Three years into his tenure, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji has earned a reputation for quiet effectiveness — the kind of leadership that favours results over rhetoric. Known for his steady temperament and hands-on approach, he has steered Ekiti State with a focus on inclusion, integrity, and measurable impact. Since taking office in 2022, his administration has worked to translate the idea of Shared Prosperity from campaign promise to lived experience, improving transparency, strengthening institutions, and advancing development in ways that touch the everyday lives of Ekiti’s citizens.
From record gains in education and water sanitation to renewed attention on infrastructure, governance, and human capital, Oyebanji has positioned Ekiti as one of Nigeria’s most efficiently managed states.
As he marks three years in office and looks toward the future, Governor Oyebanji sits down with Konye Chelsea Nwabogor for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, legacy, and the lessons learned along the way.
Three years into office, when you look back at October 2022, what would you say has been your biggest learning curve?
Well, over the last three years, I think I have learnt to be more attentive. I have learnt to be more patient, I have also discovered that it’s not possible to solve all problems at once. When you finish solving one, others will come. So, you just have to tell yourself that, look, you are not God, you know, just satisfy your conscience and do the one that you can. But communicate with the people why you may not be able to do everything. So, I learnt patience and being attentive. I have learnt to also listen to both sides- people come to you with all sorts of information, and if you are not careful, chances are that if you don’t have a balanced view, you can make a very wrong decision or judgment. So, I have learnt to be calmer and also try to interrogate things – information that comes either in file or oral information – you know.
You came into the office on the mantra of shared prosperity, in practical terms, how close is Ekiti today to that vision?
Well, it is a journey. What I can say is that definitely we have left Egypt. Shared prosperity speaks to creating opportunities for every indigene of the state to prosper, irrespective of their social cadre, either those in formal employment or those in the informal sector. We have tried as much as possible to also create an ecosystem that allows everybody to have hope and properly plan for their lives. And so far so good, we are moving towards that mantra. We have not gotten to the promised land, but definitely we have left Egypt.
What has been the most challenging part of governing so far? The people, the politics, or the process itself?
I would say the process. You know, the people, you can communicate with them. Politics, that is a game. But the process is something that we need to look at with the best of intention. No matter how well-intentioned you are, the process has a way of slowing you down, scuttling good intention, frustrating you. So, my major issue would be with the process. But as a government, we are trying to reform this process and also trying to tell our people that, look, we are here to serve you, but it’s not something that can be done in a rush. Let me use that word, you know, you just have to slow down, because as you reform these processes, you also have to ensure that you communicate with the operators and fine tune the operating system. So they buy into whatever you want to do.
Ekit State, under your leadership, has top several national rankings in transparency, water sanitation and education. Which of these achievements are you personally most proud of, and why?
All of them are important, but I would say that I’m extremely proud of our rating with respect to transparency, because trust is something that has been lacking in public office, and if we have been rated consecutively for five quarters on transparency, I’m so proud of that. Because that is something that is rare, to maintain that position consistently for five quarters is something that I’m very proud of.
Infrastructure development and human capital growth have been two of your administration’s biggest priorities. What specific projects best capture how these two goals work and demand?
Well, infrastructure speaks to physical development of the environment itself. Human capital speaks to the development of people. So, we have to strike a balance between infrastructure and the people that use that infrastructure. Our Intervention in health, intervention in education social inclusion speaks to a commitment to human capital development, and I’m so happy with what we have achieved in those two sectors. I’m glad that in Ekiti State now most of the health outcomes are above average and they are near excellent. We have reduced neonatal mortality rates, we have reduced maternal mortality rates. We have reformed and refurbished most of our health centers. People can now access healthcare, the health insurance is going on well and people are enjoying it. Also, we have the least Out of School Children in the Southwest and one of the least in the country nationally. Our pupils are doing well in their WAEC and other public examinations, so that means that we are preparing our pupil for the 21st century. I’m so excited about that. Infrastructure-wise, our performance in road construction, in electricity, in water and sanitation, also blows my mind, What we have been able to do in the last one year is amazing. We have been able to connect more than 40 communities to the national grid. These are communities that have not had electricity for 14 to 20 years and that has changed the economy of those communities and we have been able to also provide access to water in most of these communities. So, balancing both infrastructure and human capital development has been a great achievement, you know, and people are attesting to it. In the SURWASH programme, Ekiti State led the ranking in the country and we have done so well. In other World Bank projects like RAAMP, AGILE and IDEAS. So, I am happy that we managed to strike a balance between growth and development.
You have served in nearly every political role in Ekiti before becoming Governor of the State. How did that long journey through the system shape your understanding of leadership and power?
Before I became Governor, I think I have put in 11 years at the state level with two governments – I did four years with Governor Niyi Adebayo, I did seven years with Governor Kayode Fayemi at the state level and the advantage that gives me is that because I worked at a very close range with them, I was Chief of Staff to Governor Adebayo (among other positions), and I ended up being Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to Governor kayode Fayemi (aside serving as a commissioner in different ministries during his first term). I saw the two leaders at a very close-range taking decisions, I saw them also facing the consequences of their decisions. So the 11 years actually prepared me for this office. It taught me patience. It taught me to interrogate things. It taught me to be fast and at the same time be mindful that I have to work slowly. It also taught me that, look, you cannot work alone, You need to carry everybody along and it taught me that you have to respect your subordinates and listen to their views. So, that really helps me when I assume duty as Governor of the State. So, I’ve seen them making mistakes and most of those mistakes, I try also to avoid and if I get to the crossroad, I can call any one of them. I have relationship with all the former governors of this State and I call them for advice based on their areas of strength. Apart from Governor Kayode Fayemi and Governor Niyi Adebayo that I work with closely, I have a very good relationship with Governor Ayodele Fayose and Governor Segun Oni. So, I can pick my phone up and call any one of them for advice.
Ekiti is often described as the Land of Honour, intellect, integrity, and resilience. What, in your view, truly sets the state apart, politically and culturally?
Culturally, I think Ekiti State is the only homogenous state in the country and that should speak to something. We are all Ekitis, we speak the same language, we understand ourselves, that should be a strength. It should be a strength that we can tap on to mobilise the people for development, and that is what we are doing in this state. We are being inclusive and politically too, the state is very active, is a progressive state, as of today, it’s almost a one-party state because everybody is on the same page. So, I think that we need to scale up to play up our homogeneity to drive development. It shouldn’t be too difficult to build consensus around critical issues of development, of growth, of security, you know, because we are basically one and our politics is tilted towards an inclusive governance, an inclusive administration, one people, one vision, one destiny
As the 2026 election draws closer, how do you intend to convince Ekiti people that your second term is essential to sustaining the progress already made?
I think the people are already convinced, and there’s a saying that the taste of the pudding is in the eating. They’ve seen what we have done in three years and since the creation of this state, our major problem as a state, what has stunted development in the state, is the fact that there’s been no continuity in governance. In 2022, we were able to break that. Governor Fayemi was able to break that jinx, and he handed over power to me. I was his Secretary to Government. But there has not been back-to-back continuity. I think we are set to break that jinx now, because the people have now realized that, look, we need continuity to have sustainable growth, to have sustainable development. So, as 2026 draws closer, I have no doubt in my mind that the people will also re-elect the APC to continue to administer the State.
Looking ahead, what are the key unfinished goals or reforms you are determined to complete if given another four years?
We have a 30-year development plan that drives what we should be doing as a government, and we are religiously following the document. There are sectors that, by my own assessment, we have done well. There are other sectors that we have not been able to do as much as we would have loved to, and one sector that I will actually put more attention in my second term in office is education. I desire an educational landscape that will drive innovation, especially at the secondary school level. At the primary school level, yes, there is SUBEB to develop infrastructure so, we are able to have a lot of capital injection into that, but there has not been any deliberate attempt to actually develop the secondary school sector. So, we are going to sit down to put a lot of resources to renovate secondary schools, put electronic boards and do everything in a way and manner that that the schools will attract more pupils. We would also look at vocational skills development to ensure that we teach our pupils skills so that they can combine both formal education with skills so that they can be relevant in the society. Formal education is good, but you know, but you also need skills to match it, you know, for the rigour of formal education, those people should not be left out. So, there must be a seat for them at the table to do whatever they intend to do. So, we will do that. We will put a lot of focus on education, we will also ramp up our intervention in the agric space. Those two sectors will actually attract special attention from our administration going forward.
Stepping back to the national stage, when you look at Nigeria today, with the economic headwinds, insecurity and growing political fatigue, what still gives you hope about our future?
I think we should thank God for the President, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that he came at the right time and people are beginning to see the gains of the reforms of Mr. President and I believe strongly, by the grace of God, that once he wins his second term, we will be able to consolidate on the achievements that he has made in his first term in office. We need a very courageous, a clear-minded leader like him to navigate the ship of state in Nigeria, and the President is doing that. The economy is responding positively to all the reforms. Security-wise, yes, there are still some challenges, but there’s a big improvement in the security of life and property in the country. Now, most of the attacks are on soft targets, but I know that the President is also equal to the task. But there’s no way he’ll be able to finish everything- the task is set for himself in four years. So, I’m just appealing to Nigerians that they should support him for his second term, so that he’ll be able to consolidate on his reforms.
How can states like Ekiti play a more active roles in defining Nigeria’s development story beyond the rhetoric of federal dependence?
Well, I think that one task we set for ourselves is to wean Ekiti State off federal dependency, and when we got to office, we were deliberate about that, and our intention are designed to ensure that we are at least able to deal with our recurrent expenditures within what we generate in the State and we are almost at that point now. We met IGR at about 700 million, we are now at 2.3 to 2.5 billion in a month, and before the end of the year, I’m sure that things will go up, and most states are also trying to wean themselves off federal dependency. But this not something that you can do in one day, you have to also expand the economy, create avenues for private capital to come to the economy, and also embark on a lot of reforms, put in place the building blocks to attract investors into the state, and part of what we have done in Ekiti State now is the completion of the Ekiti Airport. That’s to create access to the state, and I’m thankful to Mr President for the final approval for commercial flights to commence in our Ekiti Airport. I thank him also for the interventions on federal roads. So, if we are able to create access and also to ensure that there’s power supply, there’s access to raw materials, and cheap and qualitative labour force in Ekiti State. So, we are trying to prepare them for such. So if all the factors of productions are in place, investors will come, because one thing about capital, capital flows to where it’s well treated.
If you could change one thing about how government works in Nigeria, whether in structure, accountability or political culture, what would be that one thing you’d like to change?
It will be all. Because there’s no one-size-fits-all solution with my experience now, I’ve discovered that the structure is challenged, there is a problem with accountability, and there is with political culture. To proceed we have to communicate to our people. We have to ensure that the structure is flexible in a way and manner that it will also push for accountability and also the culture, we have to manage the political culture of people believing that this is government money and it can be spent anyhow. So, it’s going to take a lot of time, but it’s not impossible. We continue to engage, we continue to also tweak the processes, the structures, the operatives of the structures in a way and manner that we get to where we’re going to.
Your wife, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji is a respected academic. How does her perspective shape the way you think about leadership, education and policy?
Well, my wife, like you said, is accomplished in her own right, and she has brought that to bear in governance, and she engages with me very well. She has her perspectives on my style of administration, and she criticizes me where necessary, and she offers her own perspectives, and she’s been able to also bring that to bear through her WAOH Foundation that has touched so many lives – widows, orphans, and vulnerable children and in the last three years, she has been able to positively impact on the lives of this segment of the population, and also, through the Adire Hub where she trains people in the act of tie and dye and I’m so excited because when she was sharing with me, as at now, the centre has trained close to 5,000 people. And whenever she trains them, she also equips them, and most of them are doing well, and they can fend for themselves, take care of their children, and meet their basic needs.
Away from politics, what does a typical day in Governor Oyebanji’s life look like, the man behind the title?
Well, I love my work and I don’t have much social life. When I wake up the first thing I do is my morning devotion, then if there are domestic issues to attend to I will do that and I will come to the office. I live a regimented life. I am not a social bird, so, I just want to work but for relaxation, I read a lot and I love my village. Anytime I want to relax, I go to Ikogosi to relax. So, my life is just like that and that is how It has being.
When history is written, what would you want your legacy as Governor of Ekiti State to be remembered for?
I keep telling people that I want to be remembered as a Governor that tells the truth, because I believe that trust is lacking in the public office. People don’t trust their leaders and it is so painful that even when telling the truth, people will say you that it is a political statement. So, I try as much as possible to walk my talk. So when I leave this seat, by the grace of God, I want Ekiti people to remember that there was a Governor that walk the talk, whose words you can take to the bank, who you can trust. That is what I want to be remember for.
What will be your word for Ekiti people as we celebrate the third year anniversary
I am full of appreciation to Ekiti people- for their prayers, support and for their constructive criticism. I thank them for the platform they have offered our party to serve them and I know that we have not disappointed them. So, I enjoin them to keep hope alive, keep praying for us and let them know that the best is yet to come.
