The BAO Effect: Celebrating Oyebanji, jinx breaker at 58.
By Olayinka Oyebode
Christmas indeed came early for the people of Ekiti State this year. For them the celebration begun on December 10th when the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport in Ado-Ekiti commenced commercial flight operations signaling a new phase of development under the leadership of Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji as Governor of the State. On that day, Ekiti did not just celebrate the birth of a world class airport which invariably will bring the markets and the world closer to Ekiti, the people celebrated the power of vision and the beauty of unity. The emphasis was on how unity breeds peace, how peace breeds progress and how that translates into shared prosperity under a visionary leader.
The presence of all the four former governors of the state at the airport event, (three of them on board the inaugural flight), supporting the incumbent Governor and each being given his due recognition for their roles in the airport project and in Ekiti development generally, was a classical example of true leadership. The fragrance of that air of unity was not only sweet to the ear, it was a beauty to behold. It speaks to what a state or a people can achieve when they work in unity. It speaks to the leadership qualities of Governor Oyebanji, whose politics of inclusion has brought every leader and every tendency together in the overall interest of the Ekiti people.
Barely a week after that glorious outing, precisely on December 18th, it was the turn of 4,567 young Ekiti farmers, under the Bring Back the Youth in Agriculture scheme to shine. Governor Oyebanji had presented a total one billion naira cheque to the young farmers as their profit for the 2025 harvest, under the initiative which is being done in partnership with a private concern, YSJ Limited. Exactly a year earlier, the Governor had presented N145 million naira cheque to 911 young farmers- the pioneer set of the initiative. Within a year, enrolment into the scheme moved from 1,000 to 5,000 across the sixteen local government areas of the state. This was achieved through government’s strategic support to the farmers which came in form of free land clearing, provision of seedling, agric extenstion services, tractorisation and market linkages, which in turn has made farming a profitable business in Ekiti.
So, for the families of the 4,567 youth farmers Christmas actually came early, courtesy of an impactful leader who was born this season some fifty-eight years ago, and who is redefining governance, making every day count, making everyday a celebration- (Ojo gbogbo bi odun), by virtue of effective implementation of his six-pillar development agenda and by making the people the centre focus of his policies and programmes.
Oyebanji stands out as a true leader of the people. As noted by a former American President, Ronald Regan, “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things, but the one who gets people to do the greatest things”. Oyebanji takes pride in creating economic opportunities for the people, he priortises their welfare and wellbeing. Little wonder the people of Ekiti celebrate BAO, as he is fondly called, not only on his birthday but daily with unparalleled gusto.
History teaches us that leaders that are most respected are those who inspire people to stand for something. Governor Oyebanji fits into this category of leaders perfectly because his leadership is characterized by a strong commitment to service, truth and loyalty, emphasizing empowerment over power and inspiring change through practical example. Above all, he believes in the grace of God and the power in His name. Gratitude remains BAO’s lifestyle. He regularly ascribes his success in public service to the special grace he enjoys from God; and the support of the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; as well as the massive support of Ekitikete home and abroad.
Oyebanji believes Ekiti people, highly rated for their intellect, have no business with poverty. “How can people be brilliant and at the same time be poor.” His six –pillar development agenda anchored on the mantra of shared prosperity for all, was designed to provide the right answer to that poser. Human Capital Development via education- free, qualitative and compulsory from primary to senior secondary school as well as health care delivery –that is available and accessible. The huge investments in human capital development has led to comprehensive renovation of 203 secondary schools and over 900 primary schools, including the state’s special schools. Teaching quality is now better enhanced through proper motivation for teachers and provision of modern learning and teaching facilities. Recently the Governor facilitated the training of 2,000 youths in advanced digital skills including cyber security, software development, artificial intelligence and data analytics in a bid to prepare them for strategic roles in the digital revolution that is bound to happen when the Ekiti Knowledge Zone takes off. Healthcare followed the same logic with comprehensive renovation and equipment of nine general hospitals, and about 105 primary health centres across the state. Through the Ulerawa initiatives, every resident of the state now enjoys and explicit and guaranteed package of essential services, free at the point of care.
Infrastructure is another battlefield where BAO has recorded his most visible laurels. Just about two months ago, he commissioned for use 10 major road projects. This is in addition to about 25 others that had earlier been delivered and put to use. Similarly, his intervention in power infrastructure has led to the reconnection of scores of communities to the national grid. Currently the state is constructing 2x60 MVA transmission stations in Ikere, Ijesa-Isu and Ilupeju Ekiti, while the state’s Independent Power Project (IPP) is powering major government institutions and private businesses.
Oyebanji’s political trajectory is one of the most inspiring in recent history. His journey to the Oke Ayoba Government House started some three years and two months ago. Or, as many have come to believe, it started some 30 years earlier when, as a young university lecturer, he joined the struggle for the creation of Ekiti State in the nineties, where he served as secretary to the Committee on State Creation Committee headed by Chief Deji Fasuan. Working with the committee, which consisted of traditional rulers, and frontline Ekiti leaders, he had a clear understanding of the vision of the founding fathers of the State. The creation of Ekiti State in 1996 paved the way for the first democratically elected state government in May 1999 under the leadership of Governor Niyi Adebayo. Biodun Oyebanji joined the government as a Special Assistant (Parliamentary Affairs) to the Governor, marking his foray into public service. He also served as Special Adviser (Parliamentary Affairs) and later as Chief of Staff to the Governor. During the first term of former Governor Kayode Fayemi, BAO served at different times as Commissioner, Ministry of Integration and Inter-Governmental Affairs; Head, Office of Transformation Strategy and Delivery (OTSD) and Commissioner, Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Service Delivery. He also served as Secretary to the State Government between 2018 to 2021, when he resigned to contest the governorship election, which he won and was inaugurated as Governor on October 16, 2022.
On the political turf, BAO’s rare simplicity continues to make him the darling of the people. He feels at home with the grassroots. He attends ward meetings and interacts freely with party faithful. He leads the youth on hiking at Ikogosi and Efon Alaaye hills. On a large scale he regularly holds stakeholders engagement, where he receives feedbacks from the people on quarterly basis. Prior to his emergence as the first ever consensus governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the June 2026 election, no fewer than 350 groups and associations had publicly declared their support for him. This is in addition to the massive support he got from all the former governors of the state, all National and state assembly members as well as the traditional institution and other critical stakeholders.
Since assuming office, Governor Oyebanji has demonstrated that governance can be calm yet impactful, inclusive yet decisive. Under his stewardship Ekiti State has emerged top in some development indices. These include : First position in the BudgIT State Fiscal Transparency League (Q 2. Q 3, 2024 and Q1,and 2, 2025); Ranked first in the PSLI Subnational Audit Efficacy Index (2023); First in the Annual Growth Rate of IGR (2023). Under his watch Ekiti State established the first adapted classrooms in public special schools for Children with Disabilities in Nigeria. Ekiti was also ranked as the state with the second lowest out of school children in Nigeria. Quite importantly, is the significant reduction in infant mortality by 57 percent from 42 per 1,000 in 2019 to 18 per 1,000 in 2024; and infant mortality which reduced by 53 per cent from 57 per 1,000 in 2019 to 44 per 1,000 in 2024.
Today, I join family, friends, associates, and well-wishers across Nigeria and beyond to celebrate a man of uncommon grace, a jinx breaker, a unifier, a change agent, “Mr Solution” the one Ekitikete love to call “Omoluabi Gomina” or “Gomina ayiye”, His Excellency, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, as he marks his 58th birthday. Happy Birthday Your Excellency. The celebration has just begun.
Oyebode is Special Adviser, Media to the Governor, Ekiti State.
