The governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 Ogun State Governorship Election, Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi), has pledged to reproduce the Lagos model of economic development if elected governor.

Senator Adeola said this during an interactive session with members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ogun State Council at its Iwe Iroyin secretariat in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, the state capital.

Senator Adeola, a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly and a former lawmaker in both the House of Representatives and the Senate from Lagos State, pledged to apply his legislative experience in the nation’s largest economy to the governance of Ogun State if elected.

Senator Adeola specifically cited the Lagos model in urban renewal, mass bus transit, creation of new towns and settlements and railways as sectors he intends to replicate in Ogun State. He also cited his legislative input and experience as a state lawmaker in the establishment of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund and promised to replicate the same funding model in Ogun State.

He unveiled his 9-point ITESIWAJU agenda structured on: Infrastructure; Tourism and Culture; Education and Human Capital Development; Security and Law Enforcement; Inclusive Health and Well-being; Women’s Affairs, Poverty Alleviation and Youth Development; Agricultural Transformation and Food Security; Job Creation and Industrialisation; and Urban Environment and Physical Development.

Senator Adeola also unveiled his 6-point structural and institutional catalyst for the ITESIWAJU agenda: fiscal discipline and revenue mobilisation; legislative reform; civil service reform; justice sector reform; assets optimisation and commercialisation; and local government autonomy.

The Ogun West Senator said the ITESIWAJU agenda was the product of two years of planning and was designed to reposition Ogun as a major economic, industrial, logistics and export hub while addressing infrastructure, unemployment, security, education, healthcare, agriculture and urban development challenges.

At the centre of the economic component is a target to create more than 500,000 jobs, reduce youth unemployment by 40 per cent and train 100,000 young people in digital skills by 2031.

Senator Adeola said his administration would establish a Youth Enterprise Hub in Abeokuta within six months of assuming office, with satellite hubs across the state to provide entrepreneurial support, access to microcredit and business development opportunities.

He said the employment strategy would cut across manufacturing, agriculture, technology, sports, tourism and the creative industries.

According to him, Ogun’s proximity to Lagos, the Republic of Benin and the Atlantic Ocean makes it a natural gateway for trade and exports not only to West Africa, but to the 1.4 billion people on the entire continent via the African Continental Free Trade Area. He added that the state’s strategic location gives it an economic advantage that must be converted into opportunities for residents.

The APC candidate stressed the importance of transportation and urban expansion at the heart of his proposed development strategy. He promised to establish an Ogun State Bus Mass Transit Programme covering major routes linking Abeokuta, Ota, Sagamu and Ijebu, with organised terminals and improved inter-city connectivity.

He also promised to pursue collaboration with the Nigerian Railway Corporation to introduce commuter rail services linking Abeokuta with the other major towns and industrial corridors and connect the state railways to the Lagos rail network.

For transport operators, Adeola announced the proposed OgunRide platform for commercial cars, tricycles and motorcycles, which he said would provide access to health insurance, vehicle financing and cooperative support.

He further promised affordable housing and the establishment of new town development areas, particularly around border communities and rapidly expanding economic corridors.

The objective, he said, was to reduce pressure on existing urban centres while creating planned communities with adequate infrastructure and public services.

“I want to have a resemblance of what I see in VGC in Ogun State. I want to have a resemblance of what I see in Lekki in Ogun State. I want to see it. I want to be discouraged from going to Lagos to sleep. I want to sleep in Ogun State 24/7,” he said.

Senator Adeola, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the status quo, where several companies have factories in the state but have their headquarters and corporate taxes in Lagos State, and mining companies that bypass the state government to collect licenses from the federal government, without any financial remuneration to the state.

He expressed concern that despite Ogun State being recognised as Nigeria’s primary industrial hub, its internally generated revenue (IGR) fails to reflect its extensive industrial base due to structural tax leakages. Comparing the fiscal metrics of both states, the senator noted that Lagos achieved a ₦1.6 trillion revenue benchmark while Ogun State continues to lag, estimating that over 30 per cent of Lagos corporate tax yields originate from economic activities anchored in Ogun State.

He said his administration will engage with leading companies and firms headquartered in Lagos State to establish regional offices in Abeokuta’s Central Business District so Ogun State can have its fair share of the company income tax and other taxes. He noted that the regional offices will attract top-level executives to Ogun State, thereby increasing the personal income tax accruable to the state’s treasury.

Adeola also pledged to clamp down on uncoordinated mining activities in the state, promising to pursue mining opportunities and establish mechanisms to ensure Ogun derives greater economic benefits from the sector.

“I will be the Chief Miner of this state. I will fight for every mining certificate in this state,” Adeola said.

On employment and local labour laws, the APC governorship candidate criticised major industrial and commercial firms for relying on non-resident labour while relegating indigenous workers to casual positions. He promised to institute a mandatory local content policy requiring firms to offer quotas to qualified Ogun residents.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Ogun NUJ Council, Comrade Victor Akinwale Olanrewaju, asked Senator Adeola to declare a state of emergency on the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC) and the Ogun State Television (OGTV), if elected governor. He said the emergency declaration was necessary to tackle the longstanding problems and challenges facing both broadcasting houses.

Comrade Olanrewaju also conferred Senator Adeola as the Ogun NUJ Golden Jubilee Ambassador, as the council celebrates its 50th anniversary from Monday, October 26, to Sunday, November 1, 2026, with the theme: “Truth, Trust and the Press – Protecting Democratic Choice and Rebuilding Public Confidence in Journalism”.

Some of the dignitaries on Senator Adeola’s delegation include the APC deputy governorship candidate, Alhaja Kudirat Abiodun Adegunwa-Balogun; the 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 the APC senatorial candidate for Ogun West, Hon. Jimoh Ojugbele.