By: Tijani Salako.

The Ogun State Government has installed prominent businessman and real estate magnate, Oba Olumide Atanda Osunsina, as the new Olu of Ifo Land, with the monarch pledging to prioritise inclusive community engagement and work with the outgoing and incoming Ogun State governments to advance infrastructural and human capital development.

Oba Osunsina made the commitment on Friday during his official installation and presentation of the Staff of Office by Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, at Ifo City Hall, Ifo Local Government Secretariat, Ogun State, where he described his emergence as an opportunity to transition from private-sector business into community service.

Speaking with journalists after the ceremony, the monarch identified poor road networks as one of the major challenges confronting Ifo, stressing that improved connectivity was essential to economic activities, access to services and the general well-being of residents.

He said he would engage the state government to prioritise road construction, noting that the condition of roads had continued to make movement difficult for residents, particularly elderly people and women who contribute significantly to household income.

“I think one of the things I will emphasise is roads. We need to be able to link up ourselves. Our parents suffer too much to move around, and it really breaks my heart when I see the time it takes for our parents, particularly our mothers,” he said.

The monarch added that women in Yoruba communities played important roles in supporting their families financially and should not continue to bear the burden of difficult transportation caused by poor road infrastructure.

He also identified education as another major priority, describing it as a critical instrument for overcoming poverty and improving people’s opportunities.

“Education is the only way to free yourself from poverty. We need to educate our people. I know that subsequent governments have done quite a lot in this area, but we are going to further emphasise it and push it forward,” he said.

Explaining his decision to embrace traditional leadership after decades in the private sector, Osunsina said his new position aligned with his desire to devote more attention to serving his community.

“I want to believe that I’ve done as much as I can in the private sector, and I think the next phase for me is actually community service. So I think this role just fits what exactly I’ve been planning,” he said.

In his coronation address titled, A Crown of Service, A Shared Future, the monarch also outlined a development agenda centred on human capital development, infrastructure, investment attraction, environmental protection and inclusive governance.

He said Ifo had enormous development potential, given its industrious population, business community and young people, adding that his responsibility would be to bring these strengths together to achieve sustainable progress.

Osunsina pledged to work with government institutions, businesses, educational institutions and public-spirited individuals to expand access to education, vocational training, mentorship and employment opportunities for young people.

He also promised to support women, persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups, while encouraging investment in roads, drainage, sanitation, healthcare, water supply and other essential infrastructure.

The monarch called on indigenes of Ifo at home and in the diaspora, as well as investors and business operators, to contribute to the development of the kingdom, stressing that meaningful progress would require collective responsibility.

He further proposed greater collaboration among community leaders, professionals, businesses, women and young people through an Ifo Development Forum to identify pressing needs, agree on achievable priorities and monitor development initiatives.

Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Abiodun urged the new monarch to use his position to promote unity, reconcile contending interests and mobilise indigenes at home and abroad towards the socio-economic advancement of Ifo.

The governor described the installation as a new chapter in the history of the commercial town, noting that the traditional institution remained an important bridge between government and the people.

He said the emergence of Osunsina enjoyed overwhelming support from the people of Ifo and the Egba Traditional Council, commending residents for maintaining peace during the 13-month interregnum following the death of the immediate past Olu of Ifo, Oba Samuel Atanda Oladipupo, on October 9, 2025.

Abiodun said the selection process complied with the provisions of the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs Law, 2021, the 1989 registered Chieftaincy Declaration of the Olu of Ifo and the customs and traditions of the community.

He also disclosed that the new monarch had become a First Class Oba, a high-ranking member of the Egba Traditional Council and a permanent member of the Ogun State Council of Obas.

The governor charged him to remain accessible and responsive to his subjects, while promoting peaceful coexistence with neighbouring communities and cooperating with other traditional rulers across Egbaland and Ogun State.

Abiodun also urged the monarch and residents to discourage land grabbing and other criminal activities capable of undermining peace, investment and development in the area.

“The State Government, in its initiative for industrial growth, needs the people’s cooperation towards the continued delivery of high-value investments for the collective benefit of all our people in Ogun State,” he said.

He called on the people of Ifo to support government efforts to attract investment, while ensuring that criminal activities and disputes over land did not frustrate development.

The governor also commended the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, for his support and advisory role in the traditional institution, as well as the Egba Traditional Council and officials of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for their contributions to the successful installation.

In his address, the Executive Chairman of Ifo Local Government also congratulated the monarch, describing his emergence as a historic moment and a renewed opportunity to strengthen the relationship between government and the traditional institution.

He said the local government remained committed to working with the new monarch to promote peace, security, infrastructural development, youth empowerment and economic opportunities across the kingdom.

His installation followed the unanimous endorsement of his candidacy by the kingdom’s accredited kingmakers and subsequent approval by the Ogun State Government, bringing to an end the 13-month vacancy on the traditional stool.

The new monarch is expected to lead Ifo Land into a new phase of traditional leadership, with residents looking towards his administration to strengthen community unity, attract investment and address the infrastructure and social development challenges confronting the area.