Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has clarified widespread public misconceptions surrounding the ongoing ₦63 billion Government House project, stating unequivocally that the work is not a mere renovation, but a full-scale reconstruction aimed at giving the state a befitting seat of power.
Speaking on Monday, June 23, during his keynote address at the Oyo State midterm retreat tagged: “Reflecting on progress, refining priorities and re-firing for maximum impact and legacy,” which
held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Governor Makinde explained that the project cost reflects the prevailing economic realities.
According to him, the ₦63 billion earmarked for the project in today’s economy would have equated to approximately ₦16 billion just two years ago, before the advent of the Tinubu administration, when the naira-dollar exchange rate hovered around ₦400 to $1.
He explained that he personally took record of the buildings inside the state government house and the magnitude of work to be done stressing that the quoted figures reflect current market realities in terms of cost of construction materials.
“What we’re doing is not renovation, it is reconstruction,” Governor Makinde stressed.
Reacting to the criticism that is trailing the project cost, Makinde clarified that it is important for people to understand that the scale of the project is aimed at creating a functional and dignified Government House that meets modern standards.”
The Governor insisted that his administration is not focused on applause or short-term visibility but is instead committed to delivering impactful and durable infrastructure that will stand the test of time.
“We’re not building for praise, we’re laying down critical infrastructure that will speak for itself many years after we’re gone.
“My successor won’t need to worry about the roads we’ve constructed, they are built to last.”
He emphasized that all projects undertaken under his administration follow strict quality benchmarks, and that the focus remains on sustainability and long-term service to the people of Oyo State.
The midterm retreat brought together members of the state executive council, top government functionaries, and key stakeholders to review the performance of the administration at the halfway point of its second term.
Meanwhile, the governor has announced the launch of what he described as a Legacy Compact, also known as Oyo State’s Performance Delivery Compact, which will help the administration to measure results and successes in the next two years.
According to the governor, the performance delivery compact will enable each Ministry, Department and Agency to identify three to five legacy deliverables that they can realistically complete before 2027; break the deliverables down into 6-month targets to see what will be delivered by January 2026, and what will be completed by May 2027; and ensure that each target is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
He explained that the compact will also enable the MDAs to publish the commitments as their Oyo Legacy Pledge, be prepared to stand before the public and say: “this is what we promised, this is what we delivered” and also collaborate across ministries through Joint Compacts, especially where outcomes overlap such as infrastructure and commerce, education and youth, tourism and environment.
Governor Makinde noted that the performance compacts would guide resourcing, visibility, and decision-making for the remainder of the administration, adding that they would be monitored quarterly and reviewed at the state’s Legacy Retreat in 2026.
He added that the administration has made remarkable achievements in the last two years of Omituntun 2.0, with successes in the economic sector where the state has been admitted into the World Union of Wholesale Markets courtesy of its partnership with Semmaris on the Ijaiye Food Wholesale Market, the ongoing upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport into an international airport and the ongoing Ibadan Circular Road, which first phase of 32km would be commissioned before the end of 2025.
He added that the administration has recorded remarkable successes in the education sector, where it recruited 14,000 teaching and non-teaching staff, upgraded 105 classrooms with another 36 ongoing; in the health sector where 264 Primary Health Centres have been upgraded and in the infrastructure sector, where feeder and rural roads are receiving priority attention.
Governor Makinde noted, however, that it was time to step back and evaluate the efforts with a view to energising MDAs to finish strong as the administration moves into its last two years in office.
He said: “Let me formally welcome you to this retreat where we will be reflecting on the journey of Omituntun 2.0. We will be x-raying our activities through the lens of our Oyo State Roadmap for Sustainable Development 2023 to 2027.
“We are now halfway through this mandate and it is a good time to take a step back to ask ourselves: how far have we come, what remains to be done, and what must we do now to finish strong?
“We began this journey not merely with promises, but with a vision—to shift from accelerated development to sustainable transformation. A vision that says: we do not only build for applause, we build for impact. Let us begin by acknowledging that there is much to be proud of.
“Under the Economic pillar, Oyo State has made history. We became the first sub-national in Africa to gain admission into the World Union of Wholesale Markets. We secured a landmark partnership with Semmaris to establish Nigeria’s first Rungis-style wholesale agri-food market, a direct outcome of our agribusiness-first strategy. I want to again publicly thank Dr Debo Akande for his role in making this possible.
“We commissioned the 11MW Independent Power Project, powering the State Secretariat 24/7 for the first time in 49 years. We started the Circular Road and the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport upgrade, while paying attention to feeder roads starting from the Ibadan Zone and extending to other zones from this year. We have also commenced the rehabilitation of rural roads through the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
“Significantly, we brought water to our people. Let me also thank Elias Adeojo for his role in this. He did the unexpected and is still working. Well done.
“Our tourism vision is taking shape. We held the first tourism summit in 2024, which helped us to see what direction we wanted to go with tourism, and we are back this year with the second edition, where we will be making a clear call to investors and showing a shift in how we have been working in that sector.
“In Education, we recruited over 14,000 new personnel — teaching and non-teaching — to close the gap in our classrooms. We’ve upgraded 105 schools in underserved areas and commenced work on 36 more. The focus is not just on structures, but also on curriculum reform, digital tools, and inclusion.
“In Healthcare, we’ve extended the Omituntun Free Health Mission, reaching over 18,000 people this year alone, equipped 264 Primary Healthcare Centres, and improved health equity. Diseases like Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis have been eliminated in several LGAs, a first for our State. I acknowledge the work our Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, and the rest of the team are doing in this sector. God bless you.
“In Security, we have grown Amotekun to about 2,500 personnel, equipped our forces, and invested in forest protection, rural security, and community intelligence. Our farmers are returning to their farms. Our people are safer today because we chose to act early.
“I thank you all for all the work you have put in to make Omituntun 2.0 Part 1 a success. We are now moving to Part 2. This moment calls for honest reflection. Have we made progress? Yes. Are we where we need to be? Not yet.
“Across our Roadmap, there remain gaps , not of vision, but of delivery. Projects that began with promise now need a final push; several critical road and transport infrastructure projects are behind schedule, our Agribusiness Industrial Hubs — Eruwa, Akufo and Ijaiye— are not yet completed, Solid Minerals Development is just gradually taking off and our IGR targets, although rising, have not yet met the N7.5 billion monthly benchmark we envisioned.
“These are not failures. They are reminders that great visions demand deliberate coordination — across ministries, agencies, and partners. And that brings me to the most urgent message of today.
“Finishing Strong Requires Inter-ministerial Collaboration. No single ministry can build a legacy. Not Agriculture alone. Not Education alone. Not Public Works, Energy or Lands. But together, they can.
“The next 18–24 months must focus not on launching new projects but on completing what we began, consolidating institutional wins, and ensuring that every arm of government works in alignment.
“We are at a defining point. The foundation is solid. The vision is clear. The next two years must be about intentional delivery, inter-ministerial synergy, and generational impact. Let us remember: A legacy is not what you start, it is what you finish — and finish well. Let posterity say of this government, of this season: They came, they saw the gaps… and they closed them.”
Speaking earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, said the mid-term retreat was organised for stakeholders in the government to assess its interventions in the areas of manpower development, infrastructural development, education, healthcare, agribusiness development and institutional legacies.
“At the inception of Omituntun 2.0 at this same location, Your Excellency took the time to communicate your vision. Two years later, we are here for the mid-term review.”
