State Of Osun Development Plan Rated One Of The Best In The Country ….. as DAWN commission, DFID lead southwest states on study tour of Osun

Kingsley Omoyeni

The state of Osun Development Plan (SDP) has been described as one of the best in the country which is capable of placing the state on the threshold of meaningful development if well implemented.

These were the submission of delegates from the South-Western states of Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo who were in the state of Osun on a study tour and learn from the state of Osun Development Plan.

The tour which is aimed at putting all the South-Western states of Nigeria on the same pedestal of development, was facilitated by the Development Agenda Of Western Nigeria(DAWN Commision), the Department For International Development(DFID) and the Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn(PERL).

Speaking at a forum shortly after their tour, the Director General of DAWN commission, Mr Seye Oyeleye said all the efforts of development in Osun is expected rub-off on other South-west states, hence the need for the tour of the state.

The D.G who was represented by the head of administration of DAWN commission, said it is nice that Osun is integrating the citizens needs acessment in the formulation of the budget to boost the state development plan.

He said, “Osun is a state that knows what they want to achieve in terms of development and that is the way to go. We should not just leave everything to chance.

“The reason why the DAWN commission together with other partners have brought other southwest states to Oṣùn is because we have studied the Development Plan of Osun and we have seen that they have done a good job.

“By December of 2020, the DAWN commission will want to see a situation whereby all the Southwest states will have a clear vision of development, that is why we have come to Oṣùn, Osun already have clear vision of what they want to achieve and they are going about it passionately”. He stated.

Speaking on behalf of DFID and PERL, Mr Wale Agboju, a senior data analyst at (PERL) who thanked Osun for allowing other southwest states to come and study its development plan said they are happy about what is going on in the state.

He said he is delighted that other Southwestern states have shown the desire and readiness to learn what the state of Osun is doing right in terms of having a State Development Plan which he said has been properly done.

“I must tell you that Osun has done something remarkable and we are proud of what the state has achieved in such a short period of time. Osun has integrated the people in the state development and that’s why it is working.

“I commend the people and the government of the state of Osun for the willingness to share experiences on how they have done it. I believe delegates from other states have been enriched greatly.

“At PERL, we saw that Osun was doing something right and we feel other states should learn from it to aid a spread of the development across especially the southwest states and that’s why we collaborated with the DAWN to bring other southwest to Oṣùn and its been worthwhile”. Mr Agboju stated.

Earlier in a welcome adddres, Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget and Development, Prof. Olalekan Yinusa told the delegates that the reform that the state has made has put the state on the world map to qualify her for a world Bank grant.

He advised that every development plan must be made to be all inclusive and fully participatory because it is being made for the people, stressing that the masses should be allowed to own it.

According to the Commissioner, “I can tell you that the secret behind what we have done is that we have made everything fully participatory and all inclusive for the people, we allowed them to say what they want and that is why it is seamless”. Yinusa emphasized.