Former Acting General Secretary of the Central Council of Ibadan Indegens (CCII), Mogaji Nurudeen Akinade, who also double as the Coordinator, Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative (ICPI), Mogaji Nurudeen Akinade has led stakeholders in Ibadanland to the Zonal Public Hearing on 1999 Constitutional Review organised by House of Representatives in Lagos on creation of new states.
Akinade, who spoke at the event on behalf of CCII President General, Barr. Niyi Ajewole, who is currently in UK to attend Ibadan Week in London was joined by Asiwaju of Ibarapaland and a respected Industrialist, Chief Fadairo, Mogaji Yomi Gbadamosi and Alagba Sulaiman Iyanda, they were equally joined by Chief Mrs Bola Doherty, _MFR_, Chief Niyi Akinola SAN, , Mogaji Abass Oloko, Mogaji Olasomi, Mogaji Ajobo, Elder Taiye Ayorinde (Baale Ekotedo) among others.
Also joining Akinade in solidarity at the podium while presenting resolution of Ibadan people on creation of new Ibadan state were lawmaker representing Ibadan Northwest/Northeast federal constituency, Hon. Stanley Odidiomo, Hon. Abass Adigun Agboworin (Ibadan Southeast/Northeast federal constituency), Hon. Remi Oseni, Ibarapa East/Ido federal constituency) and Hon. Akeem Adeyemi. Skimeh
A statement by Akinade described the event as a massive one, saying Ibadan anthem was rendered at the event which caused a lot of excitements and applaud by those in attendance.
According to him, “Ibadan is the capital of Southern protectorate while Kaduna was the capital of Northern protectorate, Ibadan is the capital of old western region, capital of old western states, capital of old Oyo State.”
He question why a city of such status should not be giving a state.
He said, “The new Ibadan state will have 14 local government, 11 in Ibadan and the remaining three in Ibarapa, if Ibadan state is created, it will be bigger than eight states in Nigeria.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONTENT OF THE MEMORANDUM ON THE DEMAND AND JUSTIFICATION FOR THE CREATION OF IBADAN STATE FORM THE PRESENT OYO STATE.
We, the representatives of the entire area making demand for the creation of Ibadan State out of the present Oyo State, stand before you today 19th July, 2025 to present the highlights of the Memorandum on the demand for the creation of Ibadan State and the justification for same.
It is pertinent to mention that this memorandum from which these Highlights are being drawn is not the first.
A number of memoranda had been written to demand for the creation of Ibadan State which were submitted to the National Assembly in the past. So also were the ones submitted to military administrations that had governed the Country..
In this connection, Highlights of the Memorandum are as stated below:
1. The memorandum is about demand for the Creation of Ibadan State with Ibadan as Capital.
2. The demand is being jointly made by the entire people of Ibadanland and Ibarapaland comprising Fourteen (14) Local Governments out of the Thirty Three (33) Local Governments that make up the present Oyo State.
3. The area making demand for creation of Ibadan State is presently having two (2) out of the three (3) Senators representing the three (3) Senatorial Districts of Oyo State. The area also has eight (8) members of the House of Representatives out of the present Fourteen (14) representing Oyo State.
4. The area making demand for the creation of Ibadan State also has Eighteen (18) members of the Oyo State House of Assembly out of the Thirty Three (33) membership of the Oyo State Legislature.
5. There are a total number of One Hundred and Fifty Five (155) elected Chairmen, Vice- Chairmen and Councilors in the Fourteen (14) Local Governments that make up the area
to be created as Ibadan State out of the Thirty Three (33) Local Governments that make up the entire Oyo State.
6. Out of the Three (3) Old Regions of Nigeria, namely Nothern Region with Kaduna as Capital, Eastern Region with Enugu as Capital and Western Region with Ibadan as Capital, only Ibadan has not been granted a state of its own. Presently, we have Kaduna State and Enugu Sate.
7. Location And Description Of The Proposed Ibadan State.
The proposed Ibadan State is in the southern strip of the current Oyo State measuring 6,278km i.e. 22.06% of the total land mass of present Oyo State which 28, 454km² It is bounded in the East by Osun River (Osun State), in the North by Afijio Local Government Area (present Oyo State), in the West by Ogun River (Ogun State) and the South landmarked areas of Ogun State.
8. According to the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2006 Population Census, Ibadan has Two Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Seventy One (2,880,571), which is 51.61% of the present Oyo State’s population of Five Million, Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety Four (5,580,894) (please see: https//:citypopulation.de/en/Nigeria/cities/agglos)
9. DEMOGRAPHIC CONSIDERATION.
Going by source: https://citypopulation.de/en/nigeria/admin/NGA031 oyo/, the proposed Ibadan State had a population of 2,880,571, in 2006 according to the National Population Commission and the National Bureau of Statistics, by 2022, the population of the Fourteen Local Government areas that make up the proposed Ibadan State stands at 4,120,000, i.e. 51.65% of present Oyo State which is recorded by the National Bureau of Statistics at 7,976,100.
In terms of number of Local Governments, the proposed Ibadan State with Fourteen (14) Local Governments is comparably bigger than Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Gombe, Nasarawa
10.Ibadan and Ibarapaland people making the demand for Ibadan State creation had been having cordial and harmonious relationship together from time immemorial. They have cultural and traditional affinity. On 1st August, 1991, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes and the Ibarapa Foundation jointly presented a memorandum to the Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida on their request for the creation of Ibadan State.
11.In terms of Human and Material Resources. The area proposed for Ibadan State creation has
A. One Thousand One Hundred and Thirteen (1,113) Primary Schools which is 48% of the entire number of Primary Schools in Oyo State with 221,319 Pupils, which is 41.3% of the total for Oyo State and 13,444 teachers, a 47.35% of the total for Oyo State.
B. Number of Public Secondary Schools is 369 out of a total of 639 for the present Oyo State.
C. TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
In the proposed Ibadan State, we have within and in a radius of 200 Kilometers, fifteen (15) Fifteen Public sector Universities, Fifteen (15) Private Sector Universities Eleven (11) Public Sector Polytechnics with several other private ones. There are six (6) Colleges of Education.
There are several Research Institutes.
D. GOVERNMENT INFRASTRUCTURES
1. There is the State Secretariat Complex
2. The Government House
3. The State House of Assembly
4. The High Court/ Magistrate Court Complexes
5. Obafemi Awolowo Stadium
6. Lekan Salami Sports Complex Adamasingba , and
7. Ibadan Airport
8. Cocoa House which is the first sky scraper in Africa.
E. ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA IN THE PROPOSED IBADAN STATE
1. NTA first in Africa
2. Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) with its FM Station
3. BCOS Television and Radio Stations
4. Barrage of Private Print and Electronic Media
F. ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF THE PROPOSED IBADAN STATE
1. Viable Agricultural activities
2. Economically viable industrial base with a number of Industrial Estates e.g Oluyole Industrial Estate and a number of Quarries.
3. MINERAL RESOURCES: There are huge deposits of minerals in economic quantity across the area proposed as Ibadan State
4. TOURISM: This is another attribute that gives the proposed Ibadan State strong economic viability. There are several hotels, recreations centers etc.
G. INTERNALLY GENERATED REVENUE
At present, over 60% of the total (INTERNALLY GENERATED REVENUE) as well as over 70% of VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) of Oyo State are realized from Ibadanland. Ibadan as a city is second to only Lagos in terms of economic viability.
SUPPORT FROM OTHER AREAS OF OYO STATE
In support of creation Ibadan State, other areas of the present Oyo State presented signed documents which are attached. These documents are signed by the elected Chairmen, Councillors, Members of the State House of Assembly, Senators, and Members of the House of Representatives representing the areas.
Chairman Sir, it is imperative to mention that fifteen (15) copies of this memorandum dated March 21, 2025 have been submitted officially on request to the office of the Honourable Speaker, Federal House of Representative.
In conclusion and above all, representatives of the people demanding the creation of Ibadan State signed the letter forwarding the memorandum.
