Oyo 2027: Alli Pledges LG Autonomy, N10bn Youth Fund, Targets Top-three State Economy

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has pledged to grant local government autonomy from his first day in office if elected governor in 2027.

Alli also promised to establish a N10 billion youth fund, raise the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) to N150 billion annually without imposing additional burdens on residents and businesses, and position Oyo among the three largest state economies in Nigeria.

He made the pledges on Tuesday in Ibadan while unveiling his manifesto, tagged My Pact, before representatives of community development associations, professional bodies, artisans, traders, labour unions, political groups and other stakeholders.

The manifesto, built around seven pillars under the acronym Oyo AHEAD, outlines his proposed policies on local government autonomy, infrastructure, healthcare, education and employment, agriculture and exports, the digital economy, and security.

Alli said the agenda was designed to strengthen the state’s economy, improve public service delivery and ensure that residents across the 33 local government areas feel the impact of governance.

Presenting his economic vision, the APC candidate described Oyo’s landmass, population and agricultural potential as advantages that should translate into greater economic prosperity.

He said, “Oyo State is the largest piece of land in southern Nigeria. We have 351 wards in 33 councils, and about eight million people. A state like ours should be feeding the South-West and selling to the world.

“Last year, this state raised less than N100 billion as IGR. Ogun, our neighbour, raised nearly three times that figure. Nearly half of our people, about 3.8 million, live in poverty, by the measure of our own national statistics office.

“Our people work hard every day. With the right support, they can do far better.”

He added that his administration would pursue an annual IGR target of N150 billion while protecting market women, small businesses and other residents from additional financial burdens.

“So here is where we are going. We will make Oyo one of the top three state economies in Nigeria. Our first target on the way is N150 billion a year of our own revenue, and the market woman will pay no more than she pays today,” he said.

Alli further promised that every ward would have access to a functioning clinic, a school that delivers quality education and roads that connect communities to economic opportunities.

He explained that his development strategy would link electricity supply to industrial growth, job creation and improved household incomes, with increased economic activity generating revenue for public services.

On infrastructure, the governorship candidate pledged to complete ongoing road projects and construct access roads to farms to ease the movement of agricultural produce and improve connectivity between rural communities and markets.

He also promised that new roads constructed under his administration would carry a 20-year warranty.

On electricity, Alli said he would fully constitute the state electricity regulator and develop power generation and distribution arrangements to serve industrial and agricultural corridors.

“Faulty transformers will be audited and replaced every six months so that no street sits in darkness for a year,” he said.

The APC candidate also promised to restore potable water supply to 100 communities and connect at least 100 rural communities to electricity for the first time.

He pledged to increase the state’s bus fleet and modernise Pacesetter Transport Company to improve public transportation.

On housing, Alli said his administration would collaborate with the Federal Government and private investors, both local and international, to provide affordable homes for workers and other residents.

He also promised to reduce the time and cost of obtaining building approvals and expand housing schemes targeting low- and middle-income earners.

In the health sector, Alli pledged to establish general hospitals in the six local government areas he said were yet to have one, alongside recruiting more doctors and other health professionals.

He said the proposed recruitment drive would address staffing shortages in public hospitals, noting that 10 hospitals currently had no medical doctor.

According to him, vacancies in health facilities, including primary healthcare centres, would be filled regularly to improve access to medical services.

Alli also promised free health insurance for infants, pregnant women and residents aged 70 and above.

He said his administration would seek to increase health insurance enrolment from the current 271,000 to 500,000 within its first two years.

On education, the APC candidate pledged to limit class sizes to 30 pupils, recruit additional teachers and provide more school facilities.

He also promised to establish skills acquisition centres in each geopolitical zone of the state and introduce legislation to strengthen apprenticeship programmes.

To stimulate investment and create jobs, Alli said he would develop industrial parks, revive the Oluyole Free Trade Zone and establish a guarantee fund to improve small businesses’ access to credit.

The proposed N10 billion Oyo Youth Fund, he said, would support young people, while digital hubs would be established across the state’s five geopolitical zones to expand opportunities in the digital economy.

In agriculture, Alli promised to revive farm settlements and provide insurance coverage for 10,000 farmers.

He added that the proposed Oyo Export Council would establish a produce board to support farmers and improve the marketing and export of agricultural products.

On security, the APC candidate pledged to restructure the state’s security architecture to strengthen the protection of lives and property.

He also promised to prioritise workers’ welfare by ensuring that civil servants receive their salaries and entitlements as and when due.

Alli said public servants would be provided with appropriate work tools and improved working environments to enhance productivity and service delivery.