Senator Gbenga Daniel, at the BATOGD Movement Midterm Tour in Ikenne, celebrates President Tinubu’s approval of the South-West Development Commission Bill and announces plans for job creation, food security, and renewed hope for Ogun East
Senator Daniel Hails Tinubu for Establishing South-West Development Commission, Vows to Deepen Grassroots Growth in Ogun East
IKENNE, Ogun State — Senator Otunba Engr. Gbenga Daniel (FNSE, FNAEng, FNIMechE) has reaffirmed his commitment to grassroots development and regional progress, hailing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the long-awaited South-West Development Commission (SWDC) Bill into law — a move he described as “the rebirth of Awolowo’s vision through law, vision, and action.”
The Senator, who spoke at the BATOGD Movement Midterm Community Assessment and Review Tour in Ikenne Local Government Area on Sunday, October 26, 2025, said the signing of the Bill marked a defining moment for the Southwest, setting the stage for large-scale infrastructure and human capital development.
“The dream of Awolowo is alive again — through law, through vision, through action!” Daniel declared to thunderous applause from the crowd gathered at Ilisan.
Reflecting on Ikenne’s proud political history as the birthplace of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Daniel said the new law would revive the progressive ideals that once defined the region.
“This soil produced the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo — the lamp that lit the path of progressive politics in the Southwest and Nigeria. His dream of a self-reliant, educated, and prosperous people continues to inspire us,” he said.
Daniel, who serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on SWDC, emphasized that the Commission would be modeled after the Western Nigeria Development Corporation (WNDC) of the 1960s and 1970s, which powered the region’s industrial and agricultural revolution.
In a major announcement, Senator Daniel revealed that the livestock and dairy farm project initiated during his tenure as Governor of Ogun State (2003–2011) — in partnership with Zambian multinational ZAMBEEF — would be revived under the new Commission.
“The project, designed to create over 10,000 jobs across various value chains, was stalled due to political crises in our final year. I am happy to report that it is now being reactivated in principle,” he disclosed.
He noted that the farm would boost meat production, leather processing, and dairy value chains, creating opportunities for both skilled and unskilled workers in Ikenne and across Ogun East.
The Senator said the BATOGD Midterm Tour was not a campaign event but an accountability session to review achievements and listen to the people’s needs.
“We are here not for celebration, but for assessment and renewal. Leadership without listening is arrogance; representation without results is betrayal,” he said.
“I came to Ikenne not to campaign, but to give an account of our stewardship.”
He highlighted completed and ongoing constituency projects in Ikenne Local Government, including: A solar-powered motorised borehole in Ogere, Solar street lights in Ilishan, and an Ultra-modern Skills Acquisition Centre in Irolu
Before the event, Daniel inspected the Federal Government Strategic Grain Reserve in Ikenne, urging authorities to make it functional.
“No federal project should live in darkness while the host community starves beside it,” he stressed.
Daniel praised Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun for completing the Gateway International Airport project conceptualized during his administration, saying progress should be viewed as “a relay race, not a competition.”
“Development is not about who takes the credit, but about who gets the job done,” he said. “We started the race of good governance and laid a solid foundation for enduring legacies.”
He also lauded President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying it must “wear overalls and go to work.”
“Renewed Hope is not a mere slogan; it must deliver real empowerment, healthcare, and education to the people,” he added.
Daniel announced progress on the Aviation School Bill at Ilara, Remo North, which is at an advanced legislative stage.
“Though sited in Remo North, the Aviation School will benefit Ikenne and all of Ogun East. Our youths will gain technical skills and global opportunities,” he said.
He urged communities to take ownership of projects and ensure their sustainability.
“Government provides structures, but only communities can sustain them. No project survives when the people stand aloof,” he warned.
In closing, Senator Daniel called for unity and purpose across Ogun East.
“We are not here to divide Ogun East by party lines; we are here to unite it by purpose lines,” he said. “Together, we have proved that service can still have sincerity and that politics can still have purpose.”
He reaffirmed his vision for an Ogun East “where agriculture meets technology, where Remo becomes an aviation and logistics hub, and where every youth can live with dignity.”
The South-West Development Commission Bill was indeed passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2025. The Commission aims to coordinate and accelerate infrastructural and economic development across the six South-West states. Read More
