Ondo At 50: Sunshine, Shadows And The Unfinished Business Of Greatness

By Gabriel Olu Omoogun

In February 1976, the late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, in one of those bold moves that defined his short but unforgettable leadership, took a pen, drew a line across the old Western State, and gave us Ondo State. Just like that. A gift. A promise. A challenge.

Fifty years later, here we are. Older, hopefully wiser, still full of potential – sometimes fulfilled, often wasted, occasionally rediscovered. Birthdays are good for reflection, and as Ondo clocks 50, it is only right that we take stock. What have we become? What have we refused to become? And what on earth is still stopping us?

Because truth be told, history has not been unkind to us. Leadership? We’ve had our share. Giants? We’ve produced many. Blessings? They surround us. Challenges? Of course, which state in Nigeria can beat its chest and say otherwise?

But if we are being honest, the story of Ondo State is the story of a place that should be one of Nigeria’s most prosperous, yet continues to act like it has all the time in the world.

Time is up. We are 50.

Baba Ajasin and the Foundations We Still Stand On

Let’s begin with the man without whom the Ondo story would be incomplete: Pa Michael Adekunle Ajasin. A leader who didn’t just govern – he built. A committed Awoist, a disciplined thinker, a man who believed that if you educate the people, you elevate the state.

His free education programme lifted thousands, including this writer. It wasn’t a theory. It wasn’t manifesto grammar. It was practical governance. We still live off the intellectual capital that Baba Ajasin planted. It is one of the most enduring legacies in Nigeria’s political history.

The Others Who Held the Baton

From Ita David Ikpeme, who started the administrative groundwork in 1976, to the series of military administrators (including the Lagos boy who came to “manage” us for a while), Ondo has seen every style of leadership you can imagine.

Then, in the democratic era, Baba Adebayo Adefarati gave education and health renewed direction—Dr Olusegun Agagu, geologist, planner, and the man who dared to look towards the coast. Dr Olusegun Mimiko, the political surgeon, reshaped our urban spaces with his Caring Heart agenda. Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, the late General, as fearless as they come, whose name will forever be tied to Amotekun. And now, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, the man with both fortune and history staring him in the face. Some did well. Some tried. Some merely passed through. But they all left footprints.

So, What Have We Actually Achieved?

Let’s not pretend: Ondo is not a “failed state.” If anything, we are a quiet achiever – not loud like Lagos, not flashy like Abuja, not permanently trending like Rivers, but steady, improving, and full of promise.

Infrastructure has picked up under the O’Datiwa administration. Roads that once caused prayers and insults in equal measure: Akure–Idanre, Akungba–Ikare, Okitipupa–Igbokoda — are receiving proper attention.

Healthcare is getting a second wind. Clinics revived. Drug supply chains are slowly being restored.  Education remains our pride. From renovated schools to digital tools to free shuttles, the Ajasin spirit is still alive. In agriculture, fresh efforts are underway: 26,000 hectares have been carved out for serious food production. Ondo, the cocoa giant, may yet rise again. And insecurity: the challenges remain across the country, but with stronger local architecture, zeal, and increased security measures, we may yet see huge leaps.

Even Abuja has taken notice – the governor has bagged his share of national governance awards.

Good. But not enough. Not nearly enough.

The Opportunities Still Sitting Like Unmined Gold

We should be one of the wealthiest states in Nigeria – not by theory, but by what God Himself deposited under our soil. Bitumen. Oil. Gas. The world’s second-largest bitumen deposit sits in Ondo. We have oil wells. We have a coastline. Yet for decades, all we did was discuss “potential.” At least now, with the new 500,000bpd refinery project in Ilaje, something fundamental is finally beginning.

Tourism?

Idanre Hills alone should be a money-spinner. Our coastline should rival any beach destination. Owo’s heritage could anchor major cultural tourism. Could Igogo festival rival Ojude Oba? Possibly! But we are still crawling.

Industrialisation?

We have the land. We have the brains. We have the raw materials. What we lack is the finishing kick – moving from political speeches to factory gates.

Tech and innovation?

Akure has enough talent to become a mini–Silicon Valley of the Southwest. What is missing is deliberate investment.

Lagos: What We Should Learn (Without Copying Their Wahala)

Lagos got its fundamentals right: infrastructure, ports, investment culture, and diaspora support. Of course, Lagos is now bursting at the seams – too many people chasing too little space. But the lessons remain: be business-friendly, build infrastructure before the crisis, create reasons for investors to stay, and don’t waste your youth talent.

If Ondo combines Lagos’ efficiency with our serenity, coastline and landmass, we will get the best of both worlds without inheriting Third Mainland Bridge traffic.

The Aiyedatiwa Window – History Is Watching

Governor Aiyedatiwa is sitting at a historic intersection. What he does in the next few years will determine what Ondo becomes in the next fifty. If he can push industrial hubs, a functioning blue economy, real bitumen development, a revitalised civil service, and private-sector partnerships, then he will write his name in gold – not the temporary, political kind. Still, the type of children read about in textbooks. He has the chance. He has the goodwill. He must not waste this moment.

– Omoogun writes from the United Kingdom