Ogun @50: Obasanjo, Osoba, Abiodun at 50 Interfaith Thanksgiving in Abeokuta
By Elegbede Abiodun
L-R: The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako; wife of former president, Chief (Mrs) Bola Obasanjo; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba; wife of the Governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, and the Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, during the Inter-Faith Prayer and Thanksgiving commemorating, Ogun State’s 50th anniversary held at the Arcade Ground, Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta on Monday.
* Ogun is described as the gateway to Nigeria’s prosperity.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Governor Olusegun Osoba and Governor Dapo Abiodun on Monday led a distinguished gathering of leaders and eminent indigenes as activities marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of Ogun State continued with an interfaith thanksgiving and prayer session in Abeokuta.
The event, held at the Arcade Ground within the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, brought together past military administrators, traditional rulers, senior government officials and prominent sons and daughters of the state in a symbolic show of unity and reflection on five decades of statehood.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Abiodun said Ogun State had recorded remarkable progress since its creation in 1976, citing major gains in education, housing, healthcare, agriculture and industrial development.
According to the governor, Ogun has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in Nigeria, with an estimated economic value of ₦17 trillion.
“Recent reports rank Ogun as the second-largest economy in Nigeria, after Lagos,” Abiodun said, adding that “Our state has attained an unprecedented level of prominence and excellence.”
He described Ogun as the gateway to Nigeria’s prosperity, attributing its rise to sustained investments in multimodal transportation infrastructure, a world-class airport and an expanding road network.
Abiodun added that the state now leads in education across all levels, has delivered an unprecedented number of affordable housing units, strengthened its healthcare system and empowered farmers, reinforcing its status as Nigeria’s industrial capital.
The governor also paid tribute to iconic figures from the state, including Obafemi Awolowo, Wole Soyinka, Chief Obasanjo and MKO Abiola, noting that their legacies laid a solid foundation for Ogun’s growth and national relevance.
In his remarks, former President Obasanjo commended successive administrations in the state for their vision and commitment, saying Ogun had consistently punched above its weight in national development through the quality of its human capital.
He urged the current administration to further leverage Ogun’s strategic proximity to Lagos by deepening infrastructure development and attracting more local and foreign investments.
Former Governor Osoba, in his contribution, recalled Ogun’s historic role in Nigeria’s political and judicial evolution, including producing the country’s first Chief Judge of the Federation.
He said the Abiodun administration was effectively consolidating on the achievements and institutional foundations laid by previous governments.
Speaking on behalf of former military administrators, Commodore Kayode Olofinmoyin (retd.) described Ogun as fortunate to have an enlightened population and leaders committed to inclusive development.
He praised Governor Abiodun for giving balanced attention to all sectors of the economy.
The Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas and the Olu of Ilaro, Kehinde Olugbenle, urged the governor to remain focused on delivering the dividends of democracy, noting that various parts of the state, including Yewaland, were benefiting from ongoing development projects.
Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council and a pioneer civil servant in the state, Olu Okuboyejo, reflected on the challenges that attended the creation of Ogun State in 1976 and expressed gratitude to God for the progress recorded over the past five decades.
Delivering a sermon titled “Ogun State, Be Grateful to God for Your Inheritance,” Bishop Michael Fape said the state had been blessed with visionary leadership from inception, enabling it to emerge as one of Nigeria’s leading states.
He commended the Abiodun administration’s ISEYA development agenda for expanding Ogun’s economic base and urged citizens to engage constructively in public discourse.
