Like Nigeria, Like Ondo State: 50 Years of Mixed Feelings - Lanre Famous.

A pro-democracy analyst, Lanre Famous, has identified leadership failure, weak institutions and economic dependency as key factors limiting Ondo State’s development over its 50-year history.

In a statement marking the state’s golden jubilee, Famous noted that political autonomy has not translated into sustainable growth, despite the state’s significant natural and human resource endowments.

He called for improved leadership recruitment, a shift toward productive governance and stronger civic engagement as essential steps toward addressing the state’s long-standing development challenges.

The statement reads:

LIKE NIGERIA, LIKE ONDO STATE: 50 YEARS OF MIXED FEELINGS.

Nigeria’s story is often told at the national level, but a closer look at its states particularly Ondo State reveals a familiar pattern. Like Nigeria, Ondo State carries the weight of high expectations, abundant potential and a long history of missed opportunities. From independence to state creation, and from leadership failures to persistent underdevelopment, the similarities are striking.

Nigeria gained independence in 1960 with great hope and optimism. However, political independence did not translate into economic freedom, institutional strength or national unity. The colonial structure remained largely intact, merely inherited by a new local elite.

Ondo State, created in 1976, mirrors this experience. Its creation was meant to bring governance closer to the people, accelerate development and allow local potential to thrive. Instead, statehood often became an avenue for sharing federal allocations rather than building productive systems. Like Nigeria, Ondo gained “independence” without the tools needed for sustainable self-reliance.

State creation in Nigeria was sold as a solution to marginalization and uneven development. In reality, many states including Ondo became financially dependent on Abuja. Rather than fostering competition, innovation and accountability, state creation deepened dependency on oil revenue and federal allocations.

Ondo State is rich in natural and human resources: cocoa, bitumen, fertile land, coastal access and a highly educated population. Yet, these advantages have not translated into industrial growth, job creation, or modern infrastructure like Lagos,Ogun etc. Like Nigeria, the problem has never been lack of resources, but lack of effective management.

Both Nigeria and Ondo State suffer from a paradox of plenty. Roads decay, healthcare systems struggle, schools underperform, and youth unemployment rises despite decades of budgets, plans and political promises.

Underdevelopment persists because governance has focused more on consumption than production, more on politics than policy, and more on short-term gains than long-term planning. Projects are abandoned, institutions are weakened and continuity in governance is rare. Each administration starts afresh, discarding the ideas of the past instead of improving them.

At the heart of the problem lies leadership. Nigeria has struggled to consistently produce leaders with vision, courage, competence and integrity,Ondo State reflects the same challenge.

Outstanding leadership is not about slogans or party affiliation,it is about building institutions, making tough decisions and prioritizing public interest over personal or political gain. Too often, leadership has been transactional,focused on winning elections rather than governing effectively. This has resulted in policy inconsistency, weak accountability and loss of public trust.

The Way Forward:

The future of Ondo State, like Nigeria’s, depends on deliberate change.

First, leadership recruitment must improve. Citizens must demand competence, character and capacity not just popularity or regional sentiment. Politics should become a platform for service, not self-enrichment.

Second, the focus must shift from dependency to productivity. Ondo State must aggressively develop its comparative advantages in agriculture, mining, education and the blue economy. Wealth must be created, not just shared.

Third, institutions must be strengthened. Strong systems outlive individuals. Transparent budgeting, independent oversight and merit-based appointments are non-negotiable.

Finally, citizens must take responsibility. Democracy does not end at the ballot box. Active civic engagement, accountability and community participation are essential for sustainable development.

Conclusion

Like Nigeria, Ondo State is not poor,just poorly managed. The challenges of independence, state creation, underdevelopment and weak leadership are interconnected. Addressing them requires honest reflection, courageous leadership and an engaged citizenry.The potential is there but the real question is whether we are ready to do things differently either at the polls or through sustained civic activism for purposeful leadership and better governance even as we celebrate 50 years mixed feelings. 

Lanre Famous

03/02/2026