Ondo State has no reason to be poor, says former W’Africa Economic Summit chief

Former Executive Secretary, West Africa Economic Summit Secretariat, Fajemirokun-Ajayi, has unveiled economic development blueprint anchored on the vast bitumen deposits and cocoa resources of Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Odigbo Federal Constituency in Ondo State, pledging to deliver on it if elected to the House of Representatives.

Fajemirokun-Ajayi, who is seeking the All Progressives Congress APC ticket for the constituency, spoke to journalists in Abuja after submitting her expression of interest and nomination forms.

Accompanied by a broad coalition of political stakeholders, grassroots mobilisers, women leaders and influential party figures drawn from across Ondo State, she painted a picture of a constituency sitting on enormous but largely untapped economic potential, and argued that the missing ingredient had been the quality of its representation in the National Assembly.

“The Ore corridor moves more daily traffic than any single Nigerian airport. Odigbo sits atop one of the world’s largest bitumen deposits. Ile-Oluji anchors a cocoa belt that contributes to Ondo State’s twenty-five percent share of national cocoa output — a crop that earned Nigeria over N3.6 trillion in a single year. The resources exist. The representation has not matched them.

“I have spent years working at the intersection of policy, investment, and governance. What matters is ensuring that this experience translates into real outcomes for our people — across Ile-Oluji, Oke-Igbo, and Odigbo — with representation that is present, responsive, and delivers”, she said. 

Fajemirokun-Ajayi, who also served as senior adviser to former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar, said her development agenda is designed to unlock these assets and channel them into industrialisation, job creation, and sustainable growth for the constituency.

She pointed to a track record that includes facilitating over $150 million in investment pipelines and coordinating regional engagements involving Heads of State, saying her ambition was driven by results rather than rhetoric.

The aspirant also highlighted her grassroots interventions through the Read2Succeed Africa initiative as evidence of her ability to bridge high-level policy experience with direct community impact, noting that her engagement with party structures and local stakeholders reinforced that balance.

On her motivation for seeking elected office, Fajemirokun-Ajayi said the decision was rooted in a desire to give voice to underrepresented groups — particularly women and young people — while ensuring her constituency benefits meaningfully from democratic governance.

“Every election cycle presents an opportunity for the people to decide whether they are satisfied with the status quo or ready for something new. Democracy is about the people, and they will make that decision. Our responsibility is to show that women and young people can step forward, lead, and deliver on the mandates given to them,” she said.

She expressed concern over the persistently low participation and electoral success of women in Nigerian politics, describing the situation as an urgent gap that must be closed.

“There is clearly a shortage of women in key elective positions, including the National Assembly. That must change. Representation should reflect all segments of society, and when given the opportunity, women have the capacity to represent effectively and inclusively,” she said. Simisola