The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State for the 2027 election, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has unveiled his manifesto, tagged ‘My Pact’, promising to grant local government autonomy from his first day in office if elected governor.
Alli also pledged to commit ₦10 billion to a youth development fund, increase the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to ₦150 billion annually without imposing additional financial burdens on residents and businesses, and position Oyo State among the three leading state economies in Nigeria.
The APC candidate made the commitments on Tuesday while presenting his manifesto to stakeholders drawn from community development associations, professional bodies, artisans, traders, political groups, labour unions and other sectors of the state.
Explaining the policy direction of the document, Alli said his proposed administration would be driven by seven strategic pillars captured in the acronym Oyo AHEAD.
The pillars include Local Government Autonomy, Advancement of Infrastructure, Health Reform, Education and Employment, Agriculture and Export, Digital Economy, and Security.
He explained that the agenda was designed to transform the state’s economy, improve public service delivery and ensure that residents across the 33 local government areas feel the impact of governance.
Speaking on the economic potential of the state, Alli described Oyo as strategically positioned to become a major economic powerhouse, noting that its landmass, population and agricultural resources offered enormous opportunities for growth.
“Oyo State is the largest piece of land in southern Nigeria. We have 351 wards in 33 councils, and about eight million people. A state like ours should be feeding the South West and selling to the world.
“Last year, this state raised less than ₦100 billion as IGR. Ogun, our neighbour, raised nearly three times that figure. Nearly half of our people, about 3.8 million, live in poverty, by the measure of our own national statistics office.
“Our people work hard every day. With the right support, they can do far better,” he said.
Alli said his administration would target ₦150 billion in annual internally generated revenue while ensuring that traders, market women and businesses were not subjected to additional taxes.
He added that his administration would prioritise development across all 351 wards, promising functional primary healthcare facilities, quality schools and accessible roads.
On infrastructure, the governorship candidate pledged to complete ongoing road projects and construct access roads linking farming communities to markets to ease the movement of people and agricultural produce.
He also promised that every newly constructed road would carry a 20-year warranty.
On electricity, Alli said he would fully constitute the Oyo State Electricity Regulatory Commission to facilitate electricity generation and distribution, particularly to industrial and agricultural corridors.
He further promised regular audits and replacement of faulty transformers every six months, restoration of potable water supply in 100 communities and connection of at least 100 rural communities to electricity for the first time.
The APC candidate also promised to expand the state’s bus fleet and modernise the Pacesetter Transport Company to improve public transportation.
On housing, he said his administration would collaborate with the Federal Government and private investors to provide affordable homes for low- and middle-income earners.
He also pledged to simplify building approval processes, reduce associated costs and expand existing housing schemes to enable more residents to own decent homes.
In the health sector, Alli promised to establish general hospitals in the six local government areas yet to have such facilities.
He also pledged to recruit more doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, noting that some hospitals in the state currently operate without medical doctors.
According to him, vacancies in health facilities, including primary healthcare centres, would be filled regularly to improve access to quality medical services.
He further promised free health insurance coverage for infants, pregnant women and residents aged 70 years and above.
The candidate said his administration would increase the number of residents enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme from the current 271,000 to 500,000 within its first two years.
On education, Alli proposed a maximum of 30 pupils per classroom, recruitment of additional teachers and construction of more school facilities.
He also promised to establish skills acquisition centres in each geopolitical zone of the state and introduce an apprenticeship law to strengthen vocational training and employment opportunities.
Under his economic development and job creation agenda, Alli pledged to establish industrial parks, revive the Oluyole Free Trade Zone and introduce a guarantee fund to enable small businesses access credit.
He said the proposed Oyo Youth Fund would commence with an initial ₦10 billion allocation, while digital innovation hubs would be established across the state’s five geopolitical zones.
On agriculture, the APC candidate promised to revive farm settlements, provide insurance coverage for 10,000 farmers and establish a produce board through the proposed Oyo Export Council to support farmers and promote agricultural exports.
He also pledged to strengthen the state’s security architecture to guarantee the safety of lives and property.
Alli assured civil servants that salaries and other entitlements would be paid as and when due, while promising to provide them with necessary working tools and improve their working environments to enhance productivity.
He said the successful implementation of the seven-point Oyo AHEAD agenda would create opportunities, strengthen institutions and place Oyo State on a sustainable path of economic growth and development.
