By Alhazan Abiodun Rilwan
Yesterday’s historic coronation of Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan was a spectacle of Yoruba tradition, cultural pride, and political convergence. At Mapo Hall in the heart of Ibadan, Oyo State’s capital, the event drew dignitaries from across Nigeria, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who arrived amid fanfare to witness the installation. The presence of the Commander-in-Chief at such a pivotal moment offered a rare platform for the new custodian of Ibadan’s throne to bridge the gap between ancestral wisdom and modern governance. Oba Ladoja, a seasoned politician and businessman with deep roots in the city’s power structures, did seize the occasion to voice one pressing demand: the creation of an Ibadan State to carve out autonomy from the broader Oyo State framework.
This bold appeal underscored the city’s aspirations for self-determination, but as Oyo State stands today, Ibadan needs not be the one seeking a breakaway but other regions like Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, Oyo and Ogbomoso. This is reflected in the number of Ibadan Indigenes that have held sway at the Agodi Government House against those from outside the city and how the State’s resources have benefited the city of Ibadan than other places.
Yet, as the echoes of royal drums fade, one can’t help but wonder: What other critical issues could—or should—the Olubadan have laid at the feet of the president?
Ibadan, Africa’s largest indigenous city with over 3 million residents, grapples with a cocktail of urban woes that demand federal intervention. From environmental decay to economic strain, these challenges not only test local resilience but also highlight the interconnectedness of traditional leadership and national policy. In this article, I want to explore five or six pivotal issues Oba Ladoja might have amplified during his audience with Tinubu, drawing on the city’s pulse in 2025.
The Buhari government succeeded in completing the Lagos-Ibadan rail project and initiated the first leg of the dry port solution to ease Apapa’s gridlock and indirectly safe the Apapa-Oshodi to Lagos-Ibadan roads from destruction. If Oba Adewolu had asked for more funds for the Ibadan Dry Port, this would have not only improved the economy of the State, create more jobs, but more investments along the Ibadan-Iseyin, Ibadan-Oyo corridors.
Ibadan’s sprawling metropolis, built on seven hills, has long battled nature’s fury, but climate change has turned seasonal rains into existential threats. In 2025 alone, recurrent flooding has displaced thousands in low-lying areas like the Apete and Elebu districts, exacerbated by deforestation and unchecked urban sprawl. Pollution from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway’s heavy traffic and industrial effluents chokes the air, contributing to respiratory ailments in informal settlements. A recent study highlighted how these factors compound health crises in expanding shantytowns, where poor living conditions amplify vulnerability to diseases.
The Olubadan, as a symbol of communal harmony, could have urged Tinubu to fast-track federal funding for the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan, specifically targeting Ibadan’s watershed restoration and green infrastructure projects. Imagine a pledge for reforestation initiatives along the Ogunpa River—once a lifeline, now a flood-prone hazard. Such advocacy would align with Oyo State’s resilient cities push but elevate it to a national priority, potentially unlocking billions in ecological bonds.
Oyo State entered 2025 under the shadow of Nigeria’s macroeconomic headwinds, with inflation hovering above 30% and food prices soaring. Governor Seyi Makinde has worked to mitigate these pains through subsidies and palliatives, yet residents in Ibadan—from market women in Bodija to tech startups in Jericho—feel the squeeze daily. Youth unemployment, at over 40% in urban Oyo, fuels social unrest, with recent tragedies linked to economic despair underscoring the human cost.
Oba Ladoja, drawing from his gubernatorial experience, should have pressed for targeted federal interventions: an expansion of the National Social Investment Programme to include Ibadan-specific vocational hubs, or incentives for agro-industrial clusters to harness the state’s agricultural pivot toward modernization. With Ibadan’s potential as “the next Lagos” stifled by federal domination on mining control, a call for consistent federal grants could ignite job creation in renewable energy and digital economies, turning the city’s youthful energy into a national asset, while the President could have been advised to allow States to fully control their natural resources.
Sanitation remains a silent epidemic in Ibadan. Over half of Oyo’s population still resorts to open defecation, a practice that spreads cholera and other waterborne diseases, as flagged in community outcries earlier this year. Compounding this, recent probes into suspected water pollution in local streams have raised alarms about industrial dumping, threatening the city’s groundwater reserves.
At the coronation, the Olubadan could have invoked his role as a moral compass to demand accelerated rollout of the federal WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) programme, including public-private partnerships for sewage treatment plants.
Tinubu’s administration, fresh from its purpoted health sector reforms, might have committed to equipping Ibadan’s primary health centers with sanitation tech— a move that not only saves lives but honors the traditional emphasis on communal well-being.
From cult clashes in student hostels to herder-farmer skirmishes on the outskirts, insecurity casts a long shadow over Ibadan. Oyo’s government has cracked down on criminality this year, but residents crave more actions—they need boots on the ground. Federal support for community policing, integrated with local security formations like the Oyo State Security Network, (Amotekun) could bridge this gap.
The Olubadan’s platform was ideal for advocating a dedicated federal allocation to Oyo’s security architecture, perhaps modeling it after successful northern initiatives. By highlighting how safe streets bolster tourism and trade in this cultural hub, Oba Ladoja could have secured promises for drone surveillance or youth deradicalization programs, ensuring Ibadan’s hills remain beacons of peace rather than peril.
While Oba Ladoja’s plea for Ibadan State resonated—echoing long-standing agitations for fiscal independence—deeper reforms in local government autonomy loom large. Financial constraints, marred by political interference and low community buy-in, hobble grassroots development in Ibadan’s 11 local councils. Urban pressures in satellite towns like Iseyin and Saki strain housing and services, demanding a rethink of federal-local fiscal flows.
Here, the monarch could have pushed for constitutional amendments to empower traditional rulers in advisory roles on local budgets, fostering true devolution. This would complement the state creation call, creating a dual thrust for empowerment that resonates with Tinubu’s federalism rhetoric.
As Oba Ladoja ascends the throne, his coronation isn’t just a chapter’s end but a call to action. President Tinubu’s attendance signaled goodwill, but goodwill without follow-through is fleeting.
The Olubadan’s voice, steeped in history yet attuned to today’s tumult, holds the power to catalyze change. If these issues had been raised, they might have sparked immediate task forces or budgetary lines—opportunities not lost, but perhaps deferred for future palaces. As his reign commences, Ibadan watches, drums in hand, ready for the rhythm of progress.
Alhazan Abiodun Rilwan is the Publisher of The Chronicler Newspaper and Event Extra Magazine, based in Iseyin (khalizan01@gmail.com)
