Egba economic summit group pleads with ogun state government, stakeholders to resuscitate abeokuta city centre

The Egba Economic Summit Group has pleaded with Ogun State Government and stakeholders to revive the abandoned proposed city centre located in Oke-Ilewo area of Abeokuta, the state capital.

Penpushing reports that the group made the appeal after a visit to the centre led by the President Dr Gbenga Adeoye, adding that this became necessary so that the state can benefit from the economic impact of the centre.

The President emphasized that it is high time crisis surrounding the abandonment of the project should be addressed, assuring that the group is willing to play vital role in resolving the dispute in collaboration with all major traditional rulers in Ogun Central Senatorial District.

‘The place is dirty and does not befit the area to have such around a regional bank, CBN and OPIC building. We must copy Lagos in ensuring no asset is allowed to waste away’, Adeoye stated.

‘Our team visited the area on Monday 5th January, 2026 and the pictures taken from various elevation of the structure indicates that if nothing is done urgently, the place will become a hide out for criminals’, he added.

‘We hereby plead with the government of Ogun State and all stake holders to sit on a round table in the interest of the overall economic wellbeing of our state.  The state capital should not have this kind of asset wasting away after spending hundreds of millions or even billions whether from government purse or private pocket’.

‘Without any partisan consideration; we plead with government and all stake holders to come to a round table and get this matter resolved. We are willing to nominate our members to join in finding lasting solution to this problem. The location of the city centre is too unique and special to be left abandoned to rot way’.

‘Court cases (if any) should be withdrawn and all matters should be settled out of court in the interest of the economy and security of the city.  We pray and request that government and all well-to- do people from Ogun State should invest in the development of our dear Gateway State in 2026 in various sector of the economy based on comparative advantage of Ogun State’, Adeoye added

Penpushing further reports that the summit pointed out that Oke Ilewo in Abeokuta is well known as the commercial nerves of Abeokuta and ahead of Sapon in terms of elite activities and also the closest to Government Reservation Area (GRA), Ibara, Abeokuta in terms of value and standard.

‘It serves as the cluster for banks in the state capital.Apart from that, it use to be the state secretariat. As a matter of fact the Governor’s office use to be at Oke Ilewo and that should be a tourist centre today for generation unborn to visit and connect with the history of the state creation’, the group noted.

‘OPIC and other major entities are currently at the same Oke Ilewo. First Avenue Road in Ibara GRA which was renamed as Aderupoko but still carries the old name flows directly from OPIC and Housing Corporation passing through Gateway Mortgage Bank’.

‘In the design of Abeokuta City Centre, Access Bank and GTBank were meant to build their regional offices and GTBank Plc has fulfilled that promise with the most gigantic structure in the city center’ .

‘The place consists of shopping malls and amphi-theatre if completed. Around the City Centre is Nigerian Police Mobile Force, Zone 2. The Central Bank of Nigeria and Simeon Adebo Library are all in the area’.

‘Overlooking the City Centre is the house of the former Interim Head of State, Chief Earnest Shonekan. That is another tourist centre. Like GTB imposing regional structure, the city Centre should consist of structures like Providus Bank standing in the opposite not far from OPIC round about’.

‘However, it appears no one is thinking about the economic impact of the dilapidated state of the project. Apart from that, it has security implications. Although there are issues around the purpose for which land was released for secretariat many years back and the need to carry original owner along if there is a change of use’.

‘Development of the city centre as a project that can uplift the economy of Ogun State and the state capital appears as a good public interest and can be made to override other personal desire and interest if proper dialogue is adopted in form of arbitration. Moreover, security and economic well-being of Ogun State is more important than any other personal interest’, the group stated.

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