29/08/2026
EKITI @30: FROM THE STRUGGLE FOR CREATION TO THE STRUGGLE FOR DEVELOPMENT: Leadership and Communities' Contribution to Its Development.
Thirty years ago, Ekiti State became a political reality. But before that historic moment of 1 October 1996 was a long journey of agitation, sacrifice, negotiation, unity and collective determination.
The creation of Ekiti State was not the achievement of one man, one community or one political group. It was the outcome of a shared aspiration. From the early organised agitation of the 1980s through years of memoranda, political engagements, lobbying and consultations, Ekiti leaders, traditional institutions, professionals and communities continued to pursue one common dream: the creation of a state that would give the Ekiti people greater political identity and the opportunity to shape their own developmental destiny.
That dream was eventually realised on 1st of October, 1996.
Thirty years later, Ekiti stands at another important point in its history.
The question before us is no longer simply, “Can Ekiti become a State?” Ekiti is a State.
The question now is: What kind of State do we want Ekiti to become?
This question forms the foundation of this year Ekiti Colloquium and Heroes Award theme: “Ekiti @30: Leadership and Communities' Contribution to Its Development.”
This theme invites us to look back, not merely to celebrate the creation of Ekiti State, but to understand the forces that made that creation possible and to apply the same lessons to the challenges of development that confront us today.
FROM A COLLECTIVE DREAM TO A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
The history of Ekiti State teaches us an important lesson: great achievements are rarely the product of isolated efforts. The struggle for the creation of Ekiti State brought together political leaders, traditional rulers, professionals, civil servants, community leaders and ordinary citizens. There were differences in political affiliations and interests, but the Ekiti project provided a common purpose that was greater than individual ambitions. The lesson remains relevant thirty years later.
State creation was the beginning of the journey, not the destination. The founding generation fought for the political space that we now occupy. Our generation must therefore ask what we are doing with that opportunity.
We inherited a State. Are we building an economy?
We inherited a people with a strong reputation for education, excellence and hard work. Are we converting these human resources into industries, innovation and prosperity?
We inherited communities with rich agricultural resources, cultural heritage, talented young people and a strong diaspora network. Are we connecting these strengths to create sustainable development?
These are some of the questions that make the discussion around Ekiti @30 both timely and necessary.
LEADERSHIP: BEYOND HOLDING OFFICE
Leadership has played a defining role in Ekiti's journey. The struggle for state creation required leaders who could see beyond the limitations of their immediate environment. It required people who could organise, mobilise, negotiate and sacrifice for a future they might not personally enjoy.
That is the true essence of leadership. Leadership is not merely about occupying political office. It is about accepting responsibility for the future.
At thirty, Ekiti must continue to demand leadership that thinks beyond the next election cycle and plans beyond immediate political gains. The State needs leadership that understands that roads, schools and public buildings, important as they are, must ultimately support a productive economy.
The next stage of Ekiti's development requires deliberate thinking about industrialisation, agriculture, technology, innovation, tourism, the creative economy and enterprise. It requires policies that do not only prepare young people to seek employment but create an environment where they can build businesses, develop ideas, establish industries and employ others. It requires leadership that sees Ekiti not only as a civil service and education-oriented State but as a State with the potential to become a centre of knowledge, production, innovation and enterprise.
COMMUNITIES: THE OFTEN-UNRECOGNISED BUILDERS OF EKITI
If leadership provides direction, communities provide the foundation.
Across Ekiti, communities have contributed significantly to development through self-help projects, education, healthcare, infrastructure, cultural preservation, security, philanthropy and support for their people. Before and after the creation of Ekiti State, community development associations, traditional institutions, town unions, professional groups and individuals have continued to contribute to the growth of their various communities.
This spirit of communal responsibility is one of Ekiti's greatest strengths. The development of Ekiti cannot and should not be left to government alone.
A government may provide policy direction, infrastructure and an enabling environment, but sustainable development requires the participation of communities, the private sector, traditional institutions, professionals, young people and the Ekiti diaspora.
The question therefore is not only what government can do for Ekiti.
We must also ask:
What can communities produce?
What resources can communities attract?
How can communities support local enterprises?
How can Ekiti people in the diaspora invest their knowledge, networks and resources back home?
How can traditional institutions and community leaders contribute to creating an environment that supports investment and development?
The Ekiti project must once again become a collective responsibility.
THE NEXT BIG CONVERSATION: EKITI MUST PRODUCE
As Ekiti marks thirty years of existence, there is a growing and important conversation among young people about the future of the State's economy. The message is becoming clearer: Ekiti must move from merely consuming to producing.
A State cannot build a strong and sustainable economy by depending primarily on salaries, allocations, taxation and consumption. Sustainable prosperity requires production.
Ekiti must therefore deliberately encourage the growth of industries.
Our agricultural potential must lead to more agro-processing and value addition.
Our educational advantage must produce more technology companies, research, innovation and knowledge-based enterprises.
Our creative talents must become viable businesses.
Our natural and cultural assets must contribute more significantly to tourism and the local economy.
Our young people must be equipped not only with certificates but with skills, capital, networks, technology and opportunities to participate in the economy.
The recent and growing call by Ekiti youths for greater attention to industries and economic development should therefore not be seen merely as a demand for government action. It should be understood as a generational challenge.
The youth are asking an important question:
What will the Ekiti economy look like in the next thirty years?
That question deserves serious reflection.
FROM EDUCATION TO INNOVATION, FROM AGRICULTURE TO INDUSTRY
Ekiti has long been celebrated as a land of intellectuals and scholars.
Education remains one of our greatest strengths. But in the twenty-first-century economy, knowledge must increasingly be connected to innovation and production.
The future of Ekiti should include an economy where graduates can transform ideas into businesses, researchers can solve practical problems, farmers can participate in profitable value chains and young innovators can develop solutions for local and global markets.
Agriculture, for example, should not end on the farm.
Cassava can become processed food and industrial products.
Cocoa can create opportunities beyond the sale of raw produce.
Fruits and vegetables can support processing, packaging, storage and distribution businesses.
Livestock can support processing industries.
Technology can improve access to markets, finance and information.
The goal must be to build an economy in which more value is created within Ekiti.
The same principle applies to the creative industry, tourism, technology, education, solid minerals and other areas of comparative advantage.
Ekiti must begin to ask not only, “What do we have?”
We must also ask, “What can we make from what we have?”
That is the language of industrial and economic transformation.
YOUNG PEOPLE MUST MOVE FROM THE MARGIN TO THE CENTRE
Ekiti @30 must also be a conversation about the role of young people.
The generation that fought for the creation of Ekiti State had a dream. The generation of today must have a responsibility. Young people cannot afford to remain only spectators in the development of the State. They must become entrepreneurs, innovators, farmers, professionals, investors, community organisers, policy advocates and responsible participants in governance.
But young people also need an environment that allows their ideas to grow. This is why the conversation about youth development must go beyond empowerment programmes. Empowerment is important, but sustainable development requires economic structures.
We need industries that create jobs.
We need investment that creates opportunities.
We need access to finance for viable businesses.
We need skills that respond to the demands of the modern economy.
We need innovation hubs and productive partnerships between government, educational institutions and the private sector.
We need communities that welcome investment.
We need leaders who understand that the greatest empowerment programme is the creation of an economy where people can productively earn a living and build wealth.
EKITI @30: A TIME FOR REFLECTION AND A TIME FOR RECOMMITMENT
Thirty years provide an opportunity to celebrate, but they also provide an opportunity to reflect.
We must celebrate the men and women whose sacrifices contributed to the creation of Ekiti State.
We must recognise the traditional rulers, political leaders, professionals, community leaders and patriots who refused to abandon the Ekiti dream.
We must celebrate the leaders who have contributed to the development of the State since its creation.
We must acknowledge the communities whose collective efforts have provided schools, roads, healthcare facilities and other essential infrastructure.
We must recognise private individuals and organisations whose investments and philanthropy have created opportunities and transformed lives.
And importantly, we must create space for a new generation of Ekiti builders.
The Heroes Award component of this year's programme is therefore particularly significant. Development is not only written in government documents. It is written in the lives of people who see a problem and choose to become part of the solution.
The teacher who transforms lives.
The entrepreneur who creates jobs.
The community leader who mobilises development.
The investor who brings opportunities home.
The innovator who creates solutions.
The traditional ruler who promotes peace and progress.
The young person who refuses to give up on Ekiti.
These are also the builders of our State.
THE NEXT 30 YEARS START NOW
The most important question before Ekiti @30 may not be how far we have come. It may be how far we are prepared to go.
The generation that fought for the creation of Ekiti State gave us a political platform. The responsibility of our generation is to build on that platform.
We must build an Ekiti that produces.
An Ekiti that innovates.
An Ekiti that attracts investment.
An Ekiti where agriculture creates industries.
An Ekiti where education produces solutions.
An Ekiti where young people see opportunities, not only reasons to leave.
An Ekiti where communities become active partners in development.
An Ekiti where leadership is measured not only by promises but by institutions, policies and opportunities that outlive political administrations.
As we celebrate thirty years of Ekiti State, we must remember that the same unity, courage, sacrifice and determination that made the creation of the State possible are still required to build the prosperous Ekiti of our dreams.
Thirty years ago, Ekiti people asked for the opportunity to determine their own destiny. Today, the responsibility is in our hands.
The struggle for creation has been won. The struggle for sustainable development continues. And perhaps, that is the most important conversation for Ekiti @30.
EKITI @30: LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITIES' CONTRIBUTION TO ITS DEVELOPMENT
It is a celebration.
It is a reflection.
It is a recognition of those who have contributed.
But above all, it is a call to action.
A call to leadership.
A call to communities.
A call to investors.
A call to the diaspora.
A call to young people.
A call to every son and daughter of Ekiti.
Because the next chapter of Ekiti's story will not be written by government alone.
It will be written by all of us.
WELCOME TO THE JOURNEY OF EKITI @30 and EKITI COLLOQUIUM AND HEROES AWARD @5
