon. Tunji Egbetokun; and APC Ogun West senatorial candidate, Hon. Jimoh Ojugbele.

Adeola said the proposed agenda was intended to provide a framework for transforming Ogun's economy, improving infrastructure and public services, creating employment opportunities and strengthening the state's position as an industrial and commercial hub.

He urged journalists to preserve the commitments made during the engagement and hold him accountable to them should he eventually assume office.

- Story from NUJ Ogun-East Independent Chapel