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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Oyo State gubernatorial candidate in the 2027 general election, Adebiyi Adedapo, has said he will leverage on agriculture and technology to tackle unemployment ad boost security in the state, if elected governor in the February 6, 2027 contest. Adedapo, in an interview, stated that as governor, he would bring fresh perspectives and vigour into the governance of the state, noting that his policies would be people oriented.
The NNPP is often seen as a northern-dominated party. How do you position it in a southwestern state like Oyo?
The NNPP is a national party with a clear, people-centred manifesto that speaks to Nigerians everywhere. In Oyo, our focus is on local realities: reviving agriculture, fixing infrastructure, empowering youths, and ensuring every ward has a functional primary healthcare centre.
Our message is not about geography; it is about delivery. We are not here to import northern politics to the southwest. We are here to implement a manifesto that addresses the everyday concerns of Oyo people: affordable education, accessible healthcare, functional roads, reliable electricity, and security. The NNPP national vision of restructuring the economy, prioritising agriculture, and investing in human capital resonates deeply with the aspirations of Oyo citizens. We are building a coalition of farmers, traders, teachers, health workers, youths, and professionals who are tired of empty promises and ready for action.
Your party’s manifesto highlights agriculture, education, health, and infrastructure. What would be your first 100 days in office?
In our first 100 days, we will launch an emergency market safety audit in response to the recent wave of fire outbreaks in our major markets, most recently the Bode and Oranyan Market fires. Every major market will have a tested emergency response plan. This is about more than preventing future disasters; it is about assuring traders and market women that their lives and livelihoods matter.
We will declare a state of emergency in education and commit 30 per cent of the state budget to rebuilding schools, recruiting teachers, and establishing new technical colleges. Our children deserve safe classrooms, motivated teachers, and curricula that prepare them for the modern economy.
We will reposition the State Health Insurance Scheme to make it accessible to everyone, beginning with maternal and child health, and upgrade every primary healthcare centre to minimum service standards. No mother should die giving life, and no child should die from preventable diseases because their parents cannot afford treatment.
We will immediately begin rehabilitating critical farm-to-market roads in Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, and southern Oyo to reduce post-harvest losses and connect farmers to markets. These are tangible, visible actions that will demonstrate our commitment from day one.
Youth unemployment and underemployment is a major challenge in Nigeria. How do you intend to address this in Oyo State?
We will adopt a multi-pronged strategy anchored on agriculture, technology, and entrepreneurship. First, we will launch a statewide food-production drive aimed at self-sufficiency and surplus for export. This will be supported by subsidised inputs, improved seeds, and a dedicated Agricultural Credit Fund for smallholder farmers.
Agriculture remains the largest employer of labour in Oyo State, and we intend to make it more productive and profitable. Second, we will attract investors to explore the full value chains of our agricultural products. These investors will be encouraged to site factories in agrarian communities, close to the source of their raw materials. This will create jobs across skill levels, encourage people to settle in rural areas, and help reverse rural-urban migration.
Our government will work hard to ensure that people are comfortable and enjoy basic amenities wherever they choose to live in Oyo State. Not everyone can work for government; therefore, government must encourage the private sector to create jobs and grow the economy. As these companies expand, they will attract further development and, in the long run, pay taxes to the government, while their employees also contribute through personal taxes.
Third, our youths need skills that are in demand, not certificates that lead nowhere. The government will encourage young people to refocus on modern, market-relevant skills that improve their employability with private investors, and will ensure that locals are prioritised for available jobs. We will provide low-interest loans, cooperative financing, and grants for start-ups in agriculture, technology, manufacturing, and the creative industry. In partnership with financial institutions, we will create special windows for youth-led businesses, with reduced collateral requirements and patient capital.
Fourth, we will establish digital outsourcing hubs in Ibadan, Ogbomoso, and Saki, partnering with private-sector players to train youths in digital skills and connect them to remote work opportunities.The global digital economy offers enormous opportunities for Nigerian youths, and Oyo State must position itself to capture a significant share. We will also work with the federal government to ensure that the National Youth Service Corps scheme includes meaningful skills acquisition and entrepreneurship training, so that corps members leave Oyo State with viable business ideas or employment opportunities.
Security remains a concern, especially in forested areas like Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun. How will you tackle this?
Security is the foundation of all development. Without safety, no investor will come, no farmer will go to the farm, and no child will go to school. Immediately upon taking office, our government will strengthen the security agencies operating in the state, with particular emphasis on expanding the Amotekun Corps, improving their capacity and intelligence capabilities, and ensuring meaningful deployment across all 33 local government areas.
We will invest in modern security technology, including digital command-and-control centres in all major cities, with real-time monitoring and rapid-response capabilities. Our government will also develop a comprehensive Forest Security Programme to clear and monitor forest reserves that have become criminal hideouts, in close collaboration with federal agencies and the military.
We will improve the welfare and logistics of all state-based security agencies, ensuring they have the vehicles, communication equipment, and motivation to do their jobs effectively. Beyond hardware, we will address the root causes of insecurity. Our government will ensure that there are no ungoverned spaces in the state.
We will establish a comprehensive database of residents, recording where they live and what they do. This will make it possible to identify and apprehend criminally minded individuals among us, with traditional institutions fully involved in this effort. The era of people building huts and living in the bush without proper documentation will be over.
While we acknowledge the right of every Nigerian to live wherever they choose, we will encourage and ensure proper documentation of everyone who settles in Oyo State through the local government, so that they can be part of the states productive plan. We will encourage the federal government to create a comprehensive database of pastoralists; this will prevent criminals from accessing and terrorising communities in disguise as herders.
This will also help security agencies gather sufficient intelligence. We will also strengthen community policing structures, working with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and civil society organisations to build trust between citizens and security agencies Intelligence-led policing will be our guiding principle, with regular security meetings involving all stakeholders to share information and coordinate responses. Having said that, I firmly believe that when our programmes begin to make a real impact, poverty, unemployment, and lack of opportunities will reduce drastically, and the energy of crime-minded youths will be redirected towards productivity.
Why should Oyo voters trust you over more established candidates?
Because I bring a fresh perspective grounded in evidence, not entitlement. I have spent years as a journalist. reporting on government activities and observing what has gone wrong in our governance system; now I am ready to fix it. Our manifesto is clear, our team is ready, and our commitment is to every person in Oyo State, indigenes, settlers, and business owners alike, from the trader in Bodija to the farmer in Kishi. We will not increase your hardship; your welfare will be our priority. I come with a track record of integrity, hard work, and service.
My journalistic career has been built on asking tough questions and holding power to account. I will bring the same discipline to governance. I am not here to enrich myself or my associates; I am here to serve the people of Oyo State. We will measure our success not by the number of projects we commission, but by the number of lives we improve. Every policy we implement will be judged by one question: does this make life better for ordinary Oyo citizens? If the answer is no, we will not do it.
