- ‘We need to know how candidates hope to deliver on Southwest devt agenda’
The South West Development Stakeholders Forum, comprising of 28 civil society organisations, professionals, and religious leaders said it would convoke a presidential parley with presidential candidates of major political parties in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Rising from a meeting on Thursday, 8th December 2022 the group said the Southwest needed to be given such consideration because of its centrality to the nation’s economic development.
According to the group, the Southwest is the industrial and commercial engine room of Nigeria and all matrices clearly showed that the Nigerian economy is driven by the Southwest.
In a statement signed by Dr Adedayo Alao of Yoruba World Centre leading five other groups, Odua ACCIMA, Professional Women Group, Yoruba Koya Leadership Leadership and Training Foundation, Egbe Omo Yoruba in North America, the group said given the population of more than 50 million residents, its historical trajectory as a regional hub and strategic and political importance, the region deserves to know from the presidential candidates how they intend to incorporate the Southwest in their agenda for a united, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria.
“The South West is home to most, if not all, ethnic nationalities of Nigeria. We are the biggest, non-discriminatory, melting pot for Nigerians and their social, commercial and other development activities and therefore deserve the critical consideration of all candidates.
“With just over two months to the general elections, there is a need for the Presidential, as well as the region’s gubernatorial and legislative candidates, to pronounce their plans for a concrete development agenda for the South West Region.
The South West Development Stakeholders is willing and ready to bring the Presidential candidates to the table to address Yoruba people, and indeed all Nigerians living in the South West, of specific plans to make them true stakeholders in the new unfolding federation.
Detailed plans for the parley will be announced later.