We Will Complete The Construction Of The Eruwa Agribusiness Industrial Hub Within 18 Months Of Being Re-elected.

Eruwa Hub: A Broken Promise That Still Holds Potential

The campaign promise by Governor Seyi Makinde to complete the Eruwa Agribusiness Industrial Hub within 18 months of his second term—a deadline that passed in November 2024—has been unequivocally broken. The promised completion date was November 29, 2024 (18 months from his swearing-in-ceremony). The groundbreaking ceremony and formal commencement of the project, only took place on November 21, 2024—mere days before the initial deadline for the completion of the project. While the speed from announcement (October 30, 2024) to ceremony was impressive, laying a foundation is fundamentally different from a "completed construction." A project of this magnitude, which includes a 3,000-hectare facility with 15 to 20 processing plants, an eco-resort, and critical social infrastructure, cannot reasonably be finished in a matter of days. 

While the administration deserves commendation for formally commencing the massive 3,000-hectare project with a groundbreaking ceremony, the fact remains that the hub is not completed. For citizens committed to holding their government accountable to its explicit timeline, this promise must be logged as a failure of delivery. However, our focus must now turn from the broken timeline to the tangible progress and the sustainability of the long-term vision.

Proposed hub

Despite the lapse in the promised timeline, the government's visible commitment to the broader agricultural revolution cannot be ignored. The Eruwa Hub, a massive undertaking backed by a $40 million public-private investment, follows the established success model of the Fasola Agribusiness Hub. This model has already proven its capacity to attract private investors, enhance food security by improving crop yields, and create jobs. Furthermore, the commitment to complete the Ido-Eruwa Road within the next year, announced alongside the hub’s unveiling, shows an understanding that infrastructure is essential to unlock the hub’s economic potential for Ibarapaland. This is not a stalled project; it is a delayed one, demonstrating significant political will and a clear development plan.

For the promise-tracking mandate to remain credible, we must be factual: the 18-month deadline was missed. This shortfall should be clearly documented for the voting public. Yet, the broader perspective must acknowledge the difference between a broken deadline and a completely abandoned project. Governor Makinde's administration has not only broken ground on Eruwa but has also commenced the next hub in Ijaiye, confirming that the agro-industrial strategy is a continuous, multi-project roadmap rather than a single, isolated electoral pledge.

The citizens' duty now shifts from simply recording the missed deadline to actively monitoring the new unofficial timeline. The government must provide a revised, credible completion date for the Eruwa Hub and ensure transparency on the promised infrastructure (Ido-Eruwa Road) and investment attraction. We urge the Oyo State Government to leverage the overwhelming community and international support, as expressed by the African Development Bank, to accelerate the construction phase. The Eruwa Agribusiness Industrial Hub is too vital to the state's economic future and too important to the faith voters place in their leaders to allow its completion to drift. Timelines matter, but delivery matters more. The work has begun; now let the construction truly commence.