Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the appointment of Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi and Dr Charles Akinola as Chairman and Managing Director of the newly established South West Development Commission (SWDC), describing the duo as eminently qualified and intellectually prepared for the task ahead.
Fayemi, who is also a former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, described the appointments as “an inspired and fitting decision,” noting that both appointees have been deeply involved in the region’s development agenda over the years.
“These are clearly round peg-in-round-hole appointments,” Fayemi told journalists. “Both Senator Adetunmbi and Dr Akinola are development economists and policy experts with a track record of strategic engagement in South West regional integration efforts. They were part of the developmental movement that began with the Afenifere Renewal Group, extended to the Yoruba Academy, and culminated in the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), which gained traction in 2013 with support from all South West state governments.”
Fayemi also recalled that as the Director of Policy and Strategy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015, the inclusion of Regional Development Commissions in the party’s manifesto was aimed at creating complementary mechanisms for regional growth without undermining national and sub-national institutions.
“Unfortunately, under President Buhari, only the North East and North West Development Commissions were signed into law. But President Tinubu has moved swiftly to implement the full vision by establishing the remaining regional commissions, including the SWDC,” he said.
On the prospects for the South West Development Commission, Fayemi expressed hope that the new body would steer clear of bureaucratic redundancy and instead focus on meaningful initiatives that promote regional integration.
He revealed that in 2020, the South West Governors’ Forum had already laid the groundwork by setting up a technical committee chaired by Dr Akinola to outline a strategic framework for the Commission. The focus areas, according to him, included regional energy and transportation infrastructure, as well as digital economy projects.
“The idea is to avoid tokenistic empowerment schemes or constituency projects that yield little developmental impact. With Dr Akinola’s institutional memory and Senator Adetunmbi’s policy expertise, I’m confident the Commission will deliver tangible results,” Fayemi concluded.
