2027: Alli pledges LG autonomy, ₦10bn youth fund, 20-year road warranty
By Adejayan Gbenga
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has promised to grant local government autonomy from his first day in office if elected governor in the 2027 governorship election.
Alli also pledged to establish a ₦10 billion youth fund, increase the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) to ₦150 billion annually without imposing additional financial burdens on residents and businesses, and make Oyo one of Nigeria’s three largest state economies.
He made the promises on Tuesday while unveiling his manifesto, titled My Pact, to stakeholders in Ibadan. The document, presented under the acronym OYO AHEAD, outlines seven priority areas covering local government autonomy, infrastructure, healthcare, education and employment, agriculture and exports, the digital economy and security.
On infrastructure, the APC candidate promised to complete ongoing road projects, construct access roads to farming communities and introduce a 20-year warranty on every new road built by his administration. He also pledged to establish the Oyo State Electricity Regulatory Commission, provide dedicated electricity to industrial and agricultural corridors, restore potable water supply in 100 communities and connect at least 100 rural communities to electricity.
In the health sector, Alli promised to establish general hospitals in each of the six local government areas he identified as lacking such facilities and recruit additional medical personnel. He also proposed free health insurance for infants, pregnant women and residents aged 70 and above, with a target of increasing enrolment in the state’s health insurance scheme from 271,000 to 500,000 within his first two years in office.
On education and youth development, he pledged to limit classroom populations to 30 pupils, recruit more teachers and establish skills acquisition centres across the state’s five geopolitical zones. He also promised to introduce an apprenticeship law, establish a ₦10 billion youth fund and create digital hubs to promote technology, innovation and employment opportunities.
Alli further promised to establish industrial parks, revive the Oluyole Free Trade Zone and create a credit guarantee fund to improve access to financing for small businesses. In agriculture, he pledged to revive farm settlements, provide insurance coverage for 10,000 farmers and establish an Oyo Export Council and produce board to support farmers in marketing their products.
On security and workers’ welfare, the APC candidate promised to restructure the state’s security architecture to strengthen the protection of lives and property. He also pledged timely payment of civil servants’ salaries and entitlements, provision of working tools and improved working conditions to enhance productivity, adding that his broader ambition was to build an Oyo State driven by economic opportunities, prosperity and inclusive development.
