Text of a keynote address by former interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande at the Southwest Summit at the International Conference Centre (The Dome), Akure…yesterday
All Protocols observed
Distinguished guests, esteemed elders, brothers and sisters of the Southwest, I stand before you today with gratitude, humility, and great excitement of what our destiny portends.
Let me begin by thanking the conveners of this important and timely gathering — Pa Reuben Fasoranti, our father and moral compass; His Excellency Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, our host; Your Excellency other Southwest Governors — men of purpose and principle; and the DAWN Commission, our technical partners and enduring symbol of regional cooperation.
This dialogue is not just another conference — it is a renewal of the Yoruba tradition of communal existence, of reasoning together, before acting. It is also a reminder that democracy deepens when leaders and citizens sit to talk honestly about progress, so they can all chart the way forward.
During this dialogue today, we will begin to see that Nigeria stands at a historic turning point. Under the present leadership, Nigeria seems beginning to undergo a new transformation — one rooted in courage, bold decisions, discipline, and belief in the Nigerian dream.
The reforms we see unfolding — fiscal, economic, and institutional — are appearing to be deliberate steps to rebuild Nigerian national foundation. Though tough in the beginning, but necessary for long-term prosperity.
The economy is being re-engineered through tax reform systems, harmonizations of revenue collections, expenditure rationalizations and by creating a structure that rewards productivity rather than dependency.
We are being led to witness the dawn of a new era — an era of responsibility, where every naira must count, every policy must produce results, and every reform must serve the people- the indices of which are a harbinger of the restructuring we always craved.
The Quiet restructuring
Nigeria began as a Federation of the two protectorates of the northern and southern provinces each with its own government. It became rearranged into a federation of the northern, western and eastern regions also with separate governments. Then began the minority ethnic question and the minority rights within each region which led to the establishment of the Sir Henry Willink Commission in 1957. That was designed to enable the creation of more states by evolutionary processes from a federation of three to four and perhaps to six states before or immediately after independence.
Since Independence in 1960, however, the government of this country, which had been known and called the Federal Republic of Nigeria, became hijacked by the military . And because the military, by nature, is anti federalism, the running of the country has since become unified and hierarchical. To worsen the situation, the successive military regimes, in their one-dimensional approach to complex issues, have reduced panaceas for national unity to mere bulkanization of Nigeria into states. They moved from the sublime to the ridiculous by splitting Nigeria into thirty six states and into almost eight hundred local governments. The resources for maintaining four or six government administrations became stretched, replicated and multiplicated into the present humongous unmanageable proportions.
First and foremost therefore, a purposeful restructuring is needed to start with the restitution of genuine federalism. And the further restructuring must ensure equality of opportunity for all citizens together with maximum opportunity for personal, community, regional and national development.
In a quieter, more profound restructuring is already happening — through regional empowerment and institutional decentralization.In a stroke of visionary leadership, in addition to the South South Development Commission, the present administration has established and inaugurated five regional development commissions — the North West, North Central,North East, South East, and now our own South West Development Commission (SWDC) .
Each of these commissions represents not just geographical entities, but economic development engines or grassroots focused commissions – recognition that true development must begin from the grassroots, with each region in charge of its own destiny.
For us in the Southwest, this is both an opportunity and a responsibility — to once again lead by example, demonstrating how local collaboration, innovative thinking, and strategic implementation can drive sustainable development – especially now in these times of diversification under the Renewed Hope Agenda
Diversification- The new frontier
One of the cornerstones of this administration’s reform agenda is economic diversification — the shift away from oil dependency toward a broad-based, resilient economy that leverages agriculture, technology, manufacturing, and human capital to create sustainable growth and shared prosperity for all citizens.
The Southwest must stand at the vanguard of this transformation. Our agriculture, the primary river of the economy, is being revitalized through massive federal and sub-national investments in value chains — from cassava and cocoa to rice, palm oil, poultry, and aquaculture.
Programmes supporting agro-processing, irrigation, and rural infrastructure are breathing new life into our farms and farmers, boosting productivity, creating jobs, and ensuring food security for our communities while driving economic growth in rural areas.
Beyond agriculture, attention is turning to mining and solid minerals, where Nigeria’s wealth runs deep beneath our soil. The new Solid Minerals Roadmap and the creation of special mining zones are positioning states — including those in the Southwest — to tap into gold, lithium, bitumen, and other high-value minerals responsibly and profitably.
We are also seeing accelerated efforts in manufacturing, renewable energy, the digital economy, and creative industries — all pillars of non-oil growth.
The Federal Government’s Accelerating Resource Mobilization Reforms (ARMOR) initiative and the Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee are expanding our non-oil revenue base, simplifying taxes, and modernizing customs processes to support local productivity.
sectors; it is about more opportunities — jobs for our youth, markets for our farmers, and industries for our entrepreneurs.
The Role of the Southwest Development Commission
Our newly established Southwest Development Commission (SWDC) must rise beyond paperwork and policy. It must become a movement of transformation. Let it be the battering ram against unemployment, insecurity, and disunity. It must coordinate our comparative advantages — in agriculture, trade, education, innovation, and technology.
Let it build on our proud history — the same heritage that gave Nigeria its first TV station, its first skyscraper, and its first university. The SWDC should be the model that others emulate — the symbol of how a united region can drive national renewal.
A personal reflection and a call
When I look around this hall, I see hope — the kind of hope that built Ibadan’s Liberty Stadium, Lagos’s Eko Atlantic, and the cocoa pyramids of Ondo and Ekiti. I see a people with the discipline of the past and the determination for the future.
Yes, these reforms are demanding. They test our patience and stretch our resilience. But I have seen firsthand the conviction of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — a leader who believes that Nigeria must finally break free from cycles of dependency and dysfunction.
He is not asking for blind loyalty — only for shared sacrifice and belief in our collective destiny. So I call on the sons and daughters of Odùduwà: Let us stand behind this administration — not just because the President is one of us, but because he is one of the few with the courage to confront what must be changed.
Let us make the Southwest a model for others — a region where government works, youth thrive, and communities flourish.
Closing
As we dialogue here in Akure, may our discussions yield wisdom and direction. May our collaboration produce action and impact. Let the Southwest rise — strong in unity, rich in ideas, and bold in innovation.
Let us lead again, as we have always done, and light the path for others to follow.
God bless the Southwest. God bless Nigeria. And God bless you us.
