By Maroof Asudemade
Governor Seyi Makinde has presented a budget of 1.1 trillion naira to Oyo State House of Assembly. That is his final budget as Governor of Oyo State, and the most important conversation should not be about political succession, post-election arrangements or how many months he has left in office. It should be about governance, accountability, project delivery and the extent to which public resources have translated into tangible improvements in the lives of the people.
The people of Oyo State should care less about the elaborate budget presentation filled with projections, promises and impressive figures. They should care about a comprehensive account of what has been achieved with the resources entrusted to this administration over the past seven years.
The question to ask is simple: Where exactly does Oyo State stand today compared with where this administration promised to take it?
Governor Makinde must understand that the approaching end of his tenure does not diminish his responsibility to account for his stewardship. If anything, the final budget provides an important opportunity to present a comprehensive balance sheet of his administration, particularly against the backdrop of the numerous projects announced, funds appropriated and commitments made over the years.
Take the 2025 budget, for instance. A significant portion was dedicated to education and educational infrastructure. What is the actual level of implementation? However, many classrooms are dilapidated. Schools across Oyo State lack basic learning materials. Most schools need rehabilitation as we speak. Many schools do not have laboratories, libraries, instructional materials and other essential facilities. It is not sure Makinde administration has added additional schools that have become functional as a result of the 2025 budget allocations?
Beyond the percentage allocated to education, what measurable improvement has occurred in the quality of teaching and learning? What is the current state of out-of-school children in Oyo State? Has the administration succeeded in reducing their number, and by how much? What has happened to the recruitment, training and welfare of teachers?
The same scrutiny must be extended to the health sector. The current state of our primary healthcare centres across the 33 local government areas is appalling. They are not fully functional, adequately staffed and equipped. What is the level of completion of the promised health infrastructure projects? What progress has been made on the General Hospital project in Oyo? How many hospitals have received modern diagnostic equipment, and how many have the capacity to provide emergency services without referring patients elsewhere?
What is the administration’s record on maternal and infant mortality, access to essential medicines, healthcare personnel and affordable medical services? How much has been invested in strengthening emergency response systems, and what tangible improvements can residents point to?
On infrastructure, the administration must provide a detailed update on some of its most prominent projects.
The proposed 110-kilometre Ibadan Circular Road remains one of the most consequential infrastructure commitments of this government. What is the actual percentage of completion? How many kilometres have been completed and opened to traffic? What is the status of the outstanding sections? What is the total amount committed to the project so far, how much has been paid to contractors, and what is the realistic completion timeline?
The government must also provide an update on the renovation of the Government House. What was the original project cost, what additional funds have been committed, and what is the present state of completion? How much public money has gone into a project whose immediate benefits to ordinary residents may not be as apparent as those of roads, hospitals and schools?
What is the status of other major road projects across the state? How many kilometres of roads have actually been completed, independently verified and commissioned? How many remain under construction? What is the maintenance plan for roads constructed in the last seven years, particularly those already showing signs of deterioration? The people care to know a project-by-project account, not a general declaration that kilometres of roads have been constructed.
Agriculture is another critical sector requiring serious examination. Oyo State has enormous agricultural potential, yet the administration must explain the extent to which that potential has been translated into improved productivity, food security, employment and increased income for farmers.
How many farmers have benefited from government-supported agricultural programmes? What is the actual performance of the state’s agricultural initiatives? What has happened to farm settlements, agricultural processing facilities, mechanisation programmes and access to affordable inputs? How much has been invested in rural access roads to connect farmers to markets?
More importantly, has the administration succeeded in reducing the cost of food production and improving the purchasing power of farmers? What measurable contribution has its agricultural policy made to food availability and affordability in Oyo State?
Security also demands an honest assessment. In the face of persistent concerns about kidnapping, banditry, communal violence and other security threats, what is the state of our security architecture? How effective have the security interventions been across the 33 local government areas? What has been achieved through investments in security equipment, operational vehicles, surveillance and intelligence gathering?
What is the current capacity of the Amotekun Corps? How much has been spent on strengthening its operations, and what measurable results can be presented? What arrangements exist for emergency response, coordination among security agencies and rapid intervention when communities come under threat?
A government cannot measure its success in security merely by announcing the purchase of vehicles or holding security meetings. The ultimate measure is whether residents can sleep, travel, conduct business and go about their daily activities without fear.
There are equally important questions around youth development, sports and employment. How many sustainable jobs have been created by this administration? How many young people have benefited from vocational training, entrepreneurship support and employability programmes? How many of the beneficiaries have moved beyond receiving certificates to securing meaningful employment or establishing viable businesses?
What is the state of sports infrastructure across the state? How much progress has been made in developing grassroots sports, maintaining stadia and creating opportunities for young sporting talents? What is the administration’s legacy in youth development beyond political appointments and occasional empowerment programmes?
The state of our local governments must also feature prominently in this accountability conversation. What is the actual level of development across the 33 local government areas? How much of the resources accruing to local governments has translated into visible development at the grassroots? What is the state of local government roads, markets, primary healthcare centres, sanitation facilities and other community infrastructure?
The administration must also explain its financial performance. What percentage of the 2026 budget has been implemented so far? How much revenue has been generated against projections? What is the state’s current debt profile? How much has been committed to ongoing capital projects, and what liabilities will the next administration inherit?
Appropriation is not implementation just as budgetary allocation is not project delivery. A government cannot claim success simply because it earmarked billions of naira for a particular sector. The real test is what was actually spent, what was delivered, whether the projects are functional and whether the people have benefitted. This is why the final budget must not become another exercise in impressive statistics without corresponding evidence.
Governor Makinde has repeatedly spoken about his administration’s achievements and its development agenda. He has every right to present his scorecard, but the public equally has the right to interrogate that scorecard. Independent verification, project locations, contract sums, payment records, completion percentages and operational status should form part of the conversation.
It is also important to establish what will happen to projects that cannot be completed before the end of this administration. Which projects are genuinely close to completion? Which ones require additional funding? Which contracts will be handed over to the incoming government, and what financial obligations accompany them?
The people of Oyo State should not be left with abandoned projects, unpaid contractors, inflated expectations and unfinished commitments disguised as achievements.
There is a temptation, particularly as the 2027 political season approaches, to allow conversations about governance to be swallowed by the politics of succession. The Governor himself has, on several occasions, spoken about the months remaining in his administration. But the countdown to the end of a tenure must not become a substitute for accountability. The question is not how many months Governor Makinde has left. The question is what he intends to leave behind.
A final budget should be more than a financial document. It should be an opportunity for a final reckoning between government and the people. It should provide answers to questions that have accumulated over seven years, distinguish completed projects from ongoing ones, and establish the true state of the state’s finances and development.
As we approach the next political chapter, the people must demand facts, figures and verifiable evidence rather than political theatrics.
Before asking who occupies Agodi Government House next, let us establish what the present occupant has done with the opportunity he was given. Where are we in education? Where are we in healthcare? Where are we in agriculture? Where are we in infrastructure? Where are we in security, emergency response, sports, youth development and job creation?
What has been completed? What remains unfinished? What was budgeted? What was released? What was actually spent? And, most importantly, what has changed in the lives of ordinary residents?
These are the questions Governor Seyi Makinde must answer now that he has presented his final budget. Oyo State deserves answers. Its people deserve accountability. And the next administration deserves a transparent account of the state it will inherit.
