The Omoluabi

SEVEN YEARS LATER: ANOTHER CAMPAIGN PROMISE UNFULFILLED! In 2019, Seyi Makinde promised to transform Ikere Gorge Dam and Oke-Ogun into a Special Economic Zone, leveraging the dam for year-round irrigation, electricity generation, freshwater shrimp farming and exports to boost Oyo State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Seven years in office, where is the implementation? Rather than the promised transformation being delivered by his administration, the Federal Government has taken the initiative to revitalise the long-abandoned dam through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). On January 30, 2026, the Federal Government officially handed over the 6MW Ikere Gorge Hydropower Project to Quaint Energy Limited. As of November 3, 2026, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) confirmed that the dam had been concessioned to private investors, with plans to expand its electricity generation potential to as much as 150MW. Meanwhile, Governor Makinde’s own record on major PPP projects continues to raise serious questions. Seven years into his administration, several promised projects remain undelivered or incomplete. Even the much-publicised 11MW Independent Power Project (IPP) has yet to deliver its full promised capacity, despite repeated assurances and announcements. Reject Seyi Makinde! Reject Bimbo Adekanmbi! Reject APM!