It fits that Hon. Mrs Toyin Balogun’s birthday falls on March 8. A day set aside to celebrate women’s achievements and push for gender equality, officially recognised by the UN in 1977. As the Oyo State’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion and a University of Ibadan alumna, she shares a global moment and turns it local. For her, International Women’s Day is not just a slogan; it means school fees paid, shelter arranged and Iseyin women’s cooperatives finally receiving support.
Under her watch, the Ministry has reached many indigent families with cash grants, microloans and conditional transfers; handled over 100 gender-based violence cases with the Ministry of Justice; supported victims of abuse and trafficking; trained women in vocational skills and digital literacy (including a collaboration with She Code Africa); provided agriculture grants and school supplies; evacuated and rehabilitated street-destitute children; and run voter-education campaigns like “One Woman, One Vote”. All of this spreads across Oyo State’s 33 local governments, where her Ministry collaborates with community leaders, NGOs, and security agencies.
Her message this year captured that spirit of daily work. She spoke of women as “carriers of compassion, architects of change, and keepers of a grace that transforms the world without fanfare”. And she added a striking image: legacy is not just breaking glass ceilings but gathering the shards to build windows for others. That is how she works: more performance, more repairs. One week she is with market women, the next with students and the next with survivors, shifting tone but keeping the purpose steady.
Colleagues notice how she bridges generations easily: firm with officials, relaxed with peer educators and impatient only with bureaucracy that stalls action. In Ibadan North Local Government, where she plays her politics, that balance is rare. In Oyo State’s diverse political space, this ability is considered a strength. She treats inclusion as practical: streetlights for night traders, follow-ups for survivors, and grants that outlast March 8. Her Ministry links cooperatives, gender desks, government and partners and so they move together, not apart.
On her birthday, the speeches are kind, but the records count more. Staff quietly say her commitment kept many going this year. Happy 58th birthday, Hon. Mrs Oluwatoyin Balogun. May the years ahead return the space, support and rest that you give to others.
Congratulations. Cheers!
Tunji Oladejo, mnipr, JP, writes from the University of Ibadan and is the Chairman of The Progressive Forum, Ibadan (TPFI), via oladejo65@gmail.com or 08077284442.
