Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared that he will never support local government autonomy, insisting that enhancing productivity at the grassroots level should take precedence over administrative independence.
The governor made the remark on Wednesday, while speaking at the 2025 edition of the Oyo Youth Summit held at the University of Ibadan Conference Centre, Ibadan.
The summit, themed, "Unlocking Youth Potential: Addressing Needs, Fulfilling Dreams," brought together youths from across the state for discussions on governance, empowerment, and leadership.
In his address, the governor emphasised the need for functional systems that deliver real value to citizens, rather than focusing on constitutional restructuring that may not guarantee performance.
He noted that autonomy without accountability or measurable impact could end up being counterproductive, reiterating his commitment to continue to focus on efficiency, accountability, and impactful governance.
He also noted that Nigerian leaders must look after the people, invest more on education and entrepreneurship so that the country could grow in the direction that the world is going.
"I was here for a debate for the 2023 election and somebody asked if I was going to support local government autonomy and I said I would support productivity at the local government level."
"If autonomy is about what you share with local government areas in Abuja, that is not going to take us anywhere, because our population is growing and the handouts from Abuja have remained stagnant."
"These really are my messages to you this morning. Think about the three things that I already mentioned; economic prosperity would not come except we have entrepreneurs, except we have our people educated and except we back it up with intensive production.
"I give you the assurance that Oyo State would always lead the charge as we would give you the opportunities to unlock your potential."
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