By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi
Fifty years is a long time in the life of any political entity. For Ondo State, created on February 3, 1976 out of the old Western State, the Golden Jubilee is both a celebration and a moment of sober reflection. It is a time to applaud the milestones, interrogate the missteps and confront the contradictions that have shaped the state’s journey across five decades.
The story of Ondo at 50 cannot be told in a single colour. It is a tapestry woven with strands of promise, resilience, missed opportunities and enduring hope.
The good is visible and undeniable. Ondo State emerged from modest beginnings into a notable player in Nigeria’s political and socio-economic landscape. From its early days of improvised administrative structures to the establishment of a functional public service system, the state steadily built institutions that have endured.
Its contributions to education, particularly in the production of scholars, professionals and technocrats, remain one of its strongest legacies. Generations of teachers, civil servants and academics from Ado-Ekiti, Akure, Owo, Ikare, Ondo, Okitipupa and other towns have left their imprint across Nigeria and beyond.
Agriculture once served as the backbone of the state’s economy. Cocoa plantations in Idanre, Ifedore and parts of Akoko; palm produce in Okitipupa and Irele; and timber resources across the forest belt of Ondo and so on sustained livelihoods and supported regional development. Even with the decline in productivity over time, farming communities remain central to the state’s identity and economic survival.
The discovery of oil and the eventual recognition of Ondo as an oil-producing state changed its economic outlook. Ilaje and Ese-Odo communities such as Igbokoda, Ugbo, Aiyetoro, Kiribo and Awoye suddenly became strategic to the national economy.
Derivation revenue opened new fiscal opportunities, and urban expansion followed in cities like Akure and Ondo. Investments in education, health and public infrastructure, though inconsistent, improved access for many residents.
Ondo has also produced strong voices in the national struggle for democracy, civil rights and good governance. From the legal profession to activism and public service, its sons and daughters have remained influential in shaping national discourse.
This culture of intellectual engagement and civic consciousness remains one of the state’s enduring strengths.
Yet, alongside these gains lies the bad, the persistent governance gaps, policy inconsistencies and underutilised potential that have slowed progress.
For a state endowed with bitumen deposits in Agbabu, fertile land across the hinterland, a long Atlantic coastline and oil reserves, industrial development has not matched its potential. Many initiatives announced with enthusiasm by successive administrations ended as abandoned projects scattered across the state.
Infrastructure remains one of the most visible shortcomings. Outside Akure and a few major towns, road networks in many communities remain poor. Coastal settlements such as Aiyetoro, once a thriving community built on water, now face existential threats from ocean surge and environmental neglect. Residents have watched homes and livelihoods disappear to the Atlantic with limited long-term intervention. In parts of Ilaje and Ese-Odo, basic amenities like healthcare facilities, schools and potable water remain inadequate.
When compared with Ogun and Oyo states, which were created the same day as Ondo, the development gap becomes more apparent. Ogun leveraged its proximity to Lagos to industrialise rapidly, while Oyo sustained its historical advantage as a political and administrative hub of the old Western Region.
Ondo, despite its resources, has struggled to establish a comparable industrial base or infrastructural network. While historical realities partly explain this disparity, especially the head start Oyo enjoyed from shared regional assets, the state’s internal policy inconsistency has also played a role.
Then there is the question of leadership culture. Over the years, the individualistic tendencies of many political actors and influential residents have weakened collective action. Unlike some states that rallied around strong political figures or consensus-driven leadership blocs, Ondo has often witnessed fragmented alignments and shifting loyalties. This has made it difficult for the state to sustain a unifying political leader for long, with rivalries frequently overshadowing continuity in development planning.
The lack of synergy between sitting governors and members of the National Assembly has also cost the state dearly. Political differences, especially where federal lawmakers belong to opposition parties, have sometimes translated into stalled projects, weak legislative collaboration and missed opportunities for federal interventions. The ultimate victims of these institutional disconnects are ordinary residents who continue to grapple with inadequate infrastructure, unemployment and limited access to social services.
There are also growing insinuations of a strained relationship between the current governor and federal ministers appointed from the state. If this perception reflects reality, it signals a troubling drift at a time unity is most needed. History has shown that internal divisions among political leaders often slow development, weaken advocacy for federal presence and ultimately deny citizens the full benefits of governance.
Ondo State can only truly thrive where there is a unity of purpose among its political actors, regardless of party affiliations or personal differences. When leaders work at cross purposes, it is the people who bear the consequences.
The ugly aspects of Ondo’s journey are even more unsettling. Corruption and patronage politics have, at different times, undermined development efforts. Public trust has been eroded by unfulfilled promises and projects that fail to move beyond ceremonial flag-offs.
Environmental degradation in the oil-bearing communities of Ilaje and Ese-Odo presents another grim reality. While the state earns recognition as an oil-producing region, many of the host communities remain underdeveloped. Fishing settlements struggle with pollution, coastal erosion and economic displacement. The promise that oil would transform these areas into centres of prosperity has yet to materialise in ways that are meaningful to local residents.
Youth unemployment remains a ticking concern. In towns like Ikare, Owo, Okitipupa and Ore, young people navigate a shrinking economic space, often migrating to Lagos, Abuja and other cities in search of opportunity. Those who remain frequently depend on political patronage or informal work for survival.
There is also the widening gap between political rhetoric and lived reality. For many in rural communities across Akoko, Ifedore, Irele and Ilaje, the dividends of democracy are still distant. Schools require rehabilitation, healthcare delivery remains fragile and economic opportunities are limited.
Still, Ondo’s story is not one of despair. It is a story of endurance. The people remain its greatest strength. Farmers in the hinterland, fisherfolk along the coast, traders in the markets of Oja-Oba and artisans in roadside workshops continue to hold the social and economic fabric together.
At 50, the central question is not merely what Ondo has achieved, but what it must become. The next fifty years demand a shift from personality-driven governance to institution-driven development. Long-term planning must be insulated from political cycles, and investments in education, technology, agriculture and infrastructure must be pursued with consistency.
The state must also rediscover the value of collective purpose. Development cannot thrive where fragmentation dominates.
Political leaders, technocrats, traditional institutions and citizens must align around shared priorities that transcend party lines.
Equally critical is the need to empower the youth population and protect vulnerable communities, especially those facing environmental threats. A state that fails to secure the future of its young people and its coastal settlements risks deepening inequality and instability.
Ondo at 50 is neither a failure nor a finished success. It is a work in progress rich in potential, weighed down by contradictions, yet sustained by resilience. Its past offers lessons, its present demands honesty and its future calls for courage.
If the first half-century was about survival and identity, the next must be about execution, unity and vision. The Sunshine State has the resources, the intellect and the cultural depth to chart a different course. What remains is the will to act together.
David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi is a journalist, musician, public affairs commentator, clergyman and media entrepreneur. He writes on governance, development, culture and social issues, with particular interest in Ondo State and the Nigerian political landscape.
Email: akinadewodavid@gmail.com
08035796424
